Opening Reception For Graduate Art Therapy Program Art Show

The Graduate Art Therapy Student Association (GATSA) presented its annual art show from February 7-28 in the San Marco Gallery, located in the Alemany Library on the Dominican University of California campus. Titled “Transitions,” this is the first GATSA art show since the graduate Art Therapy program moved to Dominican last year.

An opening reception on February 11 featured a panel discussion with Art Therapy Psychology faculty Dr. Richard Carolan, Dr. Amy Backos, and Dr. Gwen Sanders.

The featured artist is Art Therapy alumna Annie Danberg (artist statement below).

Dominican acquired the well-regarded graduate programs in Art Therapy from Notre Dame de Namur University last year. The program moved to Dominican and the School of Liberal Arts and Education in summer 2021, resulting in the University offering an accredited Master of Arts in Art Therapy, Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a PhD in Art Therapy.

Established in 1979, the Master of Arts in Art Therapy is the only program of its kind in Northern California and one of only two programs in the state. The PhD in Art Therapy, established in 2013, is one of only two PhD-Art Therapy programs in the country.

The art show will be held during regular library hours. All visitors must follow university health and safety guidelines. For more information, contact Andrea Rose Jones, GATSA art show curator, at andrearosejones@gmail.com.

Annie Danberg’s artist statement:

“These paintings and monotypes were created during a period of grieving following the death of my beloved cat. Through creative expression, I explored the powerful transition between life and death. Between here and there.

At the time, I became aware of the crows visiting my neighborhood each morning. I watched great flocks fly eastward at dawn and westward at dusk, their blackness and mythos captivating my attention during this time of grieving.

Through painting and drawing, I explored the symbolic meaning of these creatures as intermediaries between the worlds of life and death. In this work, crows represent the relationship between the mundane and the mythological — a bridge connecting the natural world with the realm of the sacred.

As a child, art making and family pets were my constant companions. They were my refuge from the physical pain of numerous leg surgeries and from the emotional pain of being short-statured. When not reading or drawing, I spent my time exploring nearby woods. These original loves continue to inform my present artistic explorations.

I take a process-oriented approach to art making. This means that my focus is predominantly on the experiential, moment-to-moment unfolding of the piece rather than on a preconceived end result. My art is informed and inspired by animals, poetry, Buddhism, dreams, natural forms and processes, as well as an internal felt sense.”

Images above include Annie Danberg's works "Interweaving" (left) and "Threshold III"