On Saturday, the Art Therapy Discovery day was held at the Emporia State Memorial Union. Starting off the event was the keynote speaker, art therapist Melissa Walker.
She spoke about art therapy and discussed its importance to the world.
Walker then talked about how it’s used to help veterans with traumatic brain injuries as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, stating the directive that she and other art therapists like her take to help those people.
She specifically uses masks to help veterans express themselves.
The Nancy Knapp scholarship will be awarded at the end of the event. Interested students created a piece of art and also submitted an essay that explains their vision of how art is a form of healing.
The Knapp scholarship is also raising funds for the Robert Ault scholarship, named after the founder of Emporia State’s art therapy program. The Ault scholarship is still receiving funding. They have $4,000 already and they need $10,000 for the scholarship to become endowed.
The silent auction will be used for the Robert Ault scholarship. There are artworks by both faculty and students being sold as well as a piece made by Ault himself titled “Topeka in the Kaw”. The results of the auction will be announced at the end of the event.
Photos by Lance Moore/KVOE News
{gallery}Art Therapy Discovery Day{/gallery}
