Art Therapy and Art Museum Education: A Visitor-Focused Collaboration

Abstract

In this article I use a visitor-focused lens to examine ways in which art therapy and art museum education share similar goals and could join their efforts to serve people and communities in mutually beneficial ways. Benefits of such collaboration include affective and social development and education of visitors, a useful framework for exploring sensitive topics, opportunities for community engagement, and creating inclusive environments for diverse groups. I close with a consideration of the implications of art therapy and art museum education, and the ways in which art therapists and art museum educators can communicate and learn from one another to build successful art therapy museum programs.

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Notes on contributors

Jessie Spraggins Rochford

Jessie Spraggins Rochford is a doctoral student at Florida State University and an art therapist working at the Florida State University Counseling Center, Tallahassee, FL.