Bruce Moon

Bruce L. Moon is a singer-songwriter, active painter and performance artist. He has over 30 LPs available on Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora. In addition, there are more than 300 videos of his work on YouTube.

Bruce writes music for and about people he has known. He believes that a good song ought to comfort people who have been afflicted in the world and afflict those who are too comfortable. “Everybody has a story and I hope my music brings honor to the folks I have encountered.” As one concert-goer said, “Bruce’s songs and stories make me laugh, let me cry, and push me to think about my life.”

At one point in his life he was an ordained Methodist. Then he worked for 22 years as an art therapist at a psychiatric hospital outside of Columbus, OH. That was followed by 20 years as a college professor, department chair, and author of 12 text books.

He has logged years of stage-time performing at colleges and universities, dive bars, open mics, and concert venues. In the early 1970s, he supported himself through college by playing in the duo B.T. Noah at coffeehouses, churches, and any place that would have them in Ohio and Indiana. In the 80s, he was part of another duo, Laughter and Hard Times, that played in bars and restaurants in and around Columbus.

For the last 25 years he has performed solo in a range of settings including WVIA public radio in Scranton, PA, The Roisin Dubh in Galway, Ireland, a street festival in Savannah, a coffeehouse in Seattle, the Riverwalk in San Antonio, and Bishop Hill Creative Commons. Recently he has also been the front man for a trio, The Others, who perform in a variety of settings in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

Bruce earned a couple Master’s degrees from a Methodist Seminary and a PhD in creative arts from the Union Institute of Cincinnati. He is professor emeritus of art therapy, and past chair of the art therapy department and director of the graduate art therapy program at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee. He is the author of 12 books widely used in art therapy programs including, Existential Art Therapy: The Canvas Mirror, Introduction to Art Therapy: Faith in the Product, and Art-Based Group Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice. He has performed concerts, presented papers, workshops, and performance art events throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia.

Bruce was the 2007 recipient of the Honorary Life Member Award (HLM) of the American Art Therapy Association and the 2009 recipient of the Buckeye Art Therapy Association HLM. These are the highest honors granted by those organizations. He was also the co-founder of the Professional Doctorate in Art Therapy program at Mount Mary University.