19 May 2017
During his residency at LASALLE from 14 – 20 May 2017, Dr McNiff provided an evening presentation for the LASALLE community, community-at-large and the mental health community as part of the MA Art Therapy Programme’s 10-year anniversary.
He enlightened on how Art heals through the circulation of creative energy and the transformation of difficulties which fuel the process. He further expounded on how these principles and processes guide the arts therapies worldwide and are embedded in Asian thought, practice and indigenous traditions. East and West also converge when reflections on images and artistic process, in practice and research, strive for a deeper communion and understanding guided by spontaneity and wonder.
Dr McNiff is a prolific and distinguished art therapy practitioner, academic, artist, writer and researcher that has significantly influenced the disciplines of art therapy and expressive arts therapy globally for over four decades. He founded the Institute for the Arts and Human Development, served as Dean/Director of Masters programmes in Creative Arts in Learning and Expressive Arts Therapy with training sites throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel.
His publications include: Imagination in Action: Secrets for Unleashing Creative Expression (2015); Art as Research: Opportunities and Challenges, Ed. (2013); Integrating the Arts in Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice (2009); Art Heals: How Creativity Cures the Soul (2004); Creating with Others: The Practice of Imagination in Art, Life and the Workplace (2003); Trust the Process: An Artist’s Guide to Letting Go (1998); Art-Based Research (1998); Art as Medicine (1992); Depth Psychology of Art (1989); and six other books, as well as media programmes. His books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Additionally, over 50 chapters have been published in books and over 150 essays and reviews in journals and magazines with translations into Russian, German, Dutch and other languages.
Over the past forty years, he gave hundreds of lectures and keynotes throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand; at universities, professional meetings and public gatherings. Since the early 1970s, he exhibited paintings at the Jane Deering Gallery, Addison Gallery of American Art, The Winfisky Gallery at Salem State College, The Longwood Gallery at The Massachusetts College of Art, the Joseloff Gallery at the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford and other universities and galleries.
HIs honours and awards include: Citations from the House of Representatives and Senate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for founding Expressive Arts Therapy (2009); Honorary Life Member Award of the American Art Therapy Association (1997); Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Mount Mary College (1993); and in 2002, Lesley University appointed him as its first University Professor.
