Art classes are often sites for students with academic, social, emotional, and/or behavioral problems. Some school administrators and counselors recognize the benefits of art education and place students at-risk in art education classes. Most often art therapy is not part of coursework within art education programs, so K-12 educators have minimal knowledge, training, or experience dealing with the complexity of students' issues and, particularly, no training on how to intervene with students who have adverse childhood experiences (ACE) such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; physical or emotional neglect; who witness domestic violence; and/or those who live with individuals who abuse substances, have mental illness, or are incarcerated. In this article, the author shares stories, strategies, and successes of an artful coalition in a private academic school with a residential program among three individuals--an art teacher, art therapist, and researcher (who is also an art therapist and art educator)--and adolescent girls who were working to develop resilience and a greater sense of self through artmaking and creative writing. Such a coalition can explore issues of pedagogy and content as well as the fine line between art therapy and art education practices in contemporary society. Such explorations are directly related to learning how to be a more effective art teacher for students who have ACE. A collaborative approach to art education can model positive adult relationships and interactions, mirror effective ways contemporary artists and professional educators work with others, and provide students with alternative ways to communicate and understand themselves and others via creative arts practices. The outcome can be students gain a stronger sense of self, voice, and agency.