healing Through creativity
We believe making art fosters self-reflection, autonomy, resilience, and healing.
Art and togetherness
We believe authentic human connection transcends barriers and disrupts the damaging impact of social isolation.
Belonging Through giving
We believe in the power of presence and positive attention to transform communities.
Discover Our Community
Who We Are
We are artists, educators, 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 nurture resilience and connection through the power of art and community engagement.
Because we believe art heals.
Art inspires the heart, rewires the brain, and invites vital connection with others.
What We Do
We train and mobilize 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.
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.
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.
Programs for Older adults
We address social isolation through an intergenerational, evidence-based program called Opening Minds through Art (OMA). Designed originally to reach people with dementia, the OMA methodology empowers people of all cognitive abilities to make independent, creative choices within a supportive relationship. We are one of four OMA Facilitator Training Centers worldwide.
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.
Join our community and make a positive difference in the lives of those in need
through art.
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
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
Facilitating strength-based programs
We believe creative expression can foster a sense of empowerment, dignity, and pride. Founded on research-based principles, we bring creative opportunities that guarantee success and discovery, and collect data to understand impact. It is not about what you can’t do, it’s about what you can!
Read what artists and volunteers have to say
Discover the impact of our services through testimonials.
Yeama
Volunteer
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.
Mary G. S.
Artist Participant
It’s amazing that when you’re no longer independent, you can still express yourself.
Heather
Volunteer
I was deeply moved by the community’s connections and creations. OMA is a thoughtfully crafted art program that benefits everyone involved.
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
Stephanie has dedicated her career to fostering connections through the fine arts. As an academically trained studio artist, she has commissioned art, exhibited artwork, and taught K-12art classes. As a creative community member, she has co-founded a community theater, worked at a local gallery, and developed and managed programs for local arts nonprofits.
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.
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.
Dianne Simons, OTD
OMA Lead Trainer
Dianne has a BA in art from Virginia Tech and began her career working in the development of instructional materials for nursing and medical education. She returned to school to earn a Masters degree in occupational therapy (OT) from VCU. She worked for twelve years in mental health OT in psychiatric, chemical dependency and juvenile correctional facilities. In all of these settings she used expressive arts to help clients identify and learn to address personal challenges in their lives.
She earned her PhD in instructional technology at UVA. She taught OT Theory, Activities, and Psychosocial courses, oversaw admissions and was the director of the Masters of OT and the OT Doctorate programs for 26 years. She retired in 2020. As a result of her role as a capstone advisor Dianne chose to train as an Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) facilitator and then later as a facilitator trainer.
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.
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