By: Dr. Karyn Skaar
The last weekend of spring break, 10 Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC) students traveled to Emporia, Kansas to attend the 47th Annual Art Therapy Discovery Day at Emporia State University. This event was an opportunity to attend a professional conference, meet and talk to faculty and graduate students, and form lasting friendships with other NTCC students.
Dr. Karyn Skaar reported the keynote speaker was Dr. Laura A. Cherry who is an authority on multicultural anti-racist art education, cross-cultural art therapy programming with children with multiple disabilities, and art education in Title I schools. In addition to the key note speaker, there were opportunities to speak with current and past graduate students of the program, hands-on workshops on the use of felting, sock puppets, e-boards, expressive art, and more as therapeutic tools. Finally, Student Art Therapy Organization (SATO) held an art auction to fund a graduate student scholarship. Many of our students bid and won art made locally by the students and staff of Emporia State University.
“I could not believe the hands-on art workshops were so much fun”, stated Victor Arreola, NTCC computer science major. Jocelyn Castorena, a psychology major at NTCC, who attended said she was motivated by Dr. Cherry’s desire to make art inclusive by presenting artwork of artists who look like her students. Dr. Cherry introduced the audience via zoom to a living, self-taught visual artist Chris Wilson. Hilda Rodriguez, Psi Beta President, stated she was so inspired by Wilson’s philosophy on struggle and possibilities that she purchased his book, The Master Plan.
Dr. Skaar and all the students wish to thank Shea and Dustin Taylor of Mount Pleasant Martial Arts. Without their sponsorship, not all of the students who wished to attend would have been able.
