March 9, 2021
Curious about becoming an art therapist? Know someone interested in a career in art therapy?
Join us (it’s free!) Thursday, March 11, 2021 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM EST for Career Conversation: The Profession of Art Therapy with Cheryl Doby-Copeland, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC, LMFT and Deanna Barton, MA, ATR-BC
The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) is proud to collaborate with the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective and the Morehouse School of Medicine to introduce the Atlanta University Center community to the art therapy profession over the course of this Spring 2021 semester!
Operating within the largest consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective offers a BA in Art History and minors in Curatorial Studies and Art History to students at Spelman College, Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University.
About the Event
Through active artmaking that pairs the creative process and applied psychology within a psychotherapeutic practice, art therapy offers a means of communication for people who cannot find the words to express anxiety, pain, or emotions. Art Therapy is a rewarding, interdisciplinary profession that unites art and psychology to improve the lives of people of all ages and walks of life. Join art therapists, Dr. Cheryl Doby-Copeland and Deanna Barton (Spelman College, C’2008) for a multi-faceted conversation on the profession of art therapy.
Dr. Cheryl Doby-Copeland received her BFA in Art Education and MPS in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute and continued to earn her PhD in School Psychology at Howard University. With over 43 years as a clinical art therapist, she has shown commitment to working in the public sector with underserved and marginalized clients. She has been employed by the Department of Behavioral Health for the District of Columbia Government since 1994 and currently works on a clinical team providing culturally competent art therapy to children and families. She has authored numerous publications and has been a regular presenter at the annual conference since 1997. Doby-Copeland has been Adjunct Faculty at The George Washington University’s Art Therapy Program since 1998 and has also served as external reviewer for EVMS students’ culminating projects. She has mentored countless students, particularly African American students and new professionals.
Through numerous leadership roles over the course of her career, Dr. Doby-Copeland has made lasting contributions to the profession and the association, serving as: Director on the Board of Directors (1991-2001, 2013-2018), Speaker of Assembly of Chapters (2018), Multicultural Committee Member (1994-present; Chair, 1998-1999), Ethics Committee Chair (2011-2013), and Nominating Committee Member (1982, 2003; Chair, 2004). Her leadership work involved working on a team to update the new Ethical Principles for Art Therapists (2013) and establishing multicultural competencies for art therapists. As a testament of these contributions and her clinical excellence, Dr. Doby-Copeland was awarded the AATA’s Distinguished Clinician Award in 2003. She is currently one of the leading advocates in the Potomac Art Therapy Association pushing for licensure in the District of Columbia.
Deanna Barton is a Black, Board Certified Art Therapist, art educator, and artist. In 2016, she founded Artspiration LLC, now Alluma, to help people of color process deep pain, creatively begin to heal, and change their narratives through art expression and mark-making. She received a Master’s in Art Therapy from The George Washington University and completed her undergraduate studies at Spelman College. Deanna is a member of the American Art Therapy Association’s Multicultural Committee and is working to increase diversity and equity within the field of art therapy by educating and supporting students of color interested in pursuing careers in expressive therapies.
Deanna works with young women of color healing from anxiety, depression, perfectionism, and experiences childhood, racial, and workplace trauma. She believes we are intrinsically creative, and expressing our creativity can help us find balance and fulfillment in life as we strive to grow and heal.
CAREER WEEK AT THE AUC ART COLLECTIVE – During the week of March 8-12, 2021, the AUC Art Collective will host a career week which brings together various speakers and career related topics for students planning their careers in the art and cultural industries! | www.aucartcollective.org