PROGRAM TYPE
On Campus
DEGREES
BA
Contact
Darrell Matsumoto, MFA
Art Therapy | BA
Program Overview
Art Therapy is an exciting career field that offers a challenging opportunity to combine creativity, psychology and compassionate service. The Art Therapy curriculum is balanced between art courses, psychology, and human services courses, and includes two courses in art therapy, theory and methods, two Art Therapy internships and two senior capstone courses. The two consecutive Art Therapy courses taken in the junior year are comprised of experiential and didactic components. The required internships also take place in the junior year.
The art therapy program prepares undergraduate students for the Master’s degree program in Art Therapy and Art Therapy licensing through the American Art Therapy Association.
Graduate Study Articulation Agreement: After successful completion of the Department of Art & Design’s B.A. in Art Therapy and meeting specific criteria detailed in the agreement (for details, contact the Department of Art and Design, Anna Maria College), the student qualifies for admission to Springfield College’s M.S. Art Therapy/Counseling.
About the Department
Course Of Study
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of a BA in Art Therapy, students will:
- Identify and describe the historical and cultural context of art and design
- Demonstrate working knowledge of technologies and equipment applicable to their area(s) of specialization
- Demonstrate Perceptual acuity, conceptual understanding, and the technical facility at a professional entry level in their chosen field(s). The ability to perceptively analyze works of art and design and to critically evaluate its quality
- To work independently on a variety of art and design projects. The ability to conceptualize, research, and produce an independent project. Produce a capstone exhibition and portfolio
- Experience using a variety of art materials and processes, and develop a portfolio demonstrating competence. A portfolio demonstrating competence is a requirement for the application to graduate degree programs in Art Therapy
- Knowledge of the basic principles of sociology, and cultural anthropology, including the understanding of social conflict, group dynamics, the relationship of culture to the development of personality, and ethnic and multicultural issues, and its context.
- Knowledge of basic principles of general psychology, abnormal psychology, and developmental psychology, with additional coursework in educational, clinical, experimental, and social psychology, and child/adolescence psychology, developmental disabilities, and family systems
- Demonstrate functional competence with principles of visual organization, including the ability to work with visual elements and its application in drawing, two-dimensions and three-dimensions, color theory, and digital arts
Art Portfolio Guidelines
We encourage the submission of an Art/Design Portfolio, as a valuable part of the admissions process. This allows the College and the Department of Art & Design to gain insight on your application.
Click here to submit your portfolio.
Portfolios are now reviewed via SlideRoom. Please visit SlideRoom to upload your images now!
Digital media portfolios and portfolios submitted using the form must adhere to the following guidelines:
- Images: individual .jpg files titled with your name and image number, 2MB maximum size
- Include: size, media, and date of completion
- Video or Time Based Performances: Quick Time or .mpg
Physical portfolios and digital media are accepted as well. If you wish to present a physical portfolio or schedule an appointment to meet with Darrell Matsumoto, Director of Art & Design please email dmatsumoto@annamaria.edu. If you wish to send us your portfolio on a flash drive, please include a Word document listing the title, size, media, and date of your work. Please direct questions to David Wackell at dwackell@annamaria.edu.
Please address physical portfolio submissions to:
c/o David Wackell
Box E
Department of Art and Design
Anna Maria College
50 Sunset Lane
Paxton, MA 01612
Scholarships are also awarded every January to select students participating in the Secondary School Art Scholarship Competition. Please see accordion menu below for a complete prospectus and submission form.
New England Secondary School Art/Design Competition
Deadline for Entries: December 6, 2024
Virtual Exhibition Dates: December 18, 2024 – March 5, 2025
ZOOM Awards Presentation: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Art Center Gallery
Director: Darrell Matsumoto, MFA
Art Center Gallery at Anna Maria College serves as the venue for numerous art and design exhibitions throughout the year, to support the intellectual and cultural life of the College and surrounding community. Of special note, the gallery presents special exhibitions, which showcase the contemporary work of practicing artists and designers, which also includes a published catalogue.
View our exhibitions below.
Self-Designed Major
Suggestions for Self-Design Majors
- Photography/Video
- Painting/Mixed Media
- Sculpture/Installation Art
- Digital Arts
- Performance Art
- Art and Business
Self-Design Program Outcomes
- Identify and describe the historical and cultural context of art and design
- Demonstrate working knowledge of technologies and equipment applicable to their area(s) of specialization
- Demonstrate perceptual acuity, conceptual understanding, and the technical facility at a professional entry level in their chosen field(s). The ability to perceptively analyze works of art and design and to critically evaluate its quality
- Demonstrate functional competence with principles of visual organization, including the ability to work with visual elements and its application in drawing, two-dimensions and three-dimensions, color theory, and digital arts
- Work independently on a variety of art and design projects. The ability to conceptualize, research, and produce an independent project. Produce a capstone exhibition and portfolio
Art and Design Minors
Students interested in art who major in another field may minor in art. An art minor may be of particular interest to the Liberal Studies major who wishes to engage in a creative endeavor, or the business major who may find art and design skills an asset for a career in marketing, advertising, or public relations. A portfolio presentation of basic artistic skills is required to declare a minor in art.
Students interested in art who major in another field may minor in art. An art minor may be of particular interest to all majors who wishes to engage in a creative endeavor. The Art Minor is perfect complement to any major.
- ART 101 Drawing I
- ART 103 Fundamentals of Design and Color
- DES 103 Introduction to Digital Design
- ART 204 Introduction to Sculpture and Clay
- ART Elective
- Art History Elective
This minor and the course selection is designed to provide the Visual Art major with the necessary foundation in psychology, forming an excellent introduction to the field of Art Therapy. Note: Students must have completed PSY101, PSY207 or PSY215 prior to ATH courses.
- ATH 150 Methods, Material, and Techniques for Art Therapists
- PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology
- PSY 207 Child Development or PSY215 Psychology of Adolescence
- PSY 306 Abnormal Psychology
- ATH 201 Art Therapy I
- ATH 202 Art Therapy II
A minor in Graphic Design may be of particular interest to students in the art or business programs, providing them with knowledge of technology coupled with design relevant to both the creative and professional worlds.
Requirements for Art majors:
- DES 140 Introduction to Graphic Design
- DES 251 History of Graphic Design
- DES 210 Typography II
- ART 248 Introduction to Digital Photography
- DES ___ Upper-level Graphic Design course
- Business or Marketing elective
Requirements for non-Art majors:
- ART 101 Fundamentals of Design and Color
- DES 103 Introduction to Digital Design
- ART 248 Introduction to Digital Photography
- DES 140 Introduction to Graphic Design
- DES ___ Upper-level Graphic Design course
- Business or Marketing elective
This minor is designed for any student interested in the study of Photography and Videography. The minor will provide a solid foundation in the lens and light arts, which has a myriad of applications in our media driven society.
- DES 103 Introduction to Digital Design
- ART 248 Digital Photography I
- ART 239 Videography I
- ART 249 Digital Photography II or ART 240 Videography II
- ART/DES Elective
- ART 354 Modern and Contemporary Art History