Art Therapy. Journal of the American Art Therapy Amciation, 9(1) pp. 20-21 0 MTA Inc. 1992

American Art Therapy Association Distinguished Service Award-

Cathy A. Malchiodi, MA., A.T.R.

Awarded at the 22nd Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association, Inc., Denver, Colorado, on November 16,1991.

CAW MALCHlODl

Cathy A. Malchiodi, M.A., A.T.R., is currently the Director of the Graduate Art Therapy Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. She also main- tains a private practice specializing in domestic vio- lence, child abuse and chronic illness. She has re- cently published a book, Breaking the Silence: Art Therapy with Children from Violent Homes and has produced the educational video, Art Therapy: Re- leasing Inner Monsters. She has presented work- shops and papers on art therapy regionally, na- tionally and internationally in Europe, Canada and Asia, and has presented at all the AATA national conferences since 1982. In 1987, she went to Beijing, China, at the request of Very Special Arts lnterna- tional (Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.), the

Chinese government, and the U . S . Information Agency, to teach educators and mental health pro- fessionals in China about ar t therapy. While there she participated in the first Very Special Arts Fes- tival on mainland China and appeared on China Central Television before an audience of over 300 million to discuss and demonstrate art therapy.

Cathy Malchiodi is a charter and founding member of the Rocky Mountain Art Therapy Asso- ciation and currently serves as its Bylaws Chair; she also served as Program Chair for the first Four Cor- ners Regional Art Therapy Conference. She is also past-president of the New England Association of Art Therapists and served as Chair of various NEAAT committees, including Public Information

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DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

and Education. Since 1982, Cathy has been actively involved in many AATA committees, including Public Information, Finance, Ethics and Professional Prac- tice, Membership, and National Conferences; she was also Pre-Conference Chair (two years) and the Chair of the AATA Film Festival (two years). She has also served on the AATA Executive Board as Membership Chair (1987-89), Ethics Chair (1 987-1990), and Certification Chair (1 989-1 991 ). Cathy chaired efforts to create a revised Code of Ethics, and developed an AATA Membership Bro- chure, a Membership Survey and Specialty List, and an Art Therapy Media List. She also held the posi- tion of Secretary (1 989-1 991) on the AATA Executive

Committee, overseeing the Bylaws, Policies and Pro- cedures Committee and the Publications Committee.

Cathy has received many awards for her work in the field of art therapy, including: Recognition of Service Awards from the China Fund for the Handi- capped and Hong Kong Social Services for art thera- p y training seminars presented in BeGing and Hong Kong, an Outstanding Service Award from Very Special Arts for distinguished service and teaching, the Art Therapy Pioneer Award from the Four Cor- ners Art Therapists, and recently received a Thomas Dee Distinguished Educator Award for research in art therapy.

Remarks Upon Receiving the AATA Distinguished Service Award

First, I want to say that this is going to be a very short “distinguished moment,” due to time con- straints!

I want to thank the Honors Committee for se- lecting me and the AATA Board of Directors for ap- proving of their selection. Without all of you, I would not be standing here today.

I also want to thank my husband, David, be- cause at least one-half of this award belongs to him. He has shown a great deal of distinguished service in answering AATA related telephone calls and making many dinners when I was busy with one art therapy project or another. Without David’s support, I would not be standing here today because it was he

who encouraged me to pursue training in art therapy over a decade ago.

What has been most important to me in serving and promoting art therapy has been all the fine peo- ple I have met as a result of my involvement with the AATA, people who have given me great joy and people whose friendships I cherish. And, even through the politics and power struggles that come with Association work, you have always been there for me and I continue to be inspired by you.

So, I particularly want to thank you for this spe- cial gift as well as this honor you have given m e today. Thank you.

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