Meet Matt Sandoval of Central Phoenix, on Camelback

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Sandoval.

Matt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am one of the rare ones, a Phoenix native, with family going back another generation that were also born in Phoenix. This unique perspective enables me to observe how our city and state have evolved in numerous ways. For as long as I can remember, I have been inspired by individuals who dedicate their time to helping others. I have spent my career in the nonprofit sector, building teams, programs, and organizations that serve the community. For the past two years, I have served as the CEO of Free Arts Arizona, which is dedicated to “transforming children’s trauma to resilience through the arts.”

To maximize my impact, I have earned a master’s degree in education and social work, which I deploy daily in my work at Free Arts Arizona. Free Arts creates trauma-informed group mentoring opportunities for children, teens, and families in foster care, living in shelters, or residing in treatment centers. We approach this vulnerable group of people with a combination of empathy and expressive arts. Our formula is simple: We believe that “art + mentors = resilience.”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our challenge at Free Arts is providing access to programs to the over 10.900 children in foster care in Arizona. We also know that there are over 2,400 families experiencing homelessness, and that 1 in 4 families will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. When we meet those that we serve, we know that their immediate situation contains personal stories of adversity and trauma.

To meet the needs of participants, we train all mentors, artists, and staff to be trauma-informed. Our training emphasizes the reality of adversity and trauma while also grounding our work in what we call “treasure hunting”, which is a shared value started by Rick Miller and Kids at Hope. We recognize that all participants we encounter possess their own unique strengths, talents, and gifts. We develop our programs to take place where participants live, allowing everyone to proceed at their own pace. We will enable the art process to be a journey of fun, self-reflection, and connection to others.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Our work at Free Arts combines empathy, the expressive arts, and mentoring relationships to create a safe space for participants to discover their creative voice. The feedback we receive from participants indicates that we foster physical and interpersonal safety in ways that support self-expression, skill-building, and a sense of confidence and achievement in participating in the arts. Free Arts exists due to the donations of time and money of our fellow citizens. We serve over 6,000 people annually and have recently expanded our services to include Pima County, in addition to our existing programming in Maricopa County, where our story began.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
We have learned that vulnerable populations deserve healing-centered communities. Mentors, staff, and participants all have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts, which enables them to share stories of the human experience and offer perspectives on hope, joy, and resilience.

We have learned that art heals, just as relationships do. As we engage in the arts, we will discover our own truth, and group mentoring allows others to support our journey.

We have learned that with support from caring others, all participants can take the risk of hoping again and sharing their own gifts and talents with the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.freeartsaz.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freeartsaz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freeartsaz
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/free-arts-of-arizona/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeArtsofArizona

Image Credits
photo by Tolga Tuncay