Canvas of the Heart is the podcast of Art Heals Arizona, where we explore what it actually looks like when art changes a life.
Each episode, we go inside the work — talking with the artists, mentors, staff, volunteers, and community members who show up for children who've experienced trauma. Not just to describe the mission, but also to tell the stories that live inside it.
Art Heals Arizona connects children with caring adults and creative experiences that build resilience, identity, and the belief that they can make something. We've been doing this work for over 30 years, across Phoenix, Tucson, and beyond.
If you're new here, welcome. If you've been with us a while, you already know — art heals.
In this week's episode, host Matt sits down with staff member Marisa — Executive Project Manager and Board Liasion at Art Heals Arizona — to talk about the years-long, behind-the-scenes work of building an organization where everyone has what they need to thrive.
They dig into what it really means to foster belonging, how staff and volunteers are learning with the communities they serve, and why doing that work out loud — mistakes and all — matters more than waiting until everything is perfect.
This is a conversation about people caring for people. About building a culture rooted in respect, honest dialogue, and values that show up not just in a mission statement — but in the day-to-day.
If you've ever wanted to pull back the curtain on how a mission-driven nonprofit shapes its culture from the inside out, this one's for you.
12 May 2026
Stronger Than You Think - An Interview with Sherry Hamby
What if everything we thought we knew about resilience was only part of the story?
In this episode of Canvas of the Heart, host Matt Sandoval sits down with Dr. Sherry Hamby — distinguished research professor, clinical psychologist, and author of the forthcoming book Stronger Than You Think (May 26, 2026) — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to heal from trauma and adversity.
Dr. Hamby shares how her work in rural Appalachia, on the San Carlos Apache reservation, and with survivors of domestic violence taught her that the people our systems most often underestimate are frequently the ones working hardest to find a way forward. Drawing on decades of research, she walks us through the resilience portfolio model — a framework built around four domains of strength: meaning making, regulatory skills, interpersonal relationships, and physical environment — and explains why real healing rarely looks like toughing it out alone.
Together, Matt and Dr. Hamby explore the concept of poly-victimization (why cumulative trauma exposure matters more than any single event), why creative expression belongs at the center of trauma recovery rather than on its margins, and what "trauma-informed care" actually requires of organizations that claim it.
This conversation touches the heart of what Art Heals Arizona does every day — meeting people where they are, building on what they already bring, and trusting that a good life is possible.
Topics covered: Resilience portfolio model · Deficit lens vs. strengths-based approaches · Poly-victimization and cumulative trauma · Art, music, and creative expression as healing tools · Trauma-informed vs. healing-centered systems · Institutional betrayal · Access to healing outside formal services
Connect with Dr. Hamby: Life Paths Research Center or her Book: Stronger Than You Think — available May 26, 2026
Sherry Hamby's website: https://lifepathsresearch.org/
Substack: https://substack.com/@sherryhamby
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-hamby/
11 Mar 2026
Art Heals Arizona!
For 30 years, we've put the words "abused children" on our letterhead, our emails, our collateral — including the materials our own participants could see.
This episode of Canvas of the Heart is about why that had to change.
Board President Coree Neumeyer joins Matt to talk about the rebrand from Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona to Art Heals Arizona — and why now was the time.
But there's a moment in this conversation that stopped us cold. Coree was prepping for the podcast, and her son — unprompted, no context — said the first thing that came to his mind:
"The name probably doesn't make the children feel very good."
That's it. That's the whole argument. A kid said in ten seconds what took us years to fully act on.
Same mission. 7,000 children a year. 300+ volunteers. A name that finally tells the truth.
#ArtHealsAz #NonprofitLeadership #CanvasOfTheHeart #Rebrand
About the Show
Canvas of the Heart is the podcast of Art Heals Arizona, where we explore what it actually looks like when art changes a life.
Hosted by CEO, Matt Sandoval, each episode goes inside the work — talking with the artists, mentors, staff, volunteers, and community members who show up for children who've experienced more than their share of heartbreak. We talk about the mission and tell the stories that live inside it.
Art Heals Arizona connects children with caring adult mentors and creative experiences that build resilience, identity, and the belief that they can make something. We've been doing this work for over 30 years, across Phoenix, Tucson, and throughout Arizona.
If you're new here, welcome. If you've been with us a while, you already know — art heals.
Find us at arthealsaz.org and follow us @arthealsaz.
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
58
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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