ABSTRACT
Some of clinicians art therapy interns were based at an artists’ studio that was designed as a day program where adults with developmental and cognitive disabilities could focus upon art making. The organization maintained a website and arranged exhibits where the goal was to sell their clients’ art. Many of the participants identified as artists; others had an interest in, or an affinity for, art. The process of working in a studio helped the artists to become better socialized, to express themselves more effectively, and to engage in meaningful work. While clinicians’ profession’s ethics codes address the exhibition and use of client artwork, when endeavoring to treat clients and their artwork ethically, there is much more to consider. Shared decision-making and an understanding of the power differential is critical in choosing to exhibit client art, as are in-depth discussions about what happens emotionally for the client before, during, and after artwork is exhibited.
