American Art Therapy Association (AATA) 2024 National Conference held in Pittsburgh this October Featuring Pittsburgh Native Artist, now Registered Art Therapist, Kenn Thomas

There is a saying about people who grow up in Pittsburgh and move to another city, they often come back. That’s because Pittsburgh will always be considered home. In fact, many who live here become attached to even their neighborhoods not to mention the city. When a native son returns in such fashion, we celebrate their arrival, anticipating the gifts they bear from afar. Next month Kenn returns to Pittsburgh for the American Art Therapy Association 2024 National Conference.

No stranger to the Pittsburgh art community, Kenn Thomas has involved in community art outreach here in the city on several levels. He was a very art student in a Pittsburgh Public School, receiving the Outstanding Art Student Award as a senior at John A. Brashear. Raised in the Historic Hill District during the 60’s and 70’s, Kenn had what might be considered a characteristic Pittsburgh life. This neighborhood had its share of challenges at that time however, living within walking distance of downtown and Oakland’s college community had benefits. Kenn’s dad, a retired steelworker, helped provide him means to pursue undergraduate studies at Penn State University.

During the late 80’s and early 90’s he launched K-Lee Productions a cottage industry venture producing and marketing the highly popular African medallions and other Afrocentric accessories. Some products were sold in some of the community’s long-standing retail shops and venues like Dorsey’s Records, Stedeford’s Records and the Harambee Festival.

After an extended career in corporate America, that include a 12-year span at PNC, Kenn started the K&A Group to provide arts management consulting to non-profit organizations. Among the projects they developed was the public art installation, Uptown Rhythm, on the campus of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh’s Uptown Community. During this time Kenn also served as a Business Consultant to the Arts for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Counsel where he contributed to the original strategic plan for Creative Reuse Pittsburgh located in the Point Breeze community of the city. And then there was ‘reGenerations’, a community outreach program with The Homewood Cemetery where artist recycled fallen trees into decorative wooden artwork and crafts for sale to benefit the cemetery’s historic foundation and Tree Pittsburgh (Figure 1). 

In 2014 Kenn relocated with family to the Atlanta Georgia, The hometown of Paula, his wife. They met and married shortly after her completing graduate studies at The University of Pittsburgh in Social Work. She helped direct Kenn’s attention to the field of art therapy during a period of career transition. Since then, he has obtained his MA degree in Art Therapy and Counseling at Saint Mary-of- the-Woods College a Roman Catholic private college and has worked as a registered art therapist at several behavior health hospitals and agencies in the metro Atlanta area (Figure 2).

This Fall, Pittsburgh will host the American Art Therapy Association National Conference from October 6th through the 9th at the Wyndam Grand Hotel Conference Hall downtown location. This year’s theme is Building Bridges, AATA 2024 Conference. According to the organization Art therapy is a mental health profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship. As a current professional member of AATA, Kenn Thomas is returning home this Fall to attend this year’s conference.

The decision to pursue art therapy as a later-life career was a major, yet it seemed inevitable given his passion for the creative arts.  What changed for him was a new awareness of values stemming from acquired life experiences. For example, the experience of serving as a caregiver for family members uncovered a temperament for patient care and a sense of compassion and empathy.  These led him to honor his character and dreams and use his love for art to help others achieve wellness.

Kenn Thomas clinical experience in art therapy is mostly group therapy, a service with high demand at the hospital and agency settings where he works. Developing social skills can be a valuable outcome of art therapy group sessions. Circumstances where individuals are treated at in-patient mental hospitals and are separated from society developing a sense of acceptance and community is therapeutic. Art therapy collaborative group is hands-on practice for interacting well with others in the society.

Considered as an active-artist art therapist, Kenn Thomas has created a collection of artworks relating to his school and work experience in the field of mental health. Art therapists will refer to their personal artwork as Response Art. Response Art is artwork created by art therapists in response to material that arises in their therapy work. They use response art to contain difficult material, express/examine their experiences and share them with others.  Some examples of Kenn’s response art are represented below (Figure 2). 

It’s a privilege, says Kenn, to return home to Pittsburgh this October along with leading art therapists from around the world. He wants to introduce many of them to Pittsburgh’s vibrant community-based art scene. More important though is the opportunity to share the tools and gifts art therapy has to offer and lend this expertise to continue the tradition of building bridges in his hometown, The Burgh.

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