Nurturing Resilience and Connection Through the Power of Art

We Believe… Art Heals.

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Wholeness Through creativity

We believe making art fosters curiosity, resilience, empathy, and positive mental health.

Art and Togetherness

We believe art opens channels for authentic human connection that transcends and celebrates differences.

Belonging Through Volunteering

We believe mutual giving of time and presence leads to thriving communities.

Discover Our Community

Who We Are

We are artists, educators, former health professionals, and community activists dedicated to promoting well-being, connection, and resilience through art-making. Every day of the week, we reach people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and abilities.

We envision a world where everyone has access to the healing power of creativity.

Our mission is to transform lives through art and community.

Because we believe art heals.

Art inspires the heart, rewires the brain, and invites vital connection with others.

What We Do

We mobilize art instructors and volunteers to deliver best-practice visual art programs to under-resourced communities across Central Virginia. We partner with other community organizations and institutions to maximize and sustain impact for the populations we reach.

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Programs for Children

Our youth programs provide a welcoming environment for personal expression and creativity. With a special focus on trauma-informed care, we aim to inspire young people to explore the world through art-making, arts education, and positive mental health practices. We provide both curricular and after-school classes.

Programs for Adults

We bring programs to veterans living with PTSD, women in recovery, women in prison, cancer survivors, medical students, and more. Through both skills-based classes and open-ended projects, participants hone hidden talents, process experiences, build relationships, and reimagine their future.

Intergenerational Programs

Our Opening Minds through Art (OMA) programming empowers people of all cognitive abilities to make independent, creative choices within a supportive relationship. As Master Trainers in this best-practice methodology, we focus on equipping, resourcing, and recruiting for OMA and other intergenerational programs to elevate lives through art.

Events

Our events bring the community together to celebrate the transformative power of art. We host an annual art exhibit fundraiser, highlighting the works of local artists. Our Art Bus also brings outdoor collaborative art projects to festivals where the entire community can gather around a pop-up art experience.

See Us In Action

From an art class to a mission…

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Discover the Beauty and Benefits of Therapeutic Art

By tapping into creative expression and fostering mindfulness and connection, therapeutic art-making experiences can reduce stress, improve self-esteem, foster resilience, and promote overall mental and emotional well-being. Join us on this journey of self-discovery and growth.

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Our Origin Story

Our story began in an art class.

Art for the Journey was founded by Mark Hierholzer and a small group of artists in 2014. Dr. Willam J. Frable, pictured here, and artists Jamie Wigginton and Cindy Paullin, had personally discovered the power of art to transform their life experience — and wanted to share that with others.

The sense of partnership and mutual support that defined our original group is now being shared with a growing community of volunteers who are spreading the impact of our mission to a growing population of people in our community, and through our OMA training program, o individuals throughout the Commonwealth and beyond!

Our Board of Directors

Our Programs

Our Art for the Journey programs offer individuals the opportunity to explore their creativity, gain new skills, and express themselves through different art mediums. Take a look at our programs below, or check out the full list of programs by clicking here!

Carmel Art Club

A Weekly Art Club for Creative TeensFor middle and high school students, academic, extracurricular, and…

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Prison Art Class

Restoring Hope and Humanity Through CreativityOur art classes at Virginia Correctional Center for Women provide…

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Testimonials

See what artists and volunteers have to say

Hear from satisfied constituents who have experienced Art for the Journey firsthand!

★★★★★

I developed one of the kindest bonds with my partner. She showed me how the littlest things in life matter the most and to appreciate what you have.

Yeama

★★★★★

It’s amazing that when you’re no longer independent, you can still express yourself.

Mary G. S.

★★★★★

I was deeply moved by the community’s connections and creations. OMA is a thoughtfully crafted art program that benefits everyone involved.

Heather

Our Valued

Community Partners

We don’t do this work alone, but as a team. Our community includes not only hundreds of volunteers from the community and from local universities, but many other organizational and institutional partners who share our vision.

Frequently Asked Questions

We provide training for our programs, some programs have very specific training that is required, others have a general training.

All of our programs are delivered through community partnerships. We can direct individuals to some partners who serve greater Richmond.

We provide programs in schools, hospitals, long-term care residences, and partner in various locations, and the ARTBUS delivers community projects to outdoor events.

Our studio is located at 825 Grove Road, Suite 14 in Midlothian, Virginia. We deliver our training services throughout the Commonwealth.

Contact Us

Reach out to us for more information about our programs and how to get involved.

Address

825 Grove Road
Suite 14
Midlothian, Virginia 23114

Phone

804-351-8150

Tax ID

46-5572928
501(c)3 Status

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