healing Through creativity
Discover how creating art invites personal growth and fosters healing for everyone, especially those who are marginalized.
Art and togetherness
Witness how authentic human connection reaches those experiencing isolation and promotes holistic well-being.
Belonging Through Art
Join the journey and make an impact through volunteering. Art instructors, artists, and non-artists welcome!
Discover Our Community
Who We Are
With a mission to transform lives through art and community engagement, our non-profit team with diverse skill sets is dedicated to promoting well-being, connection, and resilience to people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and abilities.
Based in Richmond, VA, we partner with community organizations and institutions, mobilizing teachers and volunteers to bring best-practice visual art programs to under-resourced communities across Central Virginia.
We believe art heals.
Through creative expression, we promote joy, dignity, and a sense of achievement in our artists.
Discover the Beauty and Benefits of Therapeutic Art
Unleash your creativity and explore the therapeutic power of art at Art for the Journey.
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.
What we do
and how we help…
We facilitate programs for the community, by the community! Hundreds of volunteers help our core staff deliver art programs and services that promote well-being, dignity, growth, generosity, and community engagment through art.
Programs for Children
Our youth programs provide a welcoming environment for personal expression and creativity. With a special focus on trauma-informed care, Art for the Journey reaches and inspires young people to explore through art-making, arts education, and find joy.
Programs for Adults
Art for the Journey provides programs for veterans living with PTSD, women in recovery, women in prison, cancer survivors, medical students, and the community at-large. Beyond program participants, our community volunteers discover that through community service, they too, receive joy and well-being.
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. Throughout the year, our Art Bus brings outdoor collaborative art projects to festivals where the entire community can gather.
Programs for Older adults
Addressing social isolation and loneliness by promoting togetherness and well-being through art is paramount to our mission. From programs specifically designed to help people with dementia, to programs that engage and inspire provide thousands of moments of connection and joy.
Our mission is to nurture resilience and connection
through the power of art
and community engagement
We transform lives and foster mental wellness through creative expression and togetherness programming. We are dedicated to reaching those with limited access to mental health support, bringing hope, healing, and creative expression to people of all ages through the caring commitment of volunteers.
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, reaching individuals throughout the Commonwealth and beyond!
Our Board of Directors
Join our community and make a positive difference in the lives of those in need
through art.
Our Impact is our Reward
Discover the positive impact we’ve had on our community through our art programs.
Join the Journey
Be a part of our community and help us spread joy, promote dignity, and support growth through the power of art. Together, we can make a positive impact in the lives of others.
Our Program Portfolio
Browse through our portfolio of programs and see how we’ve helped individuals find healing and growth.
Promoting well-being for communities with Great need
Reaching
the under-resourced
Our transformative art sessions have been a source of joy and healing for many individuals in need. We visit a women’s prison, schools in historically low-income areas, and hospitals serving veterans living with PTSD.
Focusing on ability NOT “Dis”-Ability, & providing opportunities for Creative expression
Facilitating strength-based programs
We believe in the power of art to create connection as well as solace, joy and empowerment to individuals through creative expression. We deliver programs that are research-based and collect data to understand impact. It is not about what you can’t do, it’s about what you can!
Bringing a TRAUMA INFORMED CARE APPROACH for children and adults
Reaching
children who have experienced trauma
Our school programs in historically low income areas in Richmond, VA are delivered through the lens of trauma informed care, and quality art instruction.
We Believe tapping into creative expression is beneficial to all
Promoting well-being for people of all ages!
Children, adults and older adults all can benefit from creative expression and art. Art brings people together, and from many backgrounds, socio-economic, and age differences all join together in the joy of art making.
Meet Our Team
Get to know the amazing team of dedicated individuals who make Art for the Journey possible!
Mark Hierholzer
President & Founder
Mark spent over 40 years as a mental health professional, leading nonprofits that offered therapy for all ages. He led the development of a trauma treatment program for children that included a strong art therapy component.
He became an oil painter in 2001, and has since garnered both local and statewide recognition as an artist and art instructor. Art-making was an important part of his own self-care, creating a place where he found peace, perspective and joy.
Cindy Paullin
CEO
Cindy’s background includes over a decade as an Account Executive with nationally known companies, managing over 13 million dollars in sales across the mid-eastern United States. Additionally, Cindy managed the Paullin Law Firm, PC for 11 years.
She now uses her leadership and business management experience to implement the vision of Art for the Journey. She has long been a commissioned artist in a variety of media. Her broad experience serving in the community, along with her embracing love for people, has helped shape the culture of AFJ from its inception.
Jamie Wigginton
COO
Jamie brings expertise as a former elementary educator, engaged volunteer, and commissioning artist. Her art portfolio includes interior design, decorative painting, ceramics, acrylics, and oils.
Her passion to nurture the potential in others inspired our inaugural prison program. She delivers oversight for the now versatile programming, overcoming logistical obstacles and fostering relationships where it counts the most.
Stephanie Shanks
Director of OMA Training Center and Volunteers
Stephanie has long been dedicated to fostering connections through the fine arts. As an academically trained studio artist, she has commissioned and exhibited artwork and taught art classes. As a creative community member, she has cofounded a community theater nonprofit, worked at a local gallery, and developed nonprofit programs.
Currently she brings her passion for bridging generations to lead one of the four OMA Training Centers in the world. The OMA team equips aging service professionals and volunteers to reach isolated older adults with best-practice, research-based art programing. Stephanie was the project manager for the three-year statewide expansion of OMA, certifyi
Lauren Paullin
Director of Youth Programs
For nearly 15 years, Lauren has taught visual and performing arts to learners of all ages, in classrooms, museums, and non-profit settings around the world. A passionate advocate for arts integration and STEAM in K-12 learning, Lauren holds an Ed.M. in Arts in Education from Harvard University and was the inaugural Art Educator Fellow at the innovative Northstar School in Rajkot, India.
As Producer and Host of “The Creative Corner” TV show, Lauren works to provide engaging, inspiring, and educational content to students and teachers from fourth grade through high school. In 2021, The Creative Corner was honored with the Central Virginia Dominion Energy ArtStars Award.
Melba Gibbs
Community Engagement Coordinator
Melba has served as Executive Director for homeless programs and on nonprofit boards for over 20 years. She was involved with the Virginia Federation of Women’s Clubs for 19 years and still advocates for those who face poverty and life challenges.
Her commitment to helping people overcome barriers led her to connect the mission of Art for the Journey with the wide network of caring community members, government, and faith-based organizations. Her true belief is that there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.
Nancy Engleman
Executive Assistant
Nancy brings a wide range of experience in both corporate and non-profit organizations. She has a background as a Manager of Corporate Communications for a systems integration company, an administrator for a non-profit, substance abuse rehabilitation center for teenagers, a mediator in the Albany, New York court system, a volunteer director, and coordinator of a corporate partnership that provided life skills training and job preparation for residents in a homeless shelter.
Nancy volunteered for many years in several of our programs before joining the staff of Art for the Journey. She finds great joy from engaging with people to encourage healing through her love of art.
Mindi Montoro
Resource Coordinator
Mindi, a former teacher, knows the classroom, and delights in seeing learning and engagement in students in AFJ youth programs, as well as that same witness of growth and enrichment in our programs for older adults!
Beginning as an Art for the Journey volunteer, with her highly energetic heart of gold, Mindi scours the community for resources, which are employed in AFJ art programs. A certified OMA Facilitator, Mindi regularly prepares and co-leads the OMA program at Saint Mary’s Woods Retirement Community. Mindi also travels each week to assist in AFJ’s program for middle school students at the Carmel School in Ruther Glen.
Latest news
See what we’ve been up to! For the full blog, click here.
Art for the Journey and The Glass Spot provide breathtaking opportunity for creative expression through glass blowing.
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OMA Program piloted at the Central Library of Chesterfield – Richmond, VA
Did you know…..”An estimated 10.7% of Chesterfield County’s 65+ population has[…]
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.
Read what artists and volunteers have to say
Discover the impact of our services through testimonials.
Samantha Smith
Artist
I am grateful for the support and opportunities that Art for the Journey has provided me.
John Dorr
Art Enthusiast
As someone who loves art, I have been blown away by the talent and dedication of the volunteer artists at Art for the Journey.
Emily Jones
Volunteer
Volunteering at Art for the Journey has been a truly transformative experience, I didn’t expect to receive, my plan was to serve.
F.A.Q.
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 in Midlothian, Virginia. We deliver our training services throughout the Commonwealth.
Art programs in action!
Some work from our talented artists, ages four to 104!
Contact Us
Reach out to us for more information about our programs and how to get involved.
Art Studio
825 Grove Road
Suite 14
Midlothian, Virginia 23114
info@artforthejourney.org
804-351-8150
Tax ID: 46-5572928
Status: 501(c)3