Expressive Media, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 by Judy Rubin, an art therapist, and Ellie Irwin, a drama therapist.

In 1962, Ellie initiated a drama therapy program, and a year later an expressive therapy program at Pittsburgh Child Guidance Center (PGCC). Judy started an art therapy program at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic (WPIC) a year later, and joined the expressive therapy group at PGCC in 1968. In 1981, Judy and Ellie developed and co-chaired the Department of Creative & Expressive Arts Therapies at WPIC.

Judy saw the power of the media firsthand as the Art Lady in the 1960s on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” on PBS. Further inspired by Looking for Me, a film by dance therapist Janet Adler that is distributed by Expressive Media, Judy and Ellie began making films. In 1985, they co-founded Expressive Media Inc. in order to be able to continue to make and disseminate films and videotapes on the arts in therapy.

There are currently hundreds of hours of clinical and educational footage in Expressive Media’s digital archive; most of it is rare and largely unseen. An invaluable teaching resource, it contains many examples of arts therapies pioneers practicing their specialties. Expressive Media welcomes the submission of footage and finished films in any of the creative arts therapies. If you have or know of any such work, please contact us regarding the possibility of adding it to our collection.

Judith A. Rubin, President

Judy Rubin, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM, began her career as an art teacher and has done art therapy for over 50 years. A licensed psychologist and board-certified art therapist, she is on the faculties of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Center. An Art major at Wellesley College, Judy earned a Master’s degree at Harvard, a PhD at the University of Pittsburgh, and completed training in Adult and Child Analysis at the Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Institute. A past President and Honorary Life Member of the American Art Therapy Association. Judy was also the Art Lady for the first three years of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” on public television. Author of six books and creator of thirteen films, she is currently developing a Training Film Library through Expressive Media, which she co-founded with Ellie Irwin in 1985.

View Judy’s Books

Eleanor C. Irwin, Vice-President

Ellie Irwin, PhD, RDT, TEP, began her career as a drama therapist at the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Center. Currently in private practice, she teaches, supervises, and consults with play and arts therapists as well as residents in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, where she is a Clinical Assistant Professor. A registered drama therapist, licensed psychologist, and certified as a Trainer, Educator and Practitioner in Psychodrama, Ellie is a recipient of the Schattner Award from the National Association for Drama Therapy (now the North American Drama Therapy Association), which she helped to co-found in 1979. She is also a certified Child and Adult Training and Supervising Analyst at the Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Center, where she served as a Past-President. Ellie has taught numerous clinical courses, made films about the creative arts, and has written extensively about aspects of theory and practice in treatment. With Judy Rubin, she co-founded Expressive Media in 1985.