Art as a Way Through: A Conversation with Vanae Hatcher

Meet McClendon Center’s Art Therapist

There are many ways to help someone through a difficult moment. For Vanae Hatcher, the path has always run through creativity.

Vanae grew up in Moultrie, Georgia, where her mother enrolled her in after-school classes at their local arts center, the Colquitt County Arts Center, to keep her busy until the end of the workday. What started as childcare quickly became something more. Art became a source of joy, then comfort, then calling. By the time Vanae was deep into her studies, she had found a name for what she wanted to do: art therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Psychology and Studio Art from Mercer University and her Master’s in Art Therapy from George Washington University, and she has been building toward community-based work ever since.

She joined McClendon Center last fall, and this September, her work will be on display in a new way: as a key part of the team behind Art of Transformation, our annual celebration of resilience and recovery.

We sat down with her ahead of AoT to talk about her path, her practice, and what she hopes people take away from the event.

You grew up in Georgia and eventually made your way to GW for your master’s. What drew you to art therapy in the first place?

My interest in art started when I was a young girl. As a single parent, my mom wanted to make sure I had activities to be involved in after school, so she enrolled me in different classes at our local arts center. What started as a way to keep me busy quickly became something I genuinely loved and carried with me throughout my life. Art was always something that brought me joy, but over time it also became a way for me to feel grounded and get through stressful or uncertain moments.

Because art had been such a meaningful source of comfort for me, I eventually realized I wanted to help others find that same sense of comfort and expression when going through difficult times. One of my undergraduate professors, Hazel Caldwell, was an art therapist — I had never even heard of the field before meeting her.

She became a mentor to me and introduced me to the idea that I could combine two things that were really important to me: helping others and creativity. I fell in love with it immediately.

Art therapy isn’t always well understood. How do you describe what you do?

I describe it as using creativity alongside traditional therapeutic approaches to help people explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It’s not about being a good artist or creating something perfect. It’s about using the creative process as another way to communicate, reflect, and make sense of what you’re going through.

For many of the people I work with, art can create a sense of comfort and safety — especially when putting something into words feels difficult. Creativity gives people the freedom to express themselves in a way that feels natural to them, while also creating opportunities for self-discovery, connection, and building confidence. One of the most meaningful parts of my work is helping someone discover that art can become their own source of comfort or expression, just as it has been for me.

I also think there’s something important in the idea that you don’t always have to have everything figured out before you begin. Sometimes you just have to start, explore, and see where the process takes you. That’s true in art, and it’s true in healing.

What brought you to McClendon Center specifically?

After graduate school, I had the opportunity to work in a few different mental health settings — a psychiatric hospital, a substance use and addiction treatment center, private practice. Each experience taught me a lot. But I kept finding that I didn’t connect as much with shorter-term therapeutic relationships.

I realized how much I valued working with clients consistently, getting to know them over time, building rapport and trust, and being able to support them through different stages of their lives. That’s what drew me to community-based work.

When I found McClendon Center, it felt like a natural fit.

What has surprised me most since joining is the sense of community among the clients themselves. I’ve been really touched by how supportive they are of one another, even when they may not know each other well. Everyone has been so welcoming — especially toward me as someone new. That sense of community was something I was hoping to find here, but experiencing it firsthand has been even more meaningful than I expected.

You’re playing an important role in this year’s Art of Transformation. What does it mean to you to see client artwork celebrated in that setting?

There’s something really special about having a space where clients’ artwork is not only seen, but celebrated and valued. So much of art therapy is about the process — what the person gets out of creating — but seeing their work displayed gives them an opportunity to share a part of themselves with others.

I also love that the exhibition allows people to see our clients beyond their diagnoses or the challenges they may be facing. They get to be seen as artists, as individuals, as people with stories and creativity and something meaningful to share.

Being able to help create that experience for them is really special to me.

What do you hope people take away from Art of Transformation?

I hope people leave with a greater appreciation for the people behind the artwork. Our clients are more than their diagnoses or the challenges they face. They are creative, talented individuals with stories and experiences worth sharing.

I also hope people see how powerful art can be as a source of connection, comfort, and self-expression. Whether it’s someone’s first time attending or they’ve come back year after year, I hope they leave feeling inspired — by the artwork, and by the people who created it.

###
McClendon Center’s signature annual event, Art of Transformation, takes place on September 17, 2026 from 6–8 pm at the True Reformer Building, 1200 U Street NW, Washington, DC. Tickets are available at mcclendoncenter.org/AOT.