Engage Your Community

Take Action. Make Space.

Design | Discuss | Learn | Grow | Collaborate | Resonate | Build | Create | Change | Play

Sometimes, the best way to heal—or grow is to do it through reconnection.

There is so much that can happen, when it can happen in a group.

For over 50 years research and writing on group work demonstrates the tremendous impact it can have on mental health, social functionality, increased capacity for insight, and overall wellbeing. Through it, we realize we are not alone, we witness new ways of doing, we gain ideas and reflections from fresh points of view—we learn about ourselves, and how we can authentically relate with others. The latest research and advances in social service with the arts show the impact of group work on our brains. We co-regulate, synchronize, resonate, mobilize.

As a group, we see just how much we can get done when we band together. We offer access to so many more people for authentic experience, just by doing them in community. Our impact becomes far greater than if we were trying to make an impact for ourselves alone.

Make that group impact visible, tangible, irrefutable, and lasting:

Do it with art.

Options for Engagement + Event

Find an idea that sparks your imagination, and know there is room to grow it.

Whether for a class of young children, a workshop for teens, a training for colleagues, a retreat for healthcare heroes, a support group for medical care, a social for older adults, or an event to bring the whole neighborhood together for a cause—let’s find the group and issue you are passionate about reaching, and design an art initiative that moves them.

This list is only the beginning…

Community Mural

Gather dozens of individuals across generations, groups, and roles to generate a theme collaboratively and engage in completion of mural image—on the wall or on panels that can be installed, allowing the option of outdoor working environments. Great for making a big statement, impact, and social action. Completed murals on panels can often be donated to or sponsored for a local space or cause, or a specific organization may request a mural and bring together internal and/or external community members to realize it. The result is exciting and rewarding for all!

Transformational Talisman

For medium size groups and able to accommodate revolving participation or one longer engagement and processing session. Work with oil clay and mixed media to create a personal object of value and intended for protection. Honors indiginous healing practices and cultural traditions of the talisman usage—and brings awareness of history, self care and personal values to participants in the session. The nature of oil clay allows the talisman figure to be remolded over time and to meet the evolving needs, hopes, and wishes of participants. A great option for day-long events, especially those focused on wellness.

Mandala

Mandalas, roughly meaning “sacred circles,” have been used for thousands of years in Buddhist and Hindu meditation and spiritual practices, and were specifically honored and utilized in the work of early psychoanalyst and founder of Depth Psychology, Carl Jung. Considered the “father of Art Therapy,” Jung studied the use of mandalas as a snapshot of the inner world and imagination of an individual at the moment it is created. Colorful, abstract images spontaneously emerge in mindful filling of the pre-drawn circle—deep personal and collective meaning can be explored, or the stunning display of imagery can simply be appreciated as a statement of Self. Excellent for multi-generational usage in quiet, reflective self-care and support groups via individual creation, as well as in large, energetic community gatherings in group mandala-making alike!

Mask-making

We wear many identities daily—or “personas” as Carl Jung would call them. Connect with one or more, and externalize them, whether playfully as an animal you resonate with, or more seriously by exploring dualities of what is on the inside of the mask (feelings) versus what you present to the outside world on the outer face of the mask. This is a fun experiential for large, rotating groups in workshops, day-long events, or in process and insight-oriented supportive groups and series.

Vision, Voice, Viscerality

Combine visual art, sound, and movement for an integrative experience that stretches the imagination, and simultaneously centers and expands us. You’re offered the opportunity to play and explore expressions that are totally new. As more and more meanings emerge in the layering creativity, giddiness emerges alongside “aha” moments of personal understanding. A fun exploration for any age, and small to medium size groups—as long as there is time for everyone involved to share, the possibilities are limitless.

Dreamscaping

In Jungian, transpersonal Art Therapy views, it is dreams, myth and art that allow us to access the heart of our Selves—and the larger human experience around us. We can recall our dreams from sleep, use guided visualization, or prompts using plants, nature, and animals around us to explore our hopes, wishes, aspirations, identity, and authentic ways of being. Best for groups who are looking for inspiration, motivation and connection—and adaptable to size, situation, and age range!

Environmental Art Therapy

Connecting to earth and the nature that gives us so much, Environmental Art Therapy is perfect to honor the sweeping vistas of New Mexico or escape the busy bustle of New York. Giving us much to meditate on, acknowledge in history and origin, hope for the future, and play with as both the original medium—and a novel one that we may not often think to play with as art. As a large community event, or an intimate gathering and grounding ritual for your self, there are infinite possibilities for engagement.

Gallery Response Art

Take a group visit to a local gallery, exhibit space, or museum and engage participants in noticing the art that moves them—literally. Participants will view and then be invited to make art in dialogue with a displayed art piece that they react to, then asked to be curious about the experience and discuss the original art and their own. Historical art and contexts have an opportunity to be discussed, making for both internal mindfulness, and opportunity for awe in the systems and events that led to the exhibiting artist’s original creation.

Exhibit + Opening Reception

Whether created in formal In|vision sessions, or by folks on their own time and initiative, exhibiting your art and engaging others to witness it is a powerful experience. Personal reflection, meaning-making, connection beyond yourself, and awareness of self-efficacy are just some of the benefits. Organization of a celebratory opening reception enhances the esteem generated—the planning of which and installation of the exhibit can also all be engaged in by your exhibiting artist/participants. Skill-building and peak memorable experiences abound for all ages and group sizes in this combination of gathering.

Group Topic Workshop/Series

It is so often nice to know we are not alone in our experiences—and finding time to bring together many like-minded folks surrounding a particular issue or experience can have profound effects. Whether as a support group, out of curiosity for learning something new, or simply a desire to be more social, Art Therapy single or series events can be developed around any idea you or your organization has in mind. Let’s talk, design, and make it a reality—together!

Inspiration Galleries

Dream big, take to the streets, make social action … just by bringing people together. Combine projects, options, and ideas. Unite generations, identities, organizations, and roles.

Make the brightest impact possible.

Past Client
Educational Alliance + Pratt Institute Graduate Art Therapy Program Internship Collaboration, NYC

Year
2022, CelebratEArts Festival

Inaugural year of Educational Alliance + Pratt Institute Internship program with Older Adults programming was cultivated and supervised, culminating in a capstone, commemorative, community mural. Themes and ideas from Older Adult members were collected and integrated into a cohesive layout design by Pratt Art Therapy Interns under supervision. The design was outlined on a masonite panel in preparation for a day-long paintfest on New York City’s Lower East Side sidewalk, outside of Educational Alliance’s flagship building. Members of Educational Alliance’s Older Adult programming and passersby alike saturated the panel with color and—after a celebratory unveiling ceremony—the panel was installed in the workshop and lounge space visited daily by all members of Educational Alliance’s Older Adult Program.

Alongside the mural’s unveiling during CelebratEArts festival, a monthlong gallery exhibit of Older Adult members’ two-dimensional and three-dimensional art pieces was installed across three Educational Alliance sites—to realize the vision of the Older Adult Program and festival Creative Director. Preparation and logging of all art pieces was completed by Graduate Art Therapy students, under supervision and with collaboration.

Selected Past Clients | Projects | Collaborations | Facilitations

Pratt Institute + Graham Windham, NYC; Pratt Institute + Brooklyn High School for Leadership & Community Service, Brooklyn; Pratt Institute Graduate Department of Creative Arts Therapies, Brooklyn; Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Eastern Long Island; YMCA, Eastern Long Island; Stony Brook Cancer Center, Eastern Long Island; Boys & Girls Club of Bellport; Stony Brook University + The Living Book Project + Three Village School District, Eastern Long Island; The Soldiers Project + Suffolk County Executive Office, Eastern Long Island; Islip Arts Council School of Cultural Arts + Domestic Violence Shelter, Eastern Long Island; Islip Arts Council + Barnes & Noble, Eastern Long Island; The Retreat, Eastern Long Island; Morris Heights Health Center, Behavioral Health Center, Bronx; Hudson Guild, NYC; Free Arts NYC + New York City Schools; Free Arts NYC + East 125th Street Development Project, NYC; Free Arts NYC + Kings County Family Court Juvenile Holding Residence, Brooklyn; Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Long Island; Suffolk County Parks Department, Eastern Long Island; Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, filmed on Eastern Long Island; Ronald McDonald House, NYC; Lauren’s First and Goal Foundation, Pennsylvania; Veterans Affairs Errera Clinic, Connecticut; University New Mexico Cancer Center + Southwest Airlines Volunteer Day, Albuquerque

Years

2008-2022

  • Kids & Teen Creative Expression Zoom Sessions, 2021-22

    Graham Windham & Pratt Institute: Supervised and oversaw program development of Creative Expression Internship Program with children experiencing risk factors, conducted entirely over zoom during COVID-19 pandemic. (Detail of designed program advertisement for participant recruitment)

  • Graduate Mural Class, 2018

    Pratt Institute: Graduate Art Therapy students were instructed in inaugural mural modality class Art Therapy Social Activism in Practice: A Live Community Mural Unfolding, with course content and syllabus entirely newly incepted and developed. Students were taught stages of: site visit with an institution; engaging the community in identifying salient imagery, theme, and social action statement; writing a proposal; planning the sessions or event of muraling, projecting the mural to scale; and mural completion with 20+ participants able to engage in it at once. (Still 1 of Class Members Painting)

  • Graduate Mural Class, 2018

    Pratt Institute: Graduate Art Therapy students were instructed in inaugural mural modality class Art Therapy Social Activism in Practice: A Live Community Mural Unfolding, with course content and syllabus entirely newly incepted and developed. Students were taught stages of: site visit with an institution; engaging the community in identifying salient imagery, theme, and social action statement; writing a proposal; planning the sessions or event of muraling, projecting the mural to scale; and mural completion with 20+ participants able to engage in it at once. (Still 2 of Class Members Painting)

  • Graduate Mural Class, 2018

    Pratt Institute: View 1 of mural detail with quote highlighting training motto around “the process,” stating “We’re just processing in here,” and envisioning a cat, representative of the training of Creative Arts Therapists (CATs).

  • Graduate Mural Class, 2018

    Pratt Institute: View 2 of mural stretching length of 40’ hallway in the Graduate Art Therapy Department.

  • Hospital Art Therapy Week Event, 2017

    Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center: Open-community mandala drawing held in the lobby of the hospital for staff to engage in for personal and community exploration of themes of self care and burnout mitigation as healthcare workers, and as in-service education on Art Therapy services provided to patients within hospital.

  • Hospital Nurses Week Self-Care, 2017

    Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center: Incepted, designed, produced, and coordinated week-long series of self care community experiences for nurses and adjunctive staff to celebrate and acknowledge National Nurses Week, with team of Art & Activities Therapists under supervision. (Detail of programming flyer advertisement)

  • Hospital Nurses Week Self-Care, 2017

    Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center: Zen Den was incepted, designed and installed with team of supervised Art & Activities Therapists, tasked with producing self care community experiences for nurses and adjunctive staff throughout the week.

  • Hospital Nurses Week Self Care, 2017

    Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center: Art therapy directive of painting using found hospital materials was brought unit to unit by team of supervised Art & Activities Therapists, tasked with producing self care community experiences for nurses and adjunctive staff throughout the week.

  • Hospital Nurses Week Self-Care, 2017

    Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center: Hand-made decor of 4’ tall spring flowers and inspirational quotes were installed throughout hospital conference center in celebration and acknowledgement of critical work of nursing and adjunctive staff at culmination luncheon. (Still 1 of Hand-made Decor Detail)

  • Hospital Nurses Week Self-Care, 2017

    Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center: Hand-made decor of 4’ tall spring flowers and inspirational quotes were installed throughout hospital conference center in celebration and acknowledgement of critical work of nursing and adjunctive staff at culmination luncheon. (Still 2 of Hand-made Decor Detail)

  • Family Fun Day, 2017

    YMCA: Two art therapy directives were offered to children and families during wellness education and activity day with team of Art Therapists, under supervision. (Still of directives printed in large signage for enhanced accessibility in engagement)

  • Family Fun Day, 2017

    YMCA: Two art therapy directives were offered to children and families during wellness education and activity day with team of Art Therapists, under supervision. (Still of masks in-progress)

  • Family Fun Day, 2017

    YMCA: Two art therapy directives were offered to children and families during wellness education and activity day with team of Art Therapists, under supervision. (Still of families engaged in mask and sculpture-making directives)

  • Patient Art Exhibit, 2016

    Stony Brook Cancer Center: Patients and their visiting loved ones at Stony Brook Medicine Bone Marrow Transplant unit completed watercolor paintings during bedside art therapy sessions; patients self selected their participation in gallery exhibit raising awareness and funds for Cancer Center art therapy and other programming.

  • Patient Art Exhibit, 2016

    Stony Brook Cancer Center: Patients and their visiting loved ones at Stony Brook Medicine Bone Marrow Transplant unit completed watercolor paintings during bedside art therapy sessions; patients self selected their participation in gallery exhibit raising awareness and funds for Cancer Center art therapy and other programming. (Exhibit art detail)

  • Exhibit Group Project, 2016

    Stony Brook Cancer Center: Patients, Caregivers, and Clinical Staff participants were invited to be able to engage together despite isolation and neutropenic precautions in alignment with their medical treatment plans. Creative solutions were found by incepting The Care Is Project, in which individual patients and their visitors could collaborate remotely via individual collage, drawing and writing contributions in bedside art therapy; those contributions were then woven together into a larger community mural collage on canvas. (Detail of project engagement flyer; accessibility was enhanced by writing instructions for engagement down for neurodiversity processing and to engage participants when they felt able to create during their treatment and hospitalization, even if art therapist was not present.)

  • Exhibit Group Project, 2016

    Stony Brook Cancer Center: Patients, Caregivers, and Clinical Staff participants were invited to be able to engage together despite isolation and neutropenic precautions in alignment with their medical treatment plans. Creative solutions were found by incepting The Care Is Project, in which individual patients and their visitors could collaborate remotely via individual collage, drawing and writing contributions in bedside art therapy; those contributions were then woven together into a larger community mural collage on canvas. (Detail of Patient and Caregiver Collage)

  • Exhibit Group Project, 2016

    Stony Brook Cancer Center: Patients, Caregivers, and Clinical Staff participants were invited to be able to engage together despite isolation and neutropenic precautions in alignment with their medical treatment plans. Creative solutions were found by incepting The Care Is Project, in which individual patients and their visitors could collaborate remotely via individual collage, drawing and writing contributions in bedside art therapy; those contributions were then woven together into a larger community mural collage on canvas. (Detail of Clinical Staff Collage)

  • After School Program, 2016

    Boys & Girls Club of Bellport: Pop up art therapy sessions held in after school programming offered, exploring images and contexts of art throughout world history, including Aboriginal Dreamtime imagery and the Cave Paintings at Lascaux. (Still 1 of art-making in-progress)

  • High School Literary Arts Workshop, 2015

    Stony Brook University, Living Book Project: Engaged 90+ high school students invited to daylong workshop exploring critical engagement with literary arts in creative expression workshop integrating dance/movement therapy and art therapy via mask-making and embodied movement of personas, around cross-cultural theme of identity search during adolescence. (Still of introductory movement expression with blank masks for participant modeling and accessibility)

  • High School Literary Arts Workshop, 2015

    Stony Brook University, Living Book Project: Engaged 90+ high school students invited to daylong workshop exploring critical engagement with literary arts in creative expression workshop integrating dance/movement therapy and art therapy via mask-making and embodied movement of personas, around cross-cultural theme of identity search during adolescence. (Still of participants journaling surrounding art experientials during final integration)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Still 1 of Festival Community Painting Day)

  • Community Mixed Medial Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Still 2 of Festival Community Painting Day)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Still 3 of Festival Community Painting Day)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Detail of mural in progress from Festival Community Painting Day, highlighting media sponsors)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Still 4 of Festival Community Painting Day)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Still 5 of Festival Community Painting Day)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Detail of mural completion, in-progress)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Group Portrait from Installation Dedication Ceremony)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Detail View 1)

  • Community Mixed Media Mural, 2014

    The Soldier’s Project, Long Island Chapter: participants included veterans and their family members who filled outlined design with paint, handprints, words, names, and personal collage images; completed mural installed in Lee H. Dennison Suffolk County Executive Building Lobby (Detail View 2)

  • Children's Mural Class, 2014

    Islip Art Museum School of Art: brainstormed, designed, and constructed from paper by participants of ages 8-12 years old (View 1)

  • Children's Mural Class, 2014

    Islip Art Museum School of Art: brainstormed, designed, and constructed from paper by participants of ages 8-12 years old (View 2)

  • Children's Mural Class, 2014

    Islip Art Museum School of Art: brainstormed, designed, and painted by participants of ages 8-12 years; completed mural donated and installed in playroom at local Domestic Violence Shelter

  • Children's Mural Class, 2014

    Islip Art Museum School of Art: brainstormed, designed, and painted by participants of ages 8-12 years; some of the class members pose with the mural and their “focal point mini murals,” also created within the class.

  • Children's Mural Class Reception, 2014

    At the close of the class, participants and their families and loved ones were invited to a reception with gallery exhibit of each individual member’s “focal point mini mural” and the completed collaborative mural created by the class.

  • Children's Mural Installation, 2014

    Completed mural, with quote selected by class members, was installed in the playroom of a domestic violence shelter local to the community. Mural was varnished for protection and quote was handpainted by In|vision, stating “Imagination will take you everywhere…” and accentuating the mural’s theme of a “Jungle Carnival,” as conceived and designed entirely in a collaborative process by class members.

  • Event Mask-making Workshop, 2014

    Islip Arts Council, Arts Day: Children and families created paper masks with mixed media, with an invitation to express something fantastical about their identity, so that others could get to know it. (Still of workshop materials)

  • Event Mask-making Workshop, 2014

    Islip Arts Council, Arts Day: Children and families created paper masks with mixed media, with an invitation to express something fantastical about their identity, so that others could get to know it. (Still of workshop orientation signage)

  • Event Mask-making workshop, 2014

    Islip Arts Council, Arts Day: Children and families created paper masks with mixed media, with an invitation to express something fantastical about their identity, so that others could get to know it. (Still of sample masks for instruction and fantastical imagination modeling)

  • Event Mask-making Workshop, 2014

    Islip Arts Council, Arts Day: Children and families created paper masks with mixed media, with an invitation to express something fantastical about their identity, so that others could get to know it. (Portrait of participants wearing their completed masks)

How it works:

  • First things first...Let’s hold a free 15-minute consultation by phone or the equivalent email exchange, and share what you envision for your group or event—what are your goals for the project, your audience, your space?

    Then, let’s determine an event plan and theme from the above listing of possibilities—or from a brand new brainstorm or inspiration. We will build an experience that makes an impact for those you want to be impacted.

    Brainstorming Session Fee: $250/hour

  • In|vision will create a step-by-step proposal, identifying all the logistics and the rationale for the art therapy event.

    Should the event center around community muraling, the layout design will also be rendered, presented, and confirmed in order to initiate the realization of the project.

    Proposal Copy Fee: $250

    Layout Design Fee: $750

  • Dates and timeframes for the event or series of sessions will be determined and strategically outlined. Scheduling will also be set for preparation, lead up time, post-event or session touch up or finalization, and any culmination events or celebrations—such as a gallery exhibit or mural installation and unveiling.

  • Project fees will vary considerably depending on project scope, group size, and number of sessions or events scheduled. This will be outlined in the project proposal, with all budgetary projections worked around.

    Costs per hour of In|vision labor for all phases of project implementation will be reflected in the proposal—including preparation, production and facilitation of event, clean up, and post-event follow-up. Costs for the initial phases of consultation and event & production design are listed above.

    In|vision is willing and happy to travel to make your community event a reality! Please note that in such cases, travel time and costs will also be reflected if outside of In|vision office catchment area of New York City, Long Island, New York and Northern New Mexico.

    Fee per hour will vary based on labor entailed for the project. Typical hourly costs range from $100-250. Typical materials fee is $50 for every 10 participants for children's art events, and $75-100 for every 10 participants for adolescent's and adult's art events, variable upon chosen directive and level of media preferred. Mural costs will vary based on color palette and square footage of the mural. Mural material costs will typically range from $500-$1500 per project.

    In|vision is happy to collaborate in fundraising and sponsorship recruitment for any project you can dream and envision.

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