April 7, 2021 | Denise R. Wolf MA ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC, AATA Scholarship Chair
The call for applications for AATA scholarships closes on May 1, 2021, so you still have time! The benefits of receiving a scholarship extend beyond dollars and cents. When you receive a national scholarship from the AATA, you experience increased networking opportunities from peers and colleagues. Scholarships of this kind offer you a great opportunity to build long-lasting connections with students and professionals in art therapy, across the country and around the world. Read on to learn about how some of the recipients of 2020 scholarships benefitted from their award and imagine yourself as an awardee in 2021.
2021 Scholarships
AATA student members enrolled in or accepted to undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs are eligible to apply for the following awards.
- American Art Therapy Association Anniversary Scholarship Fund
- Myra Levick Scholarship Fund
- Rawley Silver Award for Excellence
- Cay Drachnik Minorities Fund
- Student Scholarship to the Annual Conference
- Prasad Family Foundation – International Student Scholarship
- Irene Rosner David Medical Art Therapy Scholarship
- New Professional Scholarship to the Annual Conference
- Laura Greenstone Memorial Scholarship
- Dr. Ellen G. Horovitz Spiritual Art Therapy Scholarship
Find more information and applications on MyAATA!
2020 Recipients Share Their Highlights
Devorah Milecki was the first recipient of the newly developed Dr. Ellen G. Horovitz Spiritual Art Therapy Scholarship. Devorah is an Australian who currently resides in New York. She has a Bachelor’s in Art and Psychology from UNSW, Sydney, and is currently finishing her Master’s in Art Therapy at Edinboro College. Devorah is interested in combining Art Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Jewish spirituality to help clients overcome difficulty, connect spiritually, and create positive change in their lives. As a result of receiving this scholarship, Devorah was able to implement spiritual practices she had been researching in school. She is interested in supporting people to attend to the creation of their own prayer in a way that is personally symbolic, autonomous and brings purpose and value to one’s life.
In 2020, the Irene Rosner David Medical Art Therapy Scholarship was awarded to Sarah Fine. Sarah is on the cusp of receiving her Master’s in Art Therapy from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Sarah expressed gratitude in having Irene as a professor during her studies and was inspired to pursue art therapy in medical settings. She commented that this scholarship has supported her not only financially (it is expensive to live in New York City!) but also believes that being a recipient provides her with a way to distinguish herself in the job market, which can be a competitive domain of practice. Sarah knows that working as an art therapist in medical settings is a rich experience and is ready to help advance this area of knowledge. When asked about her motivation to apply she remarked, “As a student, it’s easy to feel that you are new to the profession and that they are not going to pick you”, however she offered an alternative perspective and encouraged students to apply. Following graduation, Sarah is excited to impact medical art therapy practices through ongoing collaboration and innovative research.
The Prasad Family Foundation International Student Scholarship was awarded to Tsz Yan (Winnie) Wong. Winnie is a socially engaged artist from Hong Kong and a second-year art therapy student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She pursued art therapy education in the United States because she feels that art therapy development is greater here than in Hong Kong, and she wanted to learn alongside “art therapy leaders”. Winnie communicated that scholarship money for international students has a magnitude of impact due to federal restrictions on the amount of money an international student can earn through employment. Winnie values the experiences of international students and believes that they bring a unique perspective to their graduate studies, although these experiences can sometimes be isolating. She felt that receiving the Prasad scholarship helped to foster a connection in her to art therapy practice post-graduation, as well as cement her identity as an art therapist. Winnie is hopeful for the opportunity to connect with past recipients of the Prasad Family Foundation International Student Scholarship to cultivate connections with those that have similar experiences, challenges, and ambitions.
Both Lyrah Wallace and Chris Zweifel were awarded the Student Scholarship to the Annual Conference. Lyrah Wallace is a current graduate student at Emporia State University’s Art Therapy and Clinical Counseling programs, graduating this May. Lyrah specializes in working with the LGBTQ+ community with the goal of continuing to work with LGBTQ+ clients after graduating. Lyrah attended the 2019 conference in Kansas City, was part of the local arrangements committee, and participated in a LGBTQ+ focus group. They feel “it’s an important introduction into the world of art therapy, and a wonderful opportunity” for student attendees of the conference. Lyrah conveyed a deep appreciation for the AATA’s funding available to support students and emerging art therapists, noting that for some the conference cost is a barrier to attendance. Lyrah shared some big take-aways from their conference attendance in 2020; “we see all these amazing topics, mediums and approaches to practice that are much more vast than what we learned in school. The conference provides opportunity to see how art therapy in practice can look different.” They stated that they really valued seeing how professional art therapists are pursuing personal areas of interest within their work and found more solid ground in identifying their place in the art therapy community. Lyrah strongly believes that there is a place for marginalized people in the art therapy profession. Lyrah is currently working on creating a workbook for LGBTQ+ art therapists with a plan to publish after attaining licensure in their state of practice.
Chris Zweifel is a second-year student in the Master of Arts Art Therapy program at Cedar Crest College. She is laying the groundwork to engage in environmental art therapy with survivors of natural disasters. Chris also attended the conference in 2019 as the recipient of the Undergraduate Poster Award. It was here that her “appetite was whet” for conference attendance and participation, which is something she wants to continually be part of. Chris identified that the financial support of the scholarship is a valuable resource and greatly contributed to her ability to attend. She had a moment of synchronicity at the 2020 conference when attending Candy Chang’s keynote, “Making the Darkness Conscious; Tools for Emotional Communion and Growth.” Candy discussed her public art project, “Before I Die”. Chris realized that she and her family had participated in the exhibit previously on an undergraduate class trip to New York. She thought, “This! This is the kind of work I’m pursuing!”. Chris sensed that she had found her way, found her people, and experienced confirmation of her path of study. Chris shared a recognition of the many ways she has integrated experiences and learnings from the 2020 conference into her practice and theoretical base. “It has really made a difference in my semester, and beyond school as well. It was confirmation that I’m not foolish when I’m dreaming.”
