Recently, the social interest and demand for art therapy as an alternative psychotherapy is increasing.
Museums are also expanding the social role and striving to give benefit to a variety of people in the wider
community. Accordingly, there is increased interest in collaboration with museums to create a new field,
museum art therapy. In this study, the researcher examined leading experimental practices and articles of
museum art therapy in foreign countries. Most of the programs include as follows: contacting artifacts,
making stories to interact from them, and creating artworks and exhibitions. The primary concepts related
to museum art therapy are social constructivism, phenomenology, and unique qualities of the museum as
healing places. Art therapy and museums continue to seek synergistic collaboration through a variety of
activities to expand each other’s area. This trend is expected to become more active in the near future. For
successful collaboration between art therapy and museums, four things are needed: good communication
and planning between the art therapy and the museums, rich knowledge and skills of art and art museums
for art therapists, deep understanding of art therapy for the art museums, and full agreement on a common
rationale for the two areas. This study is intended to provide useful information and future direction for
museum art therapy research in South Korea and expansion of art therapists’role.