Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona is changing its name to Art Heals Arizona this February. The announcement will come on Feb. 21 at the nonprofit’s Blooming in Hope Soiree at the office, located at 352 E. Camelback Road. The new name is designed to better align with its mission and help connect better with the community and supporters.
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“We’ve discussed a potential name change for a while now,” said Matt Sandoval, Chief Executive Officer of Art Heals Arizona, formerly Free Arts. “The change serves several purposes, including making it clearer what our organization does and focusing on healing and the return to well-being instead of giving space to adverse experiences.”
The name change has been a year in the making. Originally approved in February 2025, the organization has been working behind the scenes to prepare for the roll out. According to Sandoval, the name change addresses several concerns that have come up in recent years, including the need to remove stigmatized language from the branding. Former volunteers and participants have expressed concern with the term “abused children” being a focus in the organization name. Removing it from the name allows for the name of the organization to focus on the solution – healing through art.
Other reasons for the change include clarity in communicating with potential participants, community partners, and donors, making it immediately clear that the organization is there to help heal the community, and to assist in marketing outreach efforts.
The event will take place Feb. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the building, located at 352 E. Camelback Road. Tickets to the event are $200 each and can be purchased online at www.freeartsaz.org.
