The Life and Legacy of Robert Ault, Art Therapy Pioneer

“It has been more than 15 years since the passing of pioneer art therapist Bob Ault, and Libby Schmanke has given us the gift of bringing him back among us. Bob was not only physically looming; he loomed large within our art therapy psyche, helping to jumpstart and carry forward this incredible field. While there are many of us still around who knew him, I would imagine only a very few were privy to the depth and breadth of the numerous roads that Bob travelled. Libby has allowed us to travel these roads as if we’re walking alongside him. This all-encompassing series of essays, reflections, presentations, and musings is an indispensable resource that reminds us of the vision and fortitude that helped create this field, and provides us with a prototype of what we could -- and dare I say, should -- be. Thank you, Libby, for this incredible gift.” David E. Gussak, Ph.D., ATR-BC, HLM , Professor of Art Therapy, Florida State University, Program Coordinator of the FSU/FDC Art Therapy in Prisons Program “Libby Schmanke captures the wisdom and character of art therapy pioneer Robert Ault as only she could, as a student, mentee, colleague, and friend. Schmanke’s words paint a portrait of a remarkable human being: a prolific painter, theorist, and innovator of art therapy, co-founder the American Art Therapy Association, and founder of one of the first master’s programs in art therapy. After 50 years of advances in the fields, Schmanke’s biography of Robert Ault is a refreshing reminder for art therapists about our foundations in art and meaningful human interactions. Art therapy students and young professionals today may not be familiar with Robert Ault. It is important they are! Through this book, they will become grounded in the fundamental role of human relationship in art making and learn that many topics in the field today, from brain function to community settings, were addressed by Robert Ault.” Holly Feen-Calligan, Ph.D., ATR-BC, Art Therapy Program Director, Wayne State University “Libby Schmanke has created a fabulous valentine for art therapists everywhere. In this book, both scholarly and personal, Schmanke has collected and annotated the often-unpublished works of Robert Ault, an original founder of art therapy whose work is still relevant today. In addition to his far-reaching accomplishments in professional service, academia, and the provision of therapy, Bob was an accomplished painter and a collector of jokes. He loved art therapy and called it “The Movement.” He was a mensch, and Libby has done him proud.” Maxine Borowsky Junge, Ph.D., LCSW, ATR, Professor Emerita, Loyola Marymount University “I joined the faculty of Emporia State University’s Division of Psychology and Special Education, as it was known at the time, in August of 1986. Meeting my new colleague and Art Therapy Director Bob Ault was the beginning of a cherished friendship and my introduction to the dynamic discipline of Art Therapy. Undergraduate psychology majors in my Experimental Psychology course planning to pursue a master’s degree in Art Therapy used research in the discipline to meet the course’s requirements, which connected me with the abundance of empirical data that might be identified in works of art. My conversations with Bob, listening to his presentations, and attending Kansas Art Therapy Association conferences provided building blocks of knowledge and experience to understand and appreciate the value of Bob’s clinical work, the research richness, and Bob’s leadership and impact on the discipline. Bob’s presence in Art Therapy was as indelible and vibrant as his presence in my life, and I am so grateful to Libby that her rich and engaging book will allow him to become known to a new generation.” Ken Weaver, Ph.D. ,Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Emporia State University