Art Making within the Holocaust

Dr. Elizabeth Hlavek, DAT, LPCAT, ATR-BC

Over 40,000 pieces of Holocaust victim's art have been documented since liberation in 1945, all created in camps, ghettos and in hiding. Most of this work was made clandestinely, as artists faced extreme consequences such as death or torture if caught. Despite the risk, artist victims continued to create, suggesting that art making was pivotal to their sense of well-being and ultimately their spiritual survival. That victims created artwork in the midst of a genocide supports the notion that engagement in the art process is therapeutic and healing. In this presentation, Dr. Elizabeth Hlavek will talk about her research on the art of the Holocaust, share images of of the artwork, and discuss how art making supported a sense of pscyhic survival in the face of annihilation.

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