The first half of 2026 has proven to be a pivotal moment for museotherapy. We’re thrilled to see growing international recognition of the museum’s ability to play a role in the therapeutic process. We’ve seen an increase in both formal research and active art therapy programs running inside museums.

As we reach the midpoint of the year, the International Museotherapy Initiative remains at the center of this global conversation. We're connecting researchers, clinicians, and cultural institutions working to share knowledge and experience.

The IMI team will head to the North Texas Art Therapy’s Summer Mini Conference this weekend. Together we’ll be presenting What International Museum-Based Art Therapy Teaches Us About Where Healing Happens. Join us if you can!

Looking forward to continuing this journey together,

Minette & Brooke

Some recent museotherapy updates and links from around the web:

In April, Marywood University's art therapy program spotlighted museum-based practice in its curriculum, with Professor Abigail Oxford sharing how she has used vibrant gallery walls in memory care and hospital settings to help clients reminisce and connect with themselves and others.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London is currently wrapping up a multi-week art psychotherapy program using museum objects with adults living with social isolation and/or mental ill health. Small groups of up to 8 participants handle objects from the museum's collection, make art, and share in a therapeutic group setting.

The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) annual conference "Sustaining Care: Art Therapy for Workforce, Communities and Individuals" is currently in its early-bird registration window (ending June 30, 2026). It will feature a session specifically on "Community-based art psychotherapy in museum settings" presented by Julia Cort, an art therapist from the Horniman Museum

The 16th IEATA International Conference is set for June 20-22 in Beverly, Massachusetts.

The Expressive Arts Therapies Summit is set for August 23-27 in Sedona, Arizona.

The European Art Therapies Conference is set for Sept 8-11, 2026 in Pula, Croatia. The EFAT Conference is biannual and will continue in 2027, but t

The AATA Conference is set for October 14-17 in Charlotte, North Carolina followed by a virtual conference from November 14–15, 2026

Lastly, if you are in the museum, art therapy, or museotherapy world and you are hiring, feel free to drop a line. If you’re a graduate student or someone looking for a job in the field or want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to do the same. Let’s connect!

www.museotherapy.org

International Museotherapy Initiative

Midyear 2026: What's Changed, What's Coming