Artist Roster

Tina Riley is a community-taught artist and maker who creates healing-centered creative experiences that guide people back to themselves. She is also a professional Teaching Artist and Mindfulness Creativity Guide with over 35 years of experience across mixed media, storytelling, drama, and community-based arts education. She is the founder of Tina Riley IMAGINariums, a creative platform rooted in the belief that art is a powerful tool for healing, self-discovery, and connection.

Tina’s work is deeply informed by her lived experience, including a transformative period of physical recovery that led her to develop restART™, an intuitive creative practice grounded in imperfection, accessibility, and emotional expression. Through layered mixed media, symbolic imagery, and text, her artwork explores the human capacity to transform pain into beauty, inviting viewers into intimate and reflective visual narratives.

As a teaching artist, Tina designs and facilitates inclusive, process-based experiences for youth, adults, and older populations. Her signature offerings-including heART Journaling, mindfulness-based art, and intuitive making-encourage participants of all skill levels to engage creativity as a wellness practice. She creates supportive, trauma-informed environments that center self-compassion, play, and personal exploration.

Through IMAGINariums, Tina partners with community organizations, schools, and healing-centered institutions to expand access to the arts. Her work bridges traditional art-making with non-clinical therapeutic approaches, supporting individuals navigating stress, trauma, health challenges, and life transitions.

Tina has collaborated with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, Delaware Art Museum’s Healing Through the Arts program, Kent County Parks & Recreation and the Delaware Mental Health Association. Tina has also contributed to community initiatives supporting youth, families, and individuals with disabilities. Her approach integrates artistic practice with mindfulness, accessibility, and a deep commitment to cultivating creative self-love.

Whether in the studio, classroom, or community space, Tina Riley invites people to reconnect with their innate creativity thereby affirming art as a ritual for healing, empowerment, and joy.

Tina Riley offers Creative Aging programs designed as 8-week sequential learning experiences that support skill-building, personal expression, and meaningful social connection through the arts. Rooted in her healing-centered approach, Tina integrates mindfulness, creativity, and self-reflection to engage older adults in art as a practice of self-care and self-love.

Each series begins with foundational skills and accessible techniques, gently introducing participants to materials, creative processes, and reflective practices. Over the course of the program, sessions build progressively, allowing participants to deepen their confidence, expand their creative voice, and develop a personalized body of work.

Tina’s teaching is trauma-informed, participant-centered, and adaptable, ensuring accessibility for individuals of all abilities, including those with limited mobility or no prior art experience. Through guided exploration, storytelling, and creative ritual, participants are encouraged to move at their own pace while engaging in a supportive community environment.

The program culminates in a community-sharing experience or informal exhibition, where participants have the opportunity to celebrate their creative journeys, share their work, and connect with others. This final gathering reinforces a sense of accomplishment, visibility, and belonging.

Through this structured yet nurturing approach, Tina empowers older adults to experience creativity not only as skill-building, but as an ongoing practice of reflection, resilience, and joy.

Stories of the Sages

Storytelling, Poetry & Personal Expression

This interactive series invites participants to explore personal storytelling through voice, movement, and written expression. Beginning with foundational exercises in creative play, voice exploration, and simple storytelling techniques, participants gradually build confidence in sharing their stories. As the weeks progress, sessions introduce guided poetry writing, narrative development, and expressive performance techniques, all adapted for comfort and accessibility. Emphasis is placed on memory, imagination, and personal voice rather than performance perfection. The series culminates in a supportive group sharing or informal performance, where participants may present a poem, short story, or dramatic reading, celebrating their lived experiences and creative expression.

Cut, Create & Connect

Paper Crafting & Card Making for Connection

In this hands-on series, participants learn a variety of paper crafting and card-making techniques while creating meaningful, handcrafted pieces for themselves and others. Beginning with foundational skills such as cutting, layering, and composition, participants are introduced to tools and materials in an accessible and engaging way. Each week builds on previous techniques, incorporating elements such as collage, stamping, embellishment, and creative lettering, while encouraging personal storytelling through design. Participants explore how handmade cards can serve as expressions of care, gratitude, and connection. The series concludes with a collection of finished cards and a community-sharing experience, where participants reflect on their creative process and the joy of giving and receiving handmade art.

Joyful Junk Journals

Mixed Media Art Journaling for Self-Expression

This series introduces participants to the expressive and playful practice of creating handmade art journals using mixed media techniques. Beginning with foundational skills such as page preparation, material exploration, and simple composition, participants learn how to transform every-day and found materials into meaningful art. Over time, sessions build into more layered techniques, including collage, mark-making, text integration, and intuitive design, encouraging participants to develop their own visual language. Emphasis is placed on process over perfection, allowing space for experimentation, reflection, and personal storytelling. Participants create a series of journal spreads that reflect their thoughts, memories, and creative discoveries. The program culminates in a community showcase or reflective sharing, honoring each participant’s unique journey and body of work.