Art Education’s Dr. Dave Gussak, Gives Presentation Tour of Midwest
Dave Gussak recently returned from a week-long visit to Emporia State University in Kansas and various locations in the Oklahoma City metro area. While there he gave a series of talks, book signings, as well as keynote presentations.
Dr. Gussak started his trip by visiting Emporia State University, his doctorate alma mater as well as where he served as former director of the Art Therapy graduate program. He gave a public talk for the Teachers College Lecture Series on March 3rd entitled “Art on Trial: Confessions of a Serial Art Therapist.” He provided a keynote address Emporia State Art Therapy Program’s 40th anniversary Discovery Day, entitled “Art on Trial: Confessions of a Serial Art Therapist—Forensic Art Therapy in Prisons and Courtrooms”, as well as speaking alongside colleagues Joan Elizabeth Phillips and Janice Hoshino on the closing panel. The event was highly successful and brought in over 120 attendees.
A couple days after the event, Dr. Gussak also presented at the Emporia State University Teachers College Lecture event called “Art on Trial: Confessions of a Serial Art Therapist.” The Emporia State University Teachers College, and their co-sponsors, School of Library Information Management and the Student Art Therapy Organization at ESU organized the extremely successful event. The lecture was well attended, well received, and followed by the book signing of Art on Trial.
Following his visit to Kansas, Dr. Gussak headed down to Oklahoma to do another series of talks and signings, including the keynote presentation for the one-day conference, “Justice: The Creative Interface Between Forensic, Counseling and Social Issues.” The conference itself was organized by the Art Therapy Association of Oklahoma and addressed the interface between forensics and counseling around social issues- in particular focusing on human trafficking and work with prisoners. In addition to this conference, Dr. Gussak did a book signing for “Art on Trial: Art Therapy in Capital Murder Cases” at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Oklahoma City. He also did another book signing in Norman, Oklahoma at Hastings bookstore. Alongside Dr. Gussak were two local art therapists, Kris Newlin and Joan Phillips with their books “Silly Sweet Dreams” and “High Road, Low Road”, respectively.
In the end, Dr. Gussak had a highly successful travel: “I had an amazing time—it was a wonderful opportunity to interact with close friends and colleagues, and meet some incredible people. Despite the below freezing temperatures, everyone was warm and inviting. Simply put, I had fun.”