About Mia

Mia Barkan is an artist, art therapist, educator, poet, and author of several books including Box of Feathers, Freya's Tears, Tea with Nana, and My Sacred Circle Mandala Journal.

Mia holds a Master of Arts in Creative Arts Therapy from Hofstra University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fabric Styling, and an Associate Degree in Textile/Surface Design specializing in Woven Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (NYC). She is multilingual, fluent in Italian, proficient in French, Hebrew, and Swedish, and her poetry and art have been published and exhibited worldwide. Her paintings have been exhibited at several galleries, including The Paterson Museum in Paterson, New Jersey. Her art has graced the cover of many Cross-Cultural Communications publications and was featured in Rattle (#34, Vol. 16, Number 2, Winter 2010), which included nine pieces from her Inner Face series on the cover and within the edition.

A NYS Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT), Mia teaches and lectures about Art Therapy throughout New York State and maintains a private practice working with adults, adolescents, and children with psychiatric and medical disorders. Her art series include Sisters of the World, Inner Face, and Freya's Tears. Her newest series, Vibes, is a meditative, expressionistic evocation of place.

Artist Statement

My mission as an artist is to identify and integrate the many faces within the psyche of women. Through painting, photography and drawing, I celebrate and explore the multicultural archetypes of mythological female figures, stressing the importance, beauty, and strength of women inside and out, past, present, and future.

I paint from my psyche: abstract, impressionistic, and rarely realistic. As both an artist and art therapist, I emphasize the importance of self-expression through the arts by practicing what I preach. I discovered the healing power of art at a very young age. Making art empowered and encouraged me to survive the many surgeries I underwent during my multiple stays in the hospital as a child. In fact, the only good memories of those hospital stays were the time I spent with the art therapist, creating.

Now, as an artist and art therapist, I give back by helping my patients through the arts, just as I was helped as a child in need of a creative outlet during that turbulent time in my life. Working with my patients is reflected in my own artwork, as I delve into my own psyche in the same way I encourage my patients to do within my practice.