Curated by The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling class of 2021, Reconstructing Care challenges current paradigms of care within the field of art therapy and beyond. Care is conceptualized as a constantly evolving process, understood through resistance, access, amplification, community care, generational care, and self-care. As therapists entering the mental health field during a global pandemic, we examine the ways care has adapted to online platforms. We interrogate systems of care that perpetuate oppression in order to recenter marginalized voices and actively reimagine how we care for ourselves, our communities, and each other.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling exhibition originated in 1999 at the Roger Brown home and studio. Previously referred to as The Art of Connection, recent cohorts have responded to and expanded on this title. In considering our own ethics of care, we have become the first cohort to make the conscious and collective decision not to include client artwork in our show. We strive to sustain a critical, intersectional, and reflexive practice.
Viewers are invited to investigate their own ideas of care as they access the exhibition online and in-person. To schedule a viewing time, please go to the Visit page for more information.
Presented by the Department of Exhibitions and Exhibition Studies in collaboration with the Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program. Special thanks to Savneet Talwar, MAATC Department Chair, faculty Cathy Moon, Deb Delsignore, and Alumni Producer Monica Morris, for coordinating and supporting the exhibiting artists over the past 6 months. Many thanks to our colleagues in Department of Exhibitions and especially to Trevor Martin, Lauren Steinberg, Michael Hall, Steven Plaxco, and Kaitlyn Albrecht for their assistance throughout the exhibition process.