Brooks Art Therapy Access Program featured in Association of Art Musuem Directors publication

The Brooks Museum's Art Therapy Access Program is featured in the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD’s) latest publication in its Next Practices series: Next Practices in Partnerships. The resource is a compilation of 94 case studies from AAMD members detailing effective partnerships between art museums and community stakeholders that have enhanced museums’ service to the public.

The goal of this partnership with Christian Brothers University (CBU) is to increase awareness of art therapy as a mental health profession and prepare students working to become art therapists. During Fall 2016, CBU’s new art therapy field course gave students the unique opportunity to observe group art therapy sessions with credentialed art therapists at the Brooks Museum with clients from Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Memphis. CBU and Brooks Museum hope to offer this course once a calendar year.

“This partnership with CBU is such a fantastic next step in this program because it allows the museum to continue offering art therapy to our community, while also helping train the next generation of art therapists,” explained Kathy Dumlao, Brooks Museum’s education director.

The museum's art therapy program was also featured by WKNO's The Best Times television program.

The Brooks also offers free, quarterly information sessions for those who want to learn more about art therapy. Click here to register for the next info session, Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 2 p.m.

Click here to learn more about the program.

“Effective partnerships root museums in their communities and amplify museums’ public initiatives and programs,” said Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD. “This edition of Next Practices presents successful strategies for partnerships that have delivered positive changes for diverse groups of people across North America. We are so pleased that Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is committed to fostering collaborations that engage and inspire the Mid-South.”

This is the fourth edition of the Next Practices series, following 2016’s Next Practices in Diversity and Inclusion, 2015’s Next Practices in Digital and Technology, and 2014’s Next Practices in Art Museum Education. The Next Practices series is designed to inspire new ideas as well as provide practical guidance on planning and implementing innovative initiatives. AAMD’s Next Practices in Partnerships can be downloaded here.