- December 11, 2025
The arts are for everyone.
It's that mentality that led Sara Meinking and two Volusia County artists to join the board of Arts4All Florida, a nonprofit that provides and supports arts education and culture programs for, and by, people with disabilities. Their involvement with the organization will help bring Arts4All programs and initiatives to Volusia and Flagler counties, which the statewide nonprofit has not yet been able to serve.
Meinking, who owns Sea Dreams by Sara in Ormond Beach, said she looks forward to enacting the nonprofit's mission in the community. She's joined on the board by Nancy Lowden Norma, of New Smyrna Beach, and Heather Wolynic, of Port Orange.
"I'm excited about being that presence for Arts4All and being able to set up some programs where the artists and trainees can go into the schools," Meinking said.
Arts4All was established over 40 years ago and is headquartered at the University of South Florida in Tampa. The nonprofit offers camps, community art classes and art exhibits, as well as music and performance programs.
In 2024, the nonprofit served 21,452 people from 52 counties through 223 in-person and virtual programs, according to the nonprofit's annual report. A total of 66 teaching artists were hired for the programs, at an economic impact of $139,700 in the state.
Meinking heard about Arts4All through a friend who thought she'd be interested in the nonprofit due to her professional background in music therapy. Prior to opening her art gift shop, Meinking specialized in music therapy in geriatric care.
Growing up, her father also had multiple sclerosis. Their family, she said, often utilized some of the resources offered by the Multiple Sclerosis Association, and these helped make life easier and allowed them to have fun experiences.
"When we were little kids, I remember going to these day camps with our dad where we learned how to play games outside with him that helped his range of motion, and those types of things, that were still fun for us as kids," Meinking said. "So when I heard about this position in this organization, I just hit so many different facets of my life."
Additionally, it was a way to help strengthen the accessibility for art programs in the area.
Meinking hopes to host some classes and exhibits at Sea Dreams for Sara in the near future. She also wants to raise community awareness of the nonprofit and help fundraise.
"We have a good, strong art scene over here, so we need to be capitalizing on that — whether it's here, whether it's down in New Smyrna or wherever," Meinking said. "...It could just bring so much benefit."
The arts give students another modality to funnel their emotions, she said. Arts4All can help provide resources and trainings to local schools and service organizations to offer these hands-on opportunities.
"I think sometimes the public hears the stigma of an artist with a disability, and the expectation of the product that they produce is different," Meinking said. "I think they would be surprised ... There's just different ways of tapping into those talents and I think that's what's important: to celebrate those talents that they have."
