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From drag to art therapy: Graduate sets sights on creating spaces of healing

Stories | 10.21.24

It might be surprising to learn that Eme Swaggthorne was one of the more timid and quieter students in their Master of Arts in Counseling: Art Therapy program in Chicago.

“I was reluctant to participate and only engaged when prompted,” they said.

Photo of Whimsy

Eme Swaggthorne as Whimsy Stiff-Richards, Chicago’s trumpet-tootin’ drag clown.

But over the course of the two-year program, classmates slowly learned more about Swaggthorne and their artistic talents. They are a classically trained musician, actor, dancer, and entertainer. And at night (and sometimes at brunch), these all often come together when Swaggthorne transforms into their drag persona — Whimsy Stiff-Richards, Chicago’s trumpet-tootin’ drag clown.

Later this month, Swaggthorne will be donning a different hat — literally a black graduate cap — as they walk across the stage with their fellow graduates at The Chicago Theatre during the Chicago and Online campuses’ commencement ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 27.

For Swaggthorne, the moment would mark the end of their time at Adler and the start of a journey that leads to making a positive impact in their community.

Similar to the way drag can create spaces that allow historically marginalized people to feel safe, Swaggthorne feels that the field of art therapy can do the same.

“Drag is a community-healing artistic medium,” Swaggthorne said. “It is an art of visualization and embodiment. As an art therapist, I hope to use similar principles to lead others towards healing.”

No turning back

Born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Swaggthorne used their musical talents to pursue a degree in video game scoring and musical theater writing at Berkelee College of Music in Boston.

It was at Berkelee and its sister school Boston Conservatory where they first performed in drag. Swaggthorne took a course on the history and theory of gender and drag performance. For the final class project, each students had to conduct a 12-minute act in drag.

“Whimsy, who comes from the cabaret school of drag, was born, and I haven’t turned back,” Swaggthorne said.

However, by the end of their Berklee program, Swaggthorne no longer felt a connection with the career they initially pursued. In 2018, they moved to Chicago to work in an organization that raised funds for a variety of nonprofits, including Planned Parenthood and Doctors Without Borders.

“I also continued to perform, and I was really, really awful at it,” they said, laughing. “But by 2019, with encouragement from my spouse who is a burlesque drag artist named Thorne, I began to take it more seriously and continued to improve.”

The duo would perform in local venues including the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois, and The Newport Theatre and the former Berlin Nightclub in Chicago. They also hosted RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties and monthly brunch shows at the Lucky Scottie, a restaurant in Waukegan.

“And then the pandemic hit, which forced me, and many of us, to reevaluate our lives,” said Swaggthorne, who had just moved to the suburbs with their spouse.

“My spouse, who at the time worked at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, just one day said, ‘Hey, do you know about this thing called art therapy?’” said Swaggthorne, who was looking for a career path that could help others and uplift communities.

“I can admit that I did not know much about art therapy at the time, but the more I looked into it, the more I realized that yes, this would allow me to achieve those goals,” they said.

‘A magnificent moment’

At Adler, the art therapy graduate program equips students a dual expertise in counseling and art therapy. Swaggthorne started their program in 2022 at Adler University, where they were drawn to its reputation and its emphasis in addressing inequities. Swaggthorne said a piece of advice they would share with future and current students is to keep an open mind and to fully engage with their program and course work.

Among the highlights during their time in the program was conducting their Social Justice Practicum at Glenkirk, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Photo of Whimsy and Dr. La Civita

Whimsy and Dr. La Civita

“That experience really helped me unlearn a lot of the bad habits and ideas that social commentary has driven into us, particularly with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” they said.

That growth will make this month’s commencement ceremony quite an emotional time for Swaggthorne.

“By the end of my undergraduate program, I no longer felt fully connected with my original pursuits, so by graduation, it felt like I was simply getting a piece of paper,” they said. “This time around, commencement will mean so much to me. It’ll be a chance for me to look back at the sheer amount of work I’ve done and accomplished at Adler.”

The commencement ceremony will occur just a few days before their birthday. To celebrate, they’re planning a party filled with friends, family, and colleagues from their cohort and drag communities.

Prior to coming to Adler, Swaggthorne had actually taken a break from performing in drag. It wasn’t until the following summer, while taking a studio art course, that Swaggthorne thought it was time for Whimsy to make their comeback.

Donning their signature clown-white make-up, and wearing a full-length cream-colored gown accessorized with a blue-green hat and fan, Whimsy made their entrance at an art gallery show and posed for photos with Swaggthorne’s classmates.

“It was the first time they got to meet Whimsy, and it was really a magnificent moment,” they said. “I even got a picture with Dr. Jennifer La Civita, our program director, which was really cool as a student.”

How Swaggthorne plans to integrate their love and talent for drag into their practice of art therapy remains to be seen, but they’re aiming high.

“I know my art therapy career will involve working with IDDs individuals. I know I want to do research. I want to do writing,” they said. “I want to leave a mark on the art therapy sphere. And when all is said and done, I want to leave the world a better place.”

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