Response Art to Develop a Social Justice Stance for Art Therapists

Abstract

Four recent art therapy graduates created reflective artwork to process the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. antiracist demonstrations and protests. This viewpoint describes their arts-based responses and intersubjective meetings to practice reflexive cultural humility. Key discoveries included themes of power and privilege, vulnerability, and moving toward the discomfort of addressing racism. The processes describe how reflective art-making can cultivate creative spaces for difficult conversations, opportunities for mutual reflection, and foundation sharing with the wider art therapy community to practice.