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Artist Statement

I am a witness.

My childhood, a mix of creative abundance and emotional intensity, lacked innocence but gifted me the solace of art and nature. With an artist father and a family prone to both highs and lows, art materials were readily available, and creative expression became my way of processing the world. Art journaling emerged as a powerful tool, merging words and images to make sense of my experiences, and it continues to inspire my larger works. While life has presented ongoing challenges, I have intentionally built a life rich in love, laughter, peace, and the joys of chosen family, bike rides, and dogs. Portland, Oregon, has been my grounding force since 1992. As a licensed art therapist, I now offer others support, providing a place to externalize unspoken feelings and be witnessed with compassion. My journey as an artist, rooted in witnessing, has led me to a calling where I can now witness and honor the stories of others.

Art school instilled in me a deep understanding of artistic materials and techniques, focusing on how to manipulate them to achieve specific visual effects. Critiques centered on the formal elements of art, emphasizing their role in shaping a distinctive artistic voice. But my true inspiration came from exploring the narratives behind the art, discovering how humans throughout history had fearlessly responded to the complexities of life. This discovery validated the process-driven approach that felt so natural to me. The act of creating became a way of bearing witness to my own experiences, giving form to the sociopolitical and interpersonal sensitivities that resonate within me. My art process aspires to be a source of inspiration, a place where life's inevitable challenges are acknowledged and honored as powerful catalysts for personal growth and profound self-understanding.

 Exhibitions & Collections

American Art Therapy Association Member Exhibit 2024
WE ARE HERE Lewis & Clark Community Counseling Center Art Therapy Gallery August-November 2024
Juried Exhibit: Dream and Reality People & Paintings Gallery 2024 Portals
American Art Therapy Association Member Exhibit 2023
Art Therapy Credentials Board Online Gallery 2022
Faculty & Student Art Exhibit Lewis & Clark College February 2021
Divulge: A National Exhibition Featuring the Use of Art For Therapy and Mental Health Awareness. Juried Show: D’arte Center 740 Duke St. Norfolk, VA 23510
AH:LE Survivor Creative Summit: Exhibition Collaborator and Curator Evolve Gallery August 2019
Faculty & Student Art Exhibit Lewis & Clark College, York Commons February 2019, February 2020 Alumni Art Exhibition: Mayer Gallery, Marylhurst University October 2017 AH:LE Gender Expression Creative Summit:
Evolve Gallery Exhibition Collaborator and Curator   August 2017
Portland State University White Gallery Exhibition Collaborator and Curator October 2017
Heritage University Virginia S. Hislop Gallery Exhibition Collaborator and Curator  December 2017- March 2018
Marylhurst University Exhibition Collaborator and Curator April 2018
Streff Gallery Marylhurst University Art Therapy Faculty Exhibition:  2017, 2018
Evolve Gallery: Solo Show and Book Release October 2016
Duplex Solo Exhibition October 2013
Milwaukie, Oregon City Hall Solo Show August 2013
Place Gallery, Pioneer Place The Big 200 2011
Settlement Gallery, Pioneer Place Mirrors, 2011
The Albina Press, Siren Fest 2009 Olympic Mills, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Spring Creek Coffee House Solo Exhibitions 2009, May 2010
Portland Home & Garden Show Artist Demonstration Encaustic painting 2009, Watercolor painting 2010
Olympia Fall Art Walk Solo Show Envy Salon 2009
Love Show, Gallery Homeland 2011
Love Show, Olympic Mills 2009, 2010
Love Show, Launch Pad Gallery February 2008, 2012
100th Monkey Studio Monthly Group Shows
  • 2011: Light, Partnership, Art as Healing, Mapping, Honors, Kimble Memorial Show
  • 2010: Dolls, Duets, Healing Arts, Recycle/Reuse, 3rd Annual Gender Show, Maps, Self Portraits, Storytelling, Kimble Memorial Show
  • 2009: Consumerism, Senses, Art of Creative Art Therapists, Reduce/Reuse/Recycle, 2nd Annual Gender Show, America?, Memoirs, Altars & Shrines, Pilgrimage, HIV/AIDS & Support
  • 2008: Social Change, Connections, Nationality, Gender, The Art of Art Therapists, Mischief, Tribute, Gratitude, HIV/AIDS & Hope
  • 2007: The Art of Diversity, Women’s Show, Recycle Reuse, The Art of Art Therapists, Heat, Transitions, The Human/Animal Bond, HIV/AIDS
  • 2006: Art of Wellness, Year in Review
The Core, Voyeur Group Show 2007
Stumptown Coffee Roasters (Division Location) 2000
Marylhurst University 1999 Graduate Exhibition
Alma College Permanent Collection of Flora Kirsh Beck Gallery- Before Fran Pastel Drawing 1990

Publications

Healing from Clinical Trauma Using Creative Mindfulness Techniques, Routledge 2022
Tales From the Pandemic: Volume 3 (March 2021) Cover image (Touch), poem, and 2 art pieces (Emerge and Navigating the Future)
Creative Wellness Treatment Deck (July 2021)
AH:LE The Gender Summit 2018
Creative Wellness: Art Journaling with Mindfulness by Beth Ann Short 2017
Voice Catcher 3 2008 Internal artwork throughout publication.

Documentary Film & video

Crow & Moon Productions
Crow & Moon YouTube
BA's YouTube Channel
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Acknowledgements: It is with deep respect and gratitude that I acknowledge that I reside and work on the traditional homelands of the Cowlitz and Clackamas tribes. I acknowledge and honor with reverence those who have stewarded this land, through colonization, systemic racism, structural racism, and genocidal policies. Additionally, I hold in the highest esteem those who have been historically enslaved upon this land, as well as those who may have been excluded to this land due to race, national origin, citizenship, and ethnicity. I offer some of my art therapy services at no charge to those who's homelands I occupy. If this applies to you or someone you know and you'd like to find out more please contact me.

Beth Ann Short LLC