For International Peace Day, Prof. Onli led a free art work-shop based on "Peace" as the theme at the Ogelsby Elementary School on Chicago's energetic Southside.

Onli graduated from the school in 1965 and is very concerned about the crime, violence and lack of opportunity that now are issues in the community.  He asked for a random group of students to participate as a group to discuss the merits of "Peace" and to help him produce a few banners for the school's "Peace Day" celebration.

Prof. Onli thanks Principal Henderson for allowing him the chance to give back to the school where he learned so much.

Ivette (Ivy) Garcia is a Harold Washington College Rockstar! She visited Northern Illinois University with the HWC Art Department and fell in love with what NIU has to offer art students. Ivy is now studying Art Education at NIU, and she graduated last Spring 2016 with her Associate's of Arts Degree. When asked to whom she owes her success at HWC, she gave shout outs to her rockstar professors: Turtel Onli (Art), Richard Powers (Literature), Jennifer Armendarez (Speech), and to the Transfer Director, Ellen Goldberg. She also owes so much of her success to being an Intern for the organization, Genesys Works. Go Ivy! You rock and INSPIRE! #rockstar #communitycollege #transferccc#haroldtransfers #dreamschool

Psychology and Art: A Smmary and Critique by Douglas N. Morgan

The Psychoanalytic Approach is an inquiry into the personality factors, which condition the creation and/ or appreciation of work of art.

The attempt seems to be to read the work in whatever field, symbolically, and to correlate these readings with whatever biographical data may be available, to the end that we understand more fully the personality of the creating artist, and through this understanding, light maybe thrown upon the "mystery” of creation in the arts.

The Gestalt Approach is characterized by a belief that perception (and perhaps other psychological phenomena as well) can be explained in terms of neural factors tending to produce organized, through dynamically changing patterns segregated groups of "units or wholes”. Thinkers in this tradition ask, what perceptual organizing factors condition the experience of seeing or hearing a work of art.

The Experimental (Behaviorists)  Approach is characterized by distrust of any method which makes inferences on any basis other than precise mathematical measurements of behavior and which make predictions to any other conclusions than those measurable in such precise terms. (Psychological testing.)

______________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY NOTES:

The activity and art making process I often use involves Paris Craft.  This is a safe material made of gauze imbedded with Plaster of Paris.  The activity embraces sensory integration, trust, sequential processing working in tandem along with highly successful results.  It bypasses drawing or any prior art making experiences which may have been negative. 

For instance some clients often recall early experiences in drawing that were challenging or even negative when asked to draw.  Until this is factored out, it may infuse that therapeutic  alliance with unexpected transferential aspects.

I find it easily fits into all three of the approaches listed above.

For the therapist or trainee it offers a wide range of task-analysis opportunities.

 Tamar is studying a mask before learning the process.

 Sofia actually decided to cast her arms and part of her internship.

 Sofia and Tamir attached their masks to canvas board an embellished them with acrylic paint.

 Tanya and Aisha are painting their masks.

Aisha is taking a selfie with the Good Brother Darth.  I encourage the interns to explore humor and playfulness in the studio process to learn how to manage the space and the materials appropriately.

IEP: Accommodations

This is a typical check-list used in many public school systems in relationship to planning the servicing of populations that have an Individual Educational Plan. Some public school systems actually request the services of an Art Therapist along with a host of educational supports to better serve the student, the student's family along with the school's staff.

 PEACE DAY- CHICAGO- Welcome to Rhythmistic Art Week. In appreciation of EXPO CHICAGO this weekend at Navy Pier. It is the most amazing event of its type. It features some of the best visual art on the planet.

Ogelsby Elementary School- I am a 1965 graduate of the school. Yes, it is in a troubled at-risk 'hood. It has been that long before our digital news feeds noticed. Some of my classmates there are life long friends. They are now retired Fire Captains, Lawyers, Educators, Corporate Administrators, Musicians, Artists, Accountants, Business Owners, and more. 

We all were faced with street crime back then. However we bonded together for success. Men in the area like Mr. L., ( Mr. Leonard,) ran the Boy Scouts. Him and that troop made a critical difference to many of us males who participated. Yes there were shootings. Yes we knew the shooters. They were often our school mates too. For us the body-count started back then! But that count and them were not the entire story.

Philip Jackson, of Black Star, is an old high school classmate and friend. He inspired a group of Men to meet, greet and Escort students there on the first day of school. I really felt that. I am a recently CPS Art Educator / Coach among other things. So.........

I went back to donate an artist studio session to create a few banners for today's PEACE DAY Celebration at Oglesby. I found the Principal, The Art Teacher, The Clerk, The N.C.L.B. person, other staff and the 5th Graders i worked with professional, dedicated, positive, intelligent, and just so cool to be with.

As that late great 20th Century philosopher from England, John Lennon, once sang" "All we are saying .....is give PEACE a chance!!!.

National Art Therapy Day: Link

FYI: The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as:

    The therapeutic use of art making, within a professional relationship, by people who experience illness, trauma or challenges in living, and by people who seek personal development. Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art.

    Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight. Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy.

ART THERAPY:

Art and the process of making art in the service of diagnosis or treatment:

When one is doing a diagnostic or treatment session it should blend the trained clinical eye and the ear of a psychologically sophisticated listener.  Interest should be placed on the behaviors, the art making process, the resulting art along with the impact the process is having that may reveal meaningful insights into the person's or groups underlying issues, needs or syndromes. Or having some healing impact or other beneficial side effects. Often insightfully expressive dynamics flow through the resulting artworks symbolic nature.

Unlike art education, our goal here is not to learn art techniques to become a better art maker. Our goal is the manifest a therapeutic alliance between the art therapist, the client or group, with the Art Therapy process.

I recently worked with two intelligent and talented studio interns using the plaster-craft process. Neither had ever used the material before.

They both visited my studio during a monthly open house and asked about art therapy as a practice when each noticed my Masters In Art and Art Therapy degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on the wall.

The resulting discussions led us to an intern situation.

PARIS CRAFT:  I have found this media to be a richly powerful activity that offers a variety of therapeutic options while its outcome is not based on any talent. It bypasses the notion of drawing in a realistic or even cartoonish manner.  It often spares the session the anxiety of memories many have of not being able to draw at a desirable level as a child or youth.

The sensory integration aspect, of dry, oil, water, wet, back to dry along with painting later to embellish it in a personal manner, is a rich therapeutic pathway to observe.

We started by reviewing the process and media along with task analyzing the therapeutic options possible in the activity.

Next they would experience the process, create using the process and finally administer the process to others.

I strongly suggest that the leading or practicing art therapist be very comfortable with the techniques and materials used with all types of clients.  This is not the time to experiment or discover new media.  This type of artistic-surprise may not be in the best interest of your clinical goals or objectives.

Tamir was a college senior Gates' Scholar.  This is her resulting work. 

It shows her mastery of the process. She is now exploring her options for graduate school.

Below we have Sofia who was a Chicago based college senior. 

She became very excited about the potential of this process and wanted to produce a more ambitious body or collection of work. After her graduation she returned to China to share the experience.

 Sofia spent the entire summer working on her installation.  

This site will serve to enrich the student, novice, or creative therapist in the understanding of using the visual art process for therapeutic impact. The esthetic aspects of the resulting art and the notion to artistic skills must take a backseat to achieving a therapeutic impact on the client, patient or group. A treatment plan is a serious asset in the alliance of art therapist and the practice of creative therapies.