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I caught up with Tova Speter recently. She told me about a fascinating project she is involved with that links words with art. As a poet, I found this fascinating, so I connected with her.

Tova Speter

Tova Speter is an artist, art therapist, art educator, and arts consultant with roots in Somerville, now based at Gorse Mill Studios in Needham. The scope of her work ranges from the facilitation of art workshops to consultation with community organizations on ways to incorporate the arts into their programming, as well as the engagement of various groups in creating collaborative murals. Tova also offers art therapy and mental health counseling services through her private practice and works as a practicing painter and installation artist. All of her work is based on her belief that engaging in art-making is inherently therapeutic and formative. In her own work she paints on scrap wood to highlight the often-overlooked beauty that will shine through when the time is taken to shift to a new perspective. In her work with others, she strives to provide “perspective-shifting” opportunities for individuals and groups to find the beauty, talent, and pride they may not yet be aware that they possess. Follow her on Instagram @TovaSpeter and learn more at www.tovaspeter.com.

Doug Holder: Tell us about your Somerville connection, and how that supported or inspired your work?

Tova Speter: I rented my first art studio in Somerville back in 2002 and was a Vernon Street artist for 15 years. The art community I found in Somerville was, and continues to be, an important part of my work as an artist. I sold my first art in Somerville, participated in 20+ exhibits, facilitated 6 community mural projects in the city, and collaborated with countless other Somerville artists and community members. Needless to say, Somerville was the place where I truly developed as an artist and I will always feel connected to the community there.

DH: Having worked at McLean Hospital for many years, and running poetry workshops for patients, I was interested to find out you are an art therapist. Can you tell us a bit about art as a therapeutic tool?

TS: Of course! There are many ways that art can be utilized in therapy. In my practice, I believe that engaging in artmaking is inherently therapeutic and I offer clients the opportunity to make art as part of our sessions. For some, the art offers grounding that enables clients to feel more at ease as they talk, for others it might be easier to talk about one’s art than to talk about oneself, still others might enjoy the time to express themselves artistically or to create something that can be utilized as a coping tool. The prompts/artwork can also act as a metaphor for other things that might be able to be practiced being worked through using art materials, processed and reflected upon, and then reimagined. I offer a wide variety of media and encourage clients to explore, express, and reflect.

DH: You are all about working on art projects with many communities. You work with folks of all kinds of backgrounds and skills. Why were you drawn to this type of work in the arts.

TS: My first public mural over 20 years ago also became the last mural I painted by myself after a 5-minute encounter with a Kindergartner. After he very briefly engaged in painting, I witnessed a striking shift not only in the way this 6-year-old saw himself but also in the way his peers saw him. Experiencing the power of art to offer space for positive change compelled me to dedicate my life to bringing creative (and often collaborative) art experiences to as many people as possible. You never know what 5-minute chance happening might alter the trajectory of your career!

DH: Has making art helped you in your own life? Was it a balm during a time of trouble?

TS: I’ve always enjoyed art-making. Just having a studio space where I can go and be messy and leave out my supplies has been helpful as an escape. But I think I get the greatest personal benefit from the community art projects I facilitate. It feels like a gift every time I get to see a participant shift from feeling like they are “not an artist” to expressing that they are proud of something they created. And that fills me with positive energy that overrides any negative thoughts/feelings I may have been experiencing.

DH: Your latest project is “Translations: connected art reflecting empathy (c.a.r.e.)” Here you pair words and images in a chain of empathy. Instead of a chain as a burden, it brings people together in a positive way. Can you talk a bit about this?

TS: I love the metaphor you describe here; I hadn’t thought about the positive/negative duality of the word “chains.” The goal was to offer artists the opportunity to create individual art that was inspired by and would go on to inspire other artists despite being in isolation due to the pandemic. Though we couldn’t make art together, this was still a way to make art that was connected. Wanting it to be accessible to all artists (as well as those who hadn’t previously considered themselves artists) I encouraged people to participate in the modality of their choosing. Amazingly, the essence of the prompt carried through translations of words, images, music, etc. which made the whole chain that much more impactful. While each individual link in the chain is a piece of art in and of itself, there is an energy and strength that is revealed when they are all experienced together. Art can connect us in ways we cannot explain, and art can overcome 6 links of physical distance.

DH: As a poet, I am interested to ask you–if you have written poetry, or are involved with a community of writers?

TS: I am not a writer, but I have been amazed at the poetry created when you read just the titles of the links in a chain. One of my favorites is:

Spread Hope and Positivity
In All Directions
At the Center
Hope
Connected
A delicate bridge

DH: How can we participate in this project?

TS: All are welcome to participate in their preferred modality including completing a chain by “translating” someone else’s artwork into a word/phrase. You can view the chains at https://www.tovaspeter.com/translations-care and scroll down to the orange button to sign up to participate. I have a goal to facilitate the creation of 19 chains as a way to continue to feel connected despite the impacts of Covid-19. Over 75 artists have already contributed to 13 chains that have already been completed and 6 more are currently underway and in need of some additional links. After signing up you will receive an email from me (might be within a few days or a few weeks) with a link to someone else’s artwork to inspire you to create something which will then be sent on to inspire another artist in another modality.