Florence Cane

 Florence Cane (1882-1952) was a Progressive art educator who worked to release the inner artist in each child through the use of creative, therapeutic techniques. She began teaching art at the Walden School in 1920 after she was asked by her sister, Margaret Naumburg to assist in the art education program. After much success at the Walden School, she continued to teach through private lessons at her home, lecturing teachers via seminars, and creating her own school for a short time at Rockefeller Center. At the end of her career, she was the art director at the Counseling Centre for Gifted Children at New York University where she helped to select students for entry into the school by judging their portfolios. She looked for four crucial elements within their work to judge their gifted potential: body, psyche, mind, and spirit. She held this position at the Centre for roughly 14 years.

Her techniques, as described on this site, proved to successfully rehabilitate both children and adults in discovering their inner artistic voice and to find methods for realizing their true potential for emotional expression. Cane had undergone psychoanalysis herself as a child and was a true believer in its ability to bring deep, inner thoughts, memories, emotions, and catharsis to the patient. This experience, along with her interest in Eastern philosophical ideas and Jungian techniques, helped her to study children in their various phases and stages in order to understand their cognitive abilities as they related to their artistic expression. She formatted her teaching methods and curriculum around this knowledge, only giving instruction when she felt the student needed it or when he/she requested assistance. Her classroom was a breeding ground for self-discovery and learning at one's own pace. She describes her classroom, techniques, and examples of student cases in her only book, The Artist in Each of Us, published in 1951. Her work has since been studied by generations of therapists and provided the basis for early art therapy techniques.

Florence Cane and her sister Margaret Naumburg are two of the founders of modern therapeutic art theories and practices. Their work has greatly impacted both the field of art education and art therapy (Cane, D. et al. 113). Art therapy is designed to use art media, the creative process, and patient responses to aid in the development of those experiencing varying mental problems, including conflicts, concerns, certain types of trauma, among many others. Art therapy practice is based on knowledge of human developmental and psychological theories, which were both areas Naumburg studied while in her undergraduate and graduate studies (Lark). Cane wrote one of the premier works on art therapy in 1951: The Artist in Each of Us. This including theories, methods, and practices of art therapy aimed to include educational, psychodynamic, cognitive, transpersonal, and other therapeutic means of reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, developing social skills, managing behavior, solving problems, reducing anxiety, aiding reality orientation, and increasing self-esteem (Cane, D. et al. 113).

Margaret Naumburg was first an educator, with undergraduate work done at Vassar and Barnard Colleges. She did Graduate studies with John Dewey at Columbia, as well as Beatrice and Sidney Webb at the London School of Economics. Later Margaret studied with F. Mathius Alexander in England, Dr. William Brown at Oxford, Dr. William McDougall, and Maria Montessori in Italy. Psychology, parapsychology, and physical coordination are some areas that these studies were in. She took her psychological and educational backgrounds to create what would become art therapy. Naumburg was born in 1890. She expressed that as a child she felt constrained and miserable. Her son, Thomas Frank (1983) mentions that "perhaps her feeling both misunderstood and without opportunity to share her inner life during these early years gave her a beginning motivation to battle for less restrictive educational approaches focused on the individual child's emotional needs. And perhaps those early restrictive experiences with her own parents influenced her ultimate approach to art therapy."

In early adulthood Naumburg and author-husband, Waldo Frank lived and worked in New York City. They shared a circle of friends and colleagues comprised of many elite creators of the time. This includes people such as painter Georgia O'Keeffe, poet John Marin, and film star Charlie Chaplin.

In 1914 Margaret Naumburg started what she called the "Children's School". She later renamed it the Walden School. She wanted to practice her belief that "the emotional development of children, fostered through encouragement of spontaneous creative expression and self-motivated learning, should take precedence over the traditional intellectual approach to the teaching of a standardized curriculum.", as said by Thomas Frank (1983). Her psychoanalytic training influenced her educational methods. At the Walden School, all teachers were encouraged to see a psychoanalyst personally.

In 1920, Naumburg invited her sister Florence Cane to teach at the Walden School after she had criticized the way that art was being taught there. Margaret hired faculty according to different principles than were typical of the time. The faculty she hired often did not even have education degrees.

In the early 1920's Naumburg resigned as director from Walden and had a son shortly after. Three years later she divorced Waldo Frank. In 1928 she published her first book, which was based on her experience with the Walden School called The Child and the World.

Margaret Naumburg did much of her personal therapy with Dr. Beatrice Hinkle, who was a Jungian. Later she did more personal analysis with Dr. A. A. Brill, a Freudian. Freud, Jung, and Harry Stack Sullivan were all theorists who influenced her work. Naumburg was also interested in Eastern Philosophy, the occult, psychodrama, parapsychology, modern surrealist art, and primitive art. Those interests played a role in the development of her theories as well.

From 1930 on she concerned herself primarily with developing art therapy technique and moved away from progressive education. Naumburg devoted much of her life to the establishment of art therapy as a discipline, which psychiatry as a field, really opposed. "She was forever pointing out that art therapy, with its use of symbolic language and imagery, was often a more effective road to the unconscious than the usual verbal approach of psychoanalysis and dynamic psychotherapy", Thomas Frank (1983).

Naumburg was a poet and a playwright in addition to being an academic writer. Academically speaking, she wrote numerous papers and a total of five books in her life. From 1941-1947 she researched under Dr. Nolan D. C. Lewis at the New York Psychiatric Institute. Two books that she wrote stemmed from this research: Studies of the "Free" Art Expression of Behavior Problem Children and Adolescents as a Means of Diagnosis and Therapy (1947) and Schizophrenic Art: Its Meaning in Psychotherapy (1950). In 1953 Naumburg published Psychoneurotic Art and in 1966 she published Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy.

Margaret Naumburg taught at New York University into her eighties. She facilitated the beginning of art therapy instruction at the undergraduate level. A graduate program for art therapy was not started until 1969. Margaret Naumburg never held a teaching position on graduate level.

Transcript of Margaret Naumburg & Florence Cane

The "psychologically informed art teacher."

Older sister of Margaret Naumburg Developer of the scribble technique Ideas that paralleled the later work of Edith Kramer Although a teacher, patients were referred to work with her Underwent Jungian analysis with Beatrice Hinkle Influenced by psychoanalytic ideas and Greek-Armenian spiritual teacher Gurdjieff

The "Mother of Art Therapy."

Younger sister of Florence Cane Credited as the first person to define art therapy as a separate mental health profession Underwent Jungian and Freudian analyses (1914-1917). Founder of the Walden School Studied with visionaries in psychotherapy including John Dewey and Maria Montessori Influenced by Gurdjieff

Personal Information

Her husband was poet Waldo Frank, but they eventually divorced. They had a son, Thomas Frank, who became a psychoanalyst and doctor of psychiatry. At the end of her marriage and following her divorce, she had a relatively short relationship with author Jean Toomer.

She was part of an "avant garde" circle of artists and friends including Charlie Chaplin and Georgia O'Keefe.

Margaret Naumburg's Infamous Personality

"If the word had been in usage then, she might have been called a 'diva'" (Borowsky Junge, 2010, p. 35)

1910 1980 1890 1950 A Shared Timeline 1914: Naumburg established the Children's School (the Walden School) In New York City, Margaret Naumburg founded the Children's School under a Progressive Education philosophy. Stemming from the ideas of psychoanalysis, the progressive school allowed children to pursue their own interests and learn in the process.

In 1915, the school's name was changed to the Walden School. 1920: Arrival at the Walden School Upon an invitation from her younger sister Margaret Naumburg, Florence Cane taught art at the Walden School beginning in 1920. It is said that she was invited to do so only after criticizing the existing art program at the school.

Her teaching style differed from the norm at the time because she believed that the person was as important as the product in making art. She focused less on teaching artistic techniques than other art teachers and looked to emotions as a source of creativity and free choice.

1940: Naumburg defined "dynamically oriented art therapy" Margaret Naumburg was the first person to define art therapy as a separate mental health profession and a different form of psychotherapy. This occurred in 1940 when she first wrote about "dynamically oriented art therapy." (She would later write a comprehensive book about art therapy with this same title.)

Naumburg viewed art therapy from the art psychotherapy perspective, rather than from the art as therapy perspective. She saw the art therapist as an individual with a background in both art and psychotherapy. 1951: Cane published The Artist in Each of Us Cane's views differed from those of her sister in that she saw art as therapy. Her philosophy on art therapy was strikingly similar to the eventual beliefs of Edith Kramer.

With the later reprinting of her book, Cane became known as an important influence on artists, art educators, and art therapists. 1966: Naumburg published Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy

included a series of case studies and laid out Naumburg's principles for practicing art therapy. Many of the principles were retained in art therapy, and the book has been viewed as influential for future generations of art therapists. 

"In dynamically oriented art therapy a patient's spontaneous visual projections and unconscious responses are frequently expressed more directly in pictures than in words."

(Naumburg, 1966, p. 1) Florence Cane Margaret Naumburg 1882: Florence Cane was born 1930 1900 1920 1940 1960 1970 1983: The Artist in Each of Us  was republished 1910: Cane underwent Jungian analysis 1952: Cane died at age 70

• More information about Florence Cane's art education-related work to come... 1890: Margaret Naumburg was born 1912: Naumburg graduated from Barnard College (after first attending Vassar) 1928: Naumburg left the Walden School & published The Child and the World The Child and the World , Naumburg's first book, was a book about Naumburg's progressive school (the Walden School) and children's education. Later in life, Naumburg insisted that "the roots of art therapy were all there" in this book and that art therapist Judith Rubin had read the book for this reason.

(More on Naumburg's personality later...) 1941-1947: Naumburg worked for Nolan D.C. Lewis at the New York Psychiatric Institute 1950: Naumburg published Schizophrenic Art: Its Meaning in Psychotherapy 1947: Naumburg published An Introduction to Art Therapy Her first official art therapy book was An Introduction to Art Therapy: Studies of the "Free" Art Expression of Behavior Problem Children and Adolescents as a Means of Diagnosis and Therapy.

The book compiled six studies completed at the New York State Psychiatric Institute with the help of Lewis, each of which examined the use of spontaneous (or "free") art expression in child psychiatry. Naumburg believed that the unconscious of an individual could be released through spontaneous art making.

1983: Naumburg died at age 93 1970: Naumburg was awarded the first Honorary Life Membership from the AATA 1953: Naumburg published Psychoneurotic Art: Its Function in Psychotherapy 1950s: Naumburg gave training seminars in the eastern United States Margaret Naumburg Florence Cane References Cane, F. (1951). The artist in each of us.

Preprint manuscript. Retrieved from American Art Therapy Association Online Archives 

Junge, M. B. (2010). The modern history of art therapy in the United States. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

Malchiodi, C. A. (2007). The art therapy sourcebook. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Naumburg, M. (1973). An introduction to art therapy: Studies of the "free" art expression of behavior problem children and adolescents as a means of diagnosis and therapy. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. (Original work published 1947)

Naumburg, M. (1987). Dynamically oriented art therapy. Chicago, IL: Magnolia Street. (Original work published 1966)

Naumburg, M. (1912-1974). Margaret Naumburg Papers. [Archived personal materials, 182 boxes, 17 series]. Rare Book & Manuscript Library (Ms. Coll. 294). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Rubin, J. (2006). Margaret Naumburg (1890-1983): The mother of us all. In M. Borowsky Junge & H. Wadeson (Eds.), Architects of art therapy: Memoirs and life stories

(pp. 5-8). Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (1930). Mary Cane.

United States Census [ED 0220, sheet 20A, family 449]. Retrieved from https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XMPZ-14S Margaret Naumburg & Florence Cane "The psychological approach no longer regards the art product as separate from the artist." Experience

Walden School, New York City: Teacher of Art, 1920-1922; Director of Art, 1922-1934

Pawling Summer School: Director of Art, 1926

Westchester County Recreation Center, White Plains, NY: Instructor of art courses for teachers and supervisors, 1934-1937

Dalton Schools: Teacher of Painting, 1931-1933

Florence Cane School of Art, Rockefeller Center, New York City: Director, 1934-1937

New York University's Counseling Center for Gifted Children: Director of Art, 1937-1951

Chicago Professional School of Art: Instructor of courses for public school teachers, summer 1942 (Cane, 1951, p. 74) Personal Information

Her husband was Melville Cane. She also had twin daughters, Mary Cane Robinson and Katherine Cane.

The Artist in Each of Us

Within her only book, Cane described her perspective on art instruction. She wrote:

"The basic aim of my method is the development of the pupil's body, soul, and mind through art experience" (Cane, 1951, p. 39).

Her book included a discussion of the types of instruction appropriate for each age group, the choice and use of materials, specific processes and exercises, the importance of symbols, and other art and expression forms beyond visual art, including movement and rhythm. Additionally, in Chapter 6, Cane described her "scribble technique," which she developed, and her sister utilized (1951).

Daughters of Max and Theresa Naumburg, the girls grew up in New York City in a wealthy German-Jewish family. They had two other siblings, Alice and Robert. Margaret was close to her father but not to her mother, and looked up to Florence as a sort of substitute for this strained relationship. The Child and the World

(1928)

An Introduction to Art Therapy: Studies of the "Free" Expression of Behavior Problem Children as a Means of Diagnosis and Therapy

(1947)

Schizophrenic Art: Its Meaning in Psychotherapy

(1950)

Psychoneurotic Art: Its Function in Psychotherapy

(1953)

Dynamically Oriented Art Therapy

(1966)

At an early meeting of the AATA, she banged her cane on the floor every time she disagreed with something. She stormed out saying, "I'm not through with you!"

She had a clash with Karl Menninger upon visiting the clinic to give a presentation, and left without presenting.

Her issues with Mary Huntoon stemmed from the accusation that she had stolen the phrase "dynamically oriented art therapy" from Huntoon. In 1954 Naumburg also invited Huntoon to send patient artwork for an exhibit she was organizing, "Use of Spontaneous Art in Psychotherapy." At the opening of the exhibit, all of Huntoon's images were missing from the exhibit, because there was apparently "no space."

Florence Cane was born in 1882 and died in 1952. She was the second oldest child out of four siblings. Margaret was younger than her. As a child, Cane was outgoing and friendly. At the age of eight she started a diary, which she titled "Things My Mother Does to Me That I Won't Do To My Children." Because of her love for making things as a child, she decided early on to be an art teacher. Her experience with teachers who inhibited her creativity and also with those who encouraged it gave her the idea to learn more about what made a good art teacher. During the time in which Cane was a child the use of feelings as a source for creative art making was not popular among art teachers.

Florence believed that the person and the product (art) should be integrated. Movement, feeling, and thought were functions that combined help one achieve this integration. Daughter Mary Cane Robinson said of her mother, "Florence developed her style, her method, from an intuitive search for ways to stimulate the creative process in each person she was teaching; then she put it into a form that she could convey to others" (1983).

Cane taught privately in her own home in addition to teaching at the Walden School. She also lectured to teachers groups and for a few years had a school of her own in Rockefeller Center. Later, she became the director of art for the Counseling Centre for Gifted Children at New York University. Cane held this position for fourteen years.

Florence Cane wrote The Artist in Each of Us in 1951. This is the only book she published. She was known as an open, positive, and eager woman. She was a suffragette and really worked for women's causes.

Cane and her husband, Melville both did personal therapy with Jungian analyst Dr. Beatrice Hinkle. They were quite influenced by the philosophy of George Gurdjieff. One aspect of this philosophy was the term "essence"; which was to mean the intrinsic, unchanging part of a person. Florence used drawing and painting as a means to help her students to find their "essence".

Cane stressed physical health. She believed that with a higher state of consciousness one could move beyond driven behavior to a state in which one could be free to choose. Like her sister, Cane was influenced by Eastern thought and philosophy. Florence had stated "the direction of my teaching has been towards the liberation and growth of the child's soul through play and work and self-discipline involved in painting" (Cane, 1932 p42.)

The work of Florence Cane and Margaret Naumburg is the basis on which all modern therapeutic art theories and practices are built. They significantly contributed to the fields of art therapy and art education. When Naumburg stopped teaching and started to concentrate on art therapy, she still stressed to art educators the importance of creativity, the intuitive, the nonverbal, and the unconscious. It has been speculated that tensions existed between the two sisters, but that this tension probably caused them both to be more productive.

References •Cane Detre, K. , Frank, T., Refsnes Kniazzeh, C., Robinson, M. C., Rubin, J. A., and Ulman, E. (1983). Roots of Art Therapy: Margaret Naumburg (1890-1983) and Florence Cane (1882-1952) - A Family Portrait. American Journal of Art Therapy, , 113-116.