Art Expression Featured in New Book for Art Educators

A new book in the child development field features Art Expression Inc. in its discussion of the therapeutic benefits of art on traumatized children.

Edited by Adrienne D. Hunter, MEd, Donalyn Heise, EdD, and Beverley H. Johns, MS, Art for Children Experiencing Psychological Trauma (Routledge), is a guide for art educators and school-based professionals that explores the benefits of art on this vulnerable population.

According to the publisher, the book “aims to increase understanding of art’s potential to enhance learning for children living in crisis. … Included are successful models of art education for diverse populations, with specific attention to youth who face emotional, mental, behavioral, and physical challenges, as well a framework for meaningful visual arts education for at-risk/in-crisis populations.”

A chapter titled “Community-Based Art Programs, Collaborative Partnerships, and Community Resources for At-Risk Students,” co-written by Laura Saulle and HCEF founder Joe Lagana, details the work done by some of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund’s programming partners, including several pages devoted to Art Expression. Illustrations of children’s work from a “body maps of stress” art project conducted by Art Expression at an area shelter agency are also included.

“We’re very grateful and excited to be included in this scholarly work,” said Angela Lowden, Art Expression executive director. “Because we use graduate-level and masters-degreed art therapists and board-certified music therapists, we have the experience and expertise to deliver positive outcomes for children through components of art and music therapy.”

About Art Expression Inc.

Art Expression Inc. is a non-profit foundation established in 2001 by James and Angela Lowden as an expression of their passion for alleviating the social inequalities that exist among children of different abilities and backgrounds. The organization’s mission is to provide social and emotional learning through the arts and provide academic enrichment in an inclusive setting. Art Expression’s programming fosters creativity and imagination and enhances self-esteem for children in schools, homeless shelters and community organizations. Art Expression is a two-time finalist (2017 and 2013) for the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, distinguishing the organization as one of the top 50 arts- and humanities-based programs in the country and for which it received certificates of excellence from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Published: June 13, 2018