Art and Wellness:
Object Lessons
Fri Jun 5, 2020 | 4:30 PM
with Dr. Ross Laird and
Stephen Legari
Friday, June 5 | 4:30 PM
Stay home. Stay safe. Stay connected with our new series of online gatherings, Art Connects!
Art objects have always offered a point for departure to explore one’s emotions, different perspectives and the imagination. How are object interactions impactful in our current moment? How might we be able to feel more connected through artwork during this time of physical distance?
In this edition of Art Connects, Ross Laird (PhD, RCC), a Clinical Consultant in mental health and trauma, and Stephen Legari, Art Therapist at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, will discuss the cathartic properties of art and how the experience of artworks in museums can allow for a deep engagement that can be transformative and healing.
Delving further into the potential for art environments to be spaces for healing, Dr. Laird and Legari will share more about their respective work in the fields of psychotherapy, trauma, art therapy and arts-based learning. Together, we will explore how these disciplines can be intertwined to create groundbreaking wellness-oriented initiatives within museums.
At the end of the session, participants will be invited to take part in a participatory experiential exercise to help us ground ourselves.
This discussion will be in conversation with Stephanie Bokenfohr, Adult Programs Coordinator.
Questions? Submit them during the Zoom presentation using the Q&A function. You can also engage with your fellow attendees and panelists during the event using the Chat function.
New to Zoom? Learn how to register and attend a webinar here »
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Dr. Ross Laird (PhD, RCC) is a consultant to organizations on themes of personal development, professional mentorship and whole-person learning. He has worked extensively in the fields of addiction, interpersonal conflict, trauma, creativity and healing, and is a best-selling author of books on personal development. Dr. Laird has won multiple awards for his writing, teaching, scholarship and clinical work. He is the clinical supervisor for BC’s largest provincially-funded addictions treatment program and a consultant to many others. He has taught at more than a dozen post-secondary institutions and has been involved with mental health research at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, the War Childhood Museum in Sarajevo, and the Happy Museum Project in the UK. He has worked with first responders, parent groups, refugees, Indigenous communities, university students and cancer patients—among hundreds of other organizations both in Canada and internationally. For more information, visit rosslaird.com.
Stephen Legari is a registered art therapist and licensed couple and family therapist based in Montreal, QC. Since 2017, Legari has held the position of Program Officer for Art Therapy at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. This comprehensive program includes museum-based art therapy groups, research collaborations, supervision of art therapy practicum and a community open studio. Find out more »
