12 Date 2014
March
Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Teachers College Lecture Series
Art on Trial: Using Art
in the Courtroom
EMPORIA, KAN. — A man kidnaps
his two children, murders one and tries
to kill the other. Brought to trial, his
defense team uses the man’s lifetime of
artwork to determine if he suffers from
a mental illness. But who could unlock
the information contained in the artistic
creations? It would have to be someone
who understands art as well as mental
illness, in other words, an art therapist.
Through his work, Gussak touches
on art history, criminology, forensics,
psychology, and art therapy. He has
conducted and published research about
the benefits of art therapy in prison
settings.
Gussak has published and lectured
extensively on the use of art therapy in
correctional settings and with violent
and aggressive clients. His latest book,
“Art on Trial: Art Therapy in Capital
Murder Cases,” was published in 2013
by Columbia University Press. Gussak
is a Ph.D. alumnus of Emporia State
University and a former director of the
ESU Art Therapy graduate program.
March 2014
MARCH 5
Lunch & Learn – “Learn
SEO” – 11:45 a.m. –
1:00 p.m., Valu Net
Smart Room, Trusler
Business Center, 719
Commercial. Presented by
Dr. Brandon Stiner from
IM Design.
MARCH 5
Austria and Germany
Informational Meeting
– 5:30 p.m., Trusler
Business Center, 719
Commercial St.
David Gussak, professor and chair
of the art education department
at Florida State University and an
Emporia State University alumnus, will
speak about his experience serving as
an art therapist expert witness in the
courtroom as well as the role of art
therapy in corre