Places We Practice • 237not get rid of his sister in reality, nor would he want to most of the time. But he could express
that wish with symbolic disguise in a drawing, free of guilt or anxiety. Because his teacher
had been taught that, if “scary mad wishes” are accepted with understanding, children are
less likely to act them out, she could empathize with his drawing.
On a larger scale, Pittsburgh has an annual citywide arts festival where people of all ages
come to look at art and watch performances. Since 1973, there has also been a place where
children and families can create art themselves—the Family Creative Arts Center, started by
Community Services of PCGC (Figure 10.12). On the DVD you can see what the many arts
activities provided during the first year of the project looked like (E).
Being part of the Community Services Department allowed me to spread the word about
the therapeutic benefits of art to many settings, like preschools, community centers, and
churches. There were art groups for parents (F), where they created with media and, through
their own experience and discussion, understood the value of art for their children. There
were mother–child (G) and family (H) art sessions—where the activity with the children was
followed by discussion groups for the adults, so they could reflect on and learn from the
joint experience.
There were a variety of pilot programs in schools, including art activities specifically
designed to promote self-awareness (Art Awareness), and the making of animated films (I)
—which tended to be about normal concerns and fears that kids don’t often get to talk about.
Consultation to art and other teachers, as well as to school guidance counselors, was
another avenue for getting more health-promoting art opportunities into the classroom.
Just as medical art therapy serves the primary goal of physical healing, so school art therapy
serves the primary goal of enhancing the child’s ability to learn.
Sometimes such art therapy is done with individuals or small groups who are having diffi-
culties. There have always been a few art therapists in schools who have worked with normal
Figure 10.12 Endless easel at the Community Arts Festival.