Free music & art therapy · Northwest Arkansas

Every child deserves a place to find their voice.

Heartstrings offers free music and art therapy, mentorship, and meaningful work to children facing hardship, abuse, or neglect, or who are in foster care. Here they are seen, supported, and free to create.

Get involved Refer a child

Serving children & teens ages 5–20 across Northwest Arkansas, always free.

A girl learning to play guitar beside an encouraging mentor in a warm, sunlit room

When a child makes something that is truly theirs, they begin to see their own worth.

Too many children grow up without safe spaces to process what they've lived through. We meet them where they are, with consistent, caring relationships and the chance to make something that's truly their own.

What we offer

Four pillars of healing and growth, all free, for children and teens ages 5 to 20.

A child's hands learning to play an upright piano

Music and Voice

Piano, guitar, voice, drums, rhythm, and songwriting.

A boy painting with watercolors at a wooden table

Visual Art and Creativity

Painting, drawing, ceramics, and mixed media.

A teenager learning to make coffee at an espresso machine

Life Skills

Barista training, baking, woodworking, and job skills for ages 16+.

A group of children of mixed ages working with clay and papier-mache masks around a messy art table, with an adult volunteer working alongside them

Mentorship & Community

One-on-one relationships and a community that shows up.

A bright studio room where an adult plays guitar with a child listening nearby, and another adult sits beside a girl painting at a standing easel

What a visit feels like

A calm, welcoming place

A Heartstrings session is unhurried. Children arrive to a calm, welcoming space, are greeted by name, and choose their own creative path, some at the piano, others with a brush.

What they share is the experience of being seen, supported, and free to explore without judgment.

The historic Rabbit Foot Lodge in Springdale, Arkansas

Our home

A place to call home

We have the opportunity to make our home in the historic Rabbit Foot Lodge in Springdale, a warm and welcoming space with room for music studios, art rooms, a teaching kitchen, and gathering places.

A place where children and families can feel at home.

How a child participates

Children are welcomed through trusted referrals. Any safe adult, like a counselor, teacher, foster parent, or relative, can refer a child to see if they qualify.

Who we serve

There's a place for you here.

Volunteer your time, give to fund free programs, or refer a child who needs a safe place to land.

Volunteer Give Refer a child