Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College states that its Master of Arts in Art Therapy program was established in January 2000.

University of Indianapolis records identify Michelle Itczak as the founding art therapist of the Riley Hospital for Children art therapy program in 2010.

Named in the record Michelle Itczak, MA, ATR-BC, ATCS, LMHC.

A 2020 University of Indianapolis account identifies Michelle Itczak and Rachel Feldwisch as founding members of IndiATA ten years earlier and identifies Itczak as the association’s first president.

Named in the record Michelle Itczak; Dr. Rachel Paige Feldwisch.

Indiana University reports that Ed Fehnel and Dottie Fehnel established the fellowship in 2011 in honor of their daughter, Holly Fehnel Heck. IU identifies it as Herron School of Art + Design’s first named endowed fellowship.

Indiana University records state that Herron School of Art + Design’s new Master of Arts in Art Therapy program would welcome its first students in fall 2012.

Herron’s record states that Rachel Meyer Simon advocated for the newly launched program and that Herbert Simon Family Foundation support helped develop community internship sites for art therapy students.

A 2016 Indiana University graduate thesis identifies the Indiana Art Therapy Association as the state chapter of the American Art Therapy Association.

Current official status · checked August 28, 2026
AATA’s current Chapters directory lists Indiana Art Therapy Association (INDIATA) under Indiana. The exact original date on which AATA first formally approved or recognized the chapter has not been established by the public sources used for this page, so no earlier approval date is assigned here.

UIndy reports that its graduate program in mental health counseling with an art therapy concentration launched in fall 2017. Rachel Feldwisch is identified as a founding faculty member and program director.

Indiana University described a partnership between Herron’s art therapy program and the IU School of Medicine Department of Neurology at the IU Health Neuroscience Center involving education, clinical care, and research.

Named in the record Juliet King; Valerie Eickmeier; Dr. Robert Pascuzzi; Karen Pence.

SB 439 and HB 1422 were introduced in 2020 as art therapy licensure efforts.

Named in the record Sen. Ronald Grooms; Rep. Melanie Wright.

SB 46 continued Indiana legislative work involving art therapy licensure.

Named in the record Sen. Ronald Grooms.

SB 317 and HB 1239 were introduced as art and music therapy licensure efforts.

Named in the record Sens. Vaneta Becker and J.D. Ford; Reps. Christopher Judy, Edward Clere, Heath VanNatter, and Mitch Gore.

SB 338, Art and music therapy, proposed licensure for music therapists, art therapists, and art therapist associates. The Senate passed the bill 47–2 on February 14, 2023; it was referred to the House Committee on Public Health on February 28 and did not advance further.

Named in the record Sens. Vaneta Becker, Jean Leising, J.D. Ford, Fady Qaddoura, Stacey Donato, Michael Crider, Shelli Yoder, and Michael Young; Reps. Christopher Judy, Cindy Ledbetter, Edward Clere, and Mitch Gore.