Kentucky Art Therapy Association

The wait is over!

Our 2027 KYATA Symposium Call for Presenters is officially open!

Whether you're an experienced presenter or looking to present for the first time, we hope you'll consider sharing your knowledge with our community. With the AATA Annual Conference coming to Louisville in November 2027, the KYATA Symposium is a wonderful opportunity to develop your presentation, receive feedback from colleagues, and gain experience before presenting at the national conference.

Please see our email to members for complete details on how to apply to present at 2027 KYATA Symposium on May 21-22, 2027 at Shelbyville Conference & Welcome Center.

Presentation Opportunities Include:

Friday, May 21 | Ethics CE Workshops—
One (1) 6-hour ethics workshop, or
Two (2) 3-hour ethics workshops

Saturday, May 22 | General CE Sessions—
Four (4) 90-minute presentations
Each presentation is 90 minutes and provides 1.5 CE hours.

⭐️As a thank-you, selected presenters will receive discounted symposium registration: Single Day for $35 or Full Symposium for $60.⭐️

Submit your proposal at this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0X55SMRbTVZUsAa5BRS3ZrJa6YDzGrLVIAz1pqPFO4sF57w/viewform

📣The Call for Presenters will remain open August 10 through November 13, 2026.

We look forward to reading your proposals and creating another outstanding symposium together!

We're excited to share that planning is officially underway for the 2027 KYATA Symposium, and we'll soon be opening our Call for Presenters!

Symposium Dates: May 21–22, 2027
�Location: Shelbyville Conference & Welcome Center
Whether you've presented before or have been thinking about sharing your work for the first time, we encourage you to consider submitting a proposal. One of the things that makes our symposium so special is learning from one another and showcasing the incredible work being done by art therapists across Kentucky and beyond.
�With the AATA Annual Conference coming to Louisville in November 2027, this is also a great opportunity to try out a presentation, receive feedback from colleagues, and build confidence before presenting on the national stage.

This year, we're looking for presentations in the following formats:

Friday, May 21 – Ethics CE Workshops
* One (1) 6-hour ethics workshop or
* Two (2) 3-hour ethics workshops
* Each workshop will provide 6 and 3 ethics CE hours, respectively. .

Saturday, May 22 – General CE Sessions
* Four (4) presentations
* Each presentation will be 90 minutes and provide 1.5 CE hours.

As a thank-you, selected presenters will receive discounted symposium registration:
* Single Day Registration: $35
* Full Symposium Registration: $60

Presenter proposals open on August 10, 2026, and will remain open through November 13, 2026.

Now is the perfect time to start thinking about ideas you'd like to share. We welcome presentations on clinical practice, research, supervision, education, advocacy, ethics, creative interventions, community work, or any topic that will help strengthen and inspire our art therapy community.

🎨 WIN A $50 GIFT CARD! 🎨

📣 Submit your design for the official 2026 KYATA T-shirt and leave your mark on Kentucky Art Therapy Association history!

🏆 Winning Design Receives:
✨ A $50 gift card�✨ Your artwork featured on official KYATA merchandise�✨ The chance to have your design worn by art therapists across Kentucky, the U.S., and beyond!

Enter submissions via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScW6nXkGnkLpEfGnHPq085MGqG_fFm4_4Rjf09h5cP5pXQDeA/viewform?usp=header

Submissions Open: August 1 - September 15, 2026�Member Voting: October 1 - October 31, 2026�Winner Announced: December 5, 2026 at the KYATA All Member Meeting

Design Requirements
-Must Include: "Kentucky Art Therapy Association" and "2026"�-Front design only�-Maximum of 3 colors�-Submit high-resolution files (600 dpi+)�-File formats: .EPS or .PDF only
�⚠️ Winning design will be printed on a BLACK T-shirt
Show your passion for art therapy and help create a design that represents our profession, our community, and the healing power of creativity.

✨ Our annual KYATA Symposium continues to grow! ✨

This year, more than 50 mental health professionals came together to connect, learn, create, and recharge.

🎨 Friday focused on supervision, ethical practice, and supporting the next generation of clinicians.
🧠 Saturday featured inspiring presentations on art therapy with neurodivergent clients, professional sustainability, and a hands-on exploration of culinary art therapy (yes, art with food!).
💬 Between sessions, attendees enjoyed outdoor lunches, meaningful conversations, collaborative artmaking, local door prizes, and goodie bags. Many shared that creating art together felt both rejuvenating and reconnecting, reminding us why we do this work.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this year's Symposium such a success!

📣 We're already planning for 2027, including a full day of ethics and another day of diverse presentations. Watch for our call for presentation proposals coming soon!

Win a $50 giftcard! Submit your designs for KYATA's official 2026 T-shirt! Submissions will be voted on by the membership, and the winner will be featured on future merchandise. Show your passion for the healing power of art!

The Executive Board for Kentucky Art Therapy Association invites you to submit designs for the 2026 end of year all member meeting. The design will be featured on this year’s Kentucky Art Therapy Association T-shirts and will be a wearable work of art on display for years to come. Your artwork will be worn by Kentuckians representing our commonwealth at American Art Therapy Association events, will travel the world with our art therapy colleagues, and be featured in future KYATA publicity!

Enter submissions via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScW6nXkGnkLpEfGnHPq085MGqG_fFm4_4Rjf09h5cP5pXQDeA/viewform?usp=header

Open for submissions: August 01 - September 15, 2026
Judging Period: October 01 - October 31, 2026
Winner Announced: All Member Meeting - December 05, 2026

*Printed T-shirts featuring the winning design will be available to members at the meeting*

(email and website announcement will follow)
Guidelines for submissions:

* Resolution: high-resolution files (600 dpi or higher)
* File format: please utilize .eps or .pdf only
* Colors: 3 colors max
* Placement: front
* Required components: Designs must include the organization name, "Kentucky Art Therapy Association" and the year, "2026" included somewhere in the design
* PLEASE NOTE *** The winning design will be printed on a BLACK t-shirt. ***

The summer meet up brought art, movement, and mindfulness as we stretched and balanced alongside Lisa Washington, LPATA. We practiced self care, some breath work, connection, community and mindful movement!!

Christine Elder won our door prize and it was announced that our next meet up will be October 10, 2026. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!

Exciting opportunity for our community!

The Living Arts & Science Center in Lexington is seeking artwork from professional art therapists for an upcoming exhibition,

Tending to Self: The Art Therapist as Artist.

This exhibition will highlight the work of art therapists and explore the intersection of creative expression and mental health through visual artwork, workshops, and public programming.

The call for submissions is open January 2–April 30, 2027, and the exhibition will be on display June 1–September 30, 2027.

Please see the attached flyer for additional details and submission information.

Looking for a way to connect? There’s still time to sign up for KYATA's next board meeting and art meetup on Saturday. You can sign up today!! Give yourself the gift of self care and join us for some breathwork, connection, community and mindful movement!!

On June 27, 2026 from 1-3pm at The St. Matthews Eline Library located at 3940 Grandview Avenue in Louisville, KY 40207, Lisa Washington, LPATA, ATR-P will lead us in some Mindful Movement and Breathwork.

Register at link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breathe-for-community-connection-tickets-1990655597479?aff=oddtdtcreator

KYATA's next board meeting and art meetup is one week away!!

Give yourself the gift of self care and join us for some breathwork, connection, community and mindful movement!!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breathe-for-community-connection-tickets-1990655597479?aff=oddtdtcreator

We are a few weeks away from our KYATA Summer Member Meet-up on June 27, 2026 from 1-3pm at The St. Matthews Eline Library located at 3940 Grandview Avenue in Louisville, KY 40207.

Lisa Washington, LPATA, ATR-P will lead us in some Mindful Movement and Breathwork from 1-2 and the board meeting will follow. Sign up and view event details at the registration link below:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breathe-for-community-connection-tickets-1990655597479?aff=oddtdtcreator