39. Cynthia Young, Executive Director of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), on Why Art is Good for Everyone and Professionalizing an Organization

How do you professionalize an organization? When and how does a Board decide that an organization is ready for a large technology overhaul? And does color matter when it comes to conference merchandise? (Hint: the answer is yes!)In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Cynthia Young, Executive Director of the American Art Therapy Association. Cynthia introduces AATA, talks about her journey to becoming ED of AATA, and then discusses the things AATA is doing to grow and thrive. Cynthia discusses:What art therapy is and how it’s different from talk therapyHow patients don’t need to be good at art for art therapy to be effectiveHow becoming ED of AATA was her first chief exec job AND her first association jobThe amazing support she’s received from the association communityHow the Board came to decide on a large overhaul of AATA technologyHow AATA’s new website, membership database and community helped the organization thrive during the pandemicThe DE&I aspect of AATA: while art therapists serve a hugely diverse set of clients, art therapists tend to be white and femaleHow AATA gave student members the ability to voteHow AATA went from having one membership meeting a year, to six all-member meetings a yearHow AATA members seem to love the color purple, so Cynthia is sure to always sell purple merchandise at conferenceReferences:American Art Therapy AssociationAmericans for the Arts