Art therapy exhibit opens at Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum

COSHOCTON −An art therapy exhibit for Mental Health Awareness Month will be on display from May 5 to June 2 at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, 300 N. Whitewoman St. The display is a collaboration of the museum and MSW Solutions.

The exhibit offers samples of art therapy projects completed by individuals and groups of varying ages, across mental health diagnoses.

Sheila Mayse, a licensed independent supervising social worker and co-owner of MSW Solutions, said she reached out to the museum to discuss the program because she feels so strongly about promoting the benefits of mental health services in the community.

"As therapists, we have many tools beyond traditional talk therapy at our disposal to assist clients in attaining mental well-being. The goal of the exhibit is to highlight the many ways art can be used for healing within the mental health profession. My hope is to expand these efforts to include other agencies and expressive forms of treatment in the future,” Mayse said in a press release.

Art therapy as a discipline began in the 1940s and became more widespread in the 1970s. It draws on creativity like other forms of creative therapy such as those related to music and dance.

Art is a tool therapists use to help patients interpret, express and resolve emotions and thoughts. Patients work with a therapist to explore emotions, understand conflicts or feelings that are causing distress while using art to help find resolutions to issues. Incorporating art into the therapeutic process enriches the lives of individuals, families and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship, per the press release.

Many of the works in the exhibit have been led by Dawna Walters-Hardesty, who incorporates art therapy concepts into her work with children, adults, individuals, groups and families.

“During a session, a therapist who uses art works with the client to understand what is causing distress. Then the therapist guides the client to create art that addresses the cause of the issue," Walters-Hardesty said in the release. "I explain that clients don't have to think of themselves as creative or artistic to benefit. I help the client choose and use a medium, such as drawing, sculpture, collage or painting while guiding the client through expressing themselves through art, usually by asking questions and discussing the results, including the work of art and what the client felt.”

While many mental health clinicians incorporate components of art therapy into their work, art therapists are specifically trained master-level clinicians who work with people of all ages across a broad spectrum of practice, said the release. Utilizing art therapy techniques can provide relief to those who are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking emotional, creative and spiritual growth.

For more information, contact MSW Solutions at 740-502-3047 or any other local mental health services agency.

The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday through May 21 and then everyday from noon to 4 p.m. after. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and $15 for families with free admission for all Coshocton County residents on Sunday. For more information on the museum, call 740-622-8710 or email jhmuseum@jhmuseum.org.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Art therapy exhibit opens at JH Museum