Art Therapy and Fiber Arts

Catalog description

This course weaves together the historical and political threads of the fiber arts tradition with its practical application in a therapeutic context. Students learn how fiber arts began out of necessity, evolved into the women’s work of American housewives, then transitioned into the post-modernist feminist movement of the 60’s and 70’s to today. Through this historical and political lens, students study the clinical application of fiber arts in various groups who are diverse - socially, culturally, neurologically, and with respect to age and gender identity. In addition to these contextual frameworks, students develop practical skills in six basic fiber arts techniques. Students leave the course with concrete ways to explore ways to combine fiber arts into their art therapy practices.