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We have exciting news to share with you all! The Kansas Art Therapy Association Board has bestowed Libby Schmanke, MS, ATR-BC, ATCS, LCAC, MAC with the KATA Honorary Lifetime Membership award! Libby has spent many years tirelessly supporting clients, students, and colleagues to improve the field of art therapy. As most of you likely know, she literally wrote the book on Art Therapy and Substance Abuse. Her contributions are lengthy and irreplaceable for their importance to our profession. Here is an excerpt of her biography for any of you who are less familiar with Libby's work:

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"Libby is a board certified art therapist (ATR-BC), an art therapy certified supervisor (ATCS), a licensed clinical addictions counselor (LCAC) in Kansas, and nationally credentialed as a Master Addiction Counselor (MAC). Her first professional career spanned 14 years in addictions treatment, during which she incorporated art processes into treatment protocols. In 2002, she completed her master’s in art therapy and joined the graduate program at Emporia State University in a half-time faculty role. During that time, she also worked as an addictions counselor doing art therapy, and for 9 years operated a private practice specializing in art therapy to treat addictions and trauma. In 2014, she closed her practice to became a full time faculty member, and in 2017 her single-author text, Art Therapy and Substance Abuse, was published, being the first book devoted solely to this topic. Libby was a co-author of the 2021 A Graphic Guide to Art Therapy, and has also contributed two book chapters on the topic of art therapy and addictions to well-regarded art therapy texts. She served for 12 years with the Art Therapy Credentials Board on its board of directors and committees, and regularly presents about art therapy and addictions at national conferences." Additionally, she retired from Emporia State University after May of 2025.