May 6, 2021 | Susan Boxer Kappel, MA, ATR-BC, LCAT, CGP, Conference Chair
Thank you to all who submitted a conference proposal this year. All authors will be notified of the program decisions by May 21st. We continue to monitor the status of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the restrictions for holding in-person meetings at our conference location in San Diego. We appreciate everyone who participated in the recent survey about their plans to attend. As always, the safety and well-being of our members, conference attendees and volunteers is our primary concern and focus.
We are planning to decide about the in-person event before we open early bird registration on July 1, so that all attendees will know what type of event they are registering for. As we have communicated before, regardless of whether we are able to hold an in-person conference, we do plan to also offer a virtual conference. We appreciate your patience and we look forward to making a final announcement soon! Either way, there will be a conference this fall – Your Way!
Congratulations to This Year’s Conference Logo Artist: We are so excited to share this year’s logo and introduce the artist, Kathleen Fogel-Richmond, MA, MFT, ATR. Kathleen is employed in Los Angeles as an instructor and the practicum coordinator at Loyola Marymount University’s (LMU) Department of Marital & Family Therapy with Specialized Training in Art Therapy, which is located within LMU’s College of Communication and Fine Art. Kathleen graduated from LMU’s program in 1995. Kathleen has extensive experience providing services for abused children and adults living with persistent mental illness and co-occurring disorders. Her specialty is working with older adults around issues of aging and loss and assisting adult caretakers of aging parents with long-term care planning and therapeutic support.
Kathleen Fogel-Richmond
Artist’s Statement About the Artwork: The logo was inspired by the theme of the 2021 AATA conference in Southern CA; Reconnecting and Visualizing Future Pathways for Art Therapy in a Diverse Society, by creating imagery that integrates a “path” forward made up of diverse hands reaching towards an iconic California sunset. The overlapping and reaching hands represent both a hope for physical reconnection following pandemic isolation and an envisioned future for our field of respecting, nurturing, and recruiting increasingly diverse voices. The rainbow pathway also represents the respectful inclusivity of LGBTQ+ voices advancing our profession forward.
Please continue to watch for communications with the latest information about the conference and stay safe!