Guest Profile

Tina Marie Ferguson

Tina is the founder, owner and head teacher of the award-winning senior art education company, Artsy Smartsy, the largest for profit senior art provider in both Arizona and Minnesota, bringing monthly art classes in ALL art mediums to seniors of all ages and abilities.  She is also the Executive Director of HeARTsy, a 502.c3 non-profit, which brings FREE art classes to low-income seniors and developmentally disabled adults.  Tina was the recipient of the 2019 'Phoenix Mayor's art award' and the 2018 Mesa Maker fest 'Social Impact Award' for her creative work with underserved populations in Arizona.

 

Artsy Smartsy began in Minnesota 12+ years ago and pre-COVID served over 500 seniors in Minnesota & Phoenix assisted living, memory care, veteran's homes, group homes, Parkinson's day programs, etc.  Half of her students suffer from Parkinson's and Dementia.

 

HeARTsy began in 2018 and has triped its reach to underserved populations in 2021!  HeARTsy art classes were developed when multiple low income underserved groups would reach out asking for art classes through Artsy Smartsy but they didn't have a budget for these high quality classes.  These were the groups that Tina believed needed the therapeutic health and social benefits of art classes the most.  HeARTsy is mostly grant funded but is also blessed with thousands of private donations from the community as well.