WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Jan. 18, 2023 — West Liberty University Creative Arts Therapy students are putting finishing touches on art submissions for their annual Creative Arts Therapy Exhibition. The exhibition will be displayed at Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theater, 2118 Market St., Wheeling, from Jan. 21 to Feb. 26, 2023.
“This is our fourth year that we are presenting our student exhibition at this convenient downtown location and we are grateful that Towngate Theater and the Oglebay Institute are so generous with their space,” said Terri Giller, who is the undergraduate Creative Arts Therapy Instructor. “I see this as a great way for our students to connect with the community, highlight art therapy education and educate about the role art can play in healing.”
This exhibition includes work from undergraduate and graduate students. Artwork in the exhibition includes pieces created in studio arts classes as well as art therapy specific assignments. Students were asked to consider “The Healing Power of Art.”
Creative Arts Therapy major, Makenna Klarr experienced this while recovering from her own experience, “Using art as a coping mechanism for healing after my car accident has helped me work through one of the most traumatic points in my life. Art has helped me heal emotionally almost as much as medicine and surgery has helped me physically. The three pieces that I created of medicine bottles are representative of how healing can be overwhelming but it’s important. I collaged a copy of my discharge papers from the hospital as a background and cut out some words that were most prevalent in my experience.”Read More…