"We invite people to move, make, write and play
- awakening creativity and connection."
The Expressive Arts
Collaborative
where mindfulness meets creativity
About
In an effort to bring Expressive Arts to as many hearts as possible, The Expressive Arts Collaborative [tEACo] was founded in July 2025 by four alumni of the Salve Regina University Graduate Certificate Program in Expressive and Creative Arts: Jordan Banick, Roxanne DaLomba, Susan Garland and Leslie Grant.
Jordan Banick
Jordan has a background in politics and government and was a small business owner for many years. In 2017, she started The Womxn Project to advance reproductive freedom, including abortion access in Rhode Island. Through that art and activism organization, she saw the benefits of overlapping art and civic engagement. Wanting to develop a deeper understanding of this process, she was inspired to get her Advanced Graduate Certificate in the Expressive and Creative Arts from Salve Regina University. As a practitioner of the expressive arts, she develops workshops and educational programs that center individual self-discovery through the expressive arts and empower participants to take the next step either personally or professionally. She has created programs for the Alliance for Nonprofit Impact, the Womxn Project Education Fund, and the Swearer Center at Brown University. She currently facilitates a virtual hub that celebrates strides in civic engagement called The Victory of Running. Jordan has a B.A. in Political Science and Communications from the University of Washington, Seattle, and an M.B.A. from the University of Rhode Island.
Roxanne DaLomba
Roxanne DaLomba is a therapeutic expressive arts facilitator passionate about human connection, holistic living, and leading a playful, co-creative existence. Her work centers the intelligence of the mind-body-spirit-earth connection. She is endlessly curious about the Spirit that runs through all living things and believes in the healing and transformative power of being deeply seen. She is a spoken word poet and storyteller. As a facilitator, she holds space with care and reverence—inviting participants to explore their inner worlds through multi-modal creative expression, communing with nature, self-reflection, creative play and conscious connection with others. Her approach honors psychological safety, authentic expression, process over perfection, and the truth that each person is the expert of their own experience.Roxanne is a Certified Practitioner of Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP, Flourishing Center), Certified Life Coach (APPC), and Creative & Expressive Arts Facilitator, (CGS, Salve Regina University). She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two pups and takes great pride in walking alongside others in their journey of self-discovery, healing, and connection.
Leslie Grant
Leslie Grant has experience as a preschool teacher, elementary art educator, adult sewing instructor, women’s clothing boutique manager, personal stylist, and expressive arts facilitator. The common thread across these roles is her commitment to fostering agency and authenticity. She serves as the Outreach Coordinator at Pave Your Path, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women in achieving economic and emotional self-sufficiency. Additionally, she conducts expressive arts workshops for community organizations in the surrounding area.
A lifelong learner, Leslie thoughtfully integrates principles from neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness into her workshops. Her goal is to create a supportive environment that promotes calmness, encourages non-judgmental creativity, and facilitates exploration with curiosity and compassion. Her workshops are centered around themes such as gratitude, self-awareness, and self-acceptance. She strives to cultivate a safe and welcoming atmosphere, introduce fundamental mindfulness practices, and utilize creative activities for self-discovery. Her primary modalities include drawing, painting, collage, clay work, fiber arts.
Leslie holds a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, a Certificate of Graduate Studies in Expressive Arts from Salve Regina University, and has completed 8-week programs in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy at Brown University.
Susan Garland
Susan Garland is a visual artist, educator, and expressive arts facilitator with nearly three decades of experience teaching across all grade levels in Providence Public Schools. A lifelong creative with a deep and early curiosity about the body as both messenger and muse, Sue’s work lives at the crossroads of art, embodiment, and healing. Living in a marginalized body has shaped her perspective and deepened her commitment to body-trust, presence, and honoring diverse expressions of wholeness. Her journey with Biodanza—a practice of movement, music, and human connection—opened the path to her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Expressive and Creative Arts at Salve Regina University. There, she deepened her exploration of multi-modal, somatic, and spiritual practices that center the sensing body and awaken authentic expression. Sue has received certification as a Biodanza facilitator (expected July 2025) and is developing a private practice offering sensual, multi-modal arts sessions that invite body trust, emotional release, and presence. She has founded the an Expressive Arts Collaborative with fellow Salve graduates to offer inclusive, liberatory, arts-based experiences to the broader community. Along with her CAGS, Sue holds a BA in Studio Art, a BS in Art Education, and an MA in Art with a concentration in Art Education.
Calendar
November 9, 2025
"Imagining Beyond the Moment: Collaging for the Future"
Now or Never Hobby Hub + Social Club, Providence, RI
Please follow us on Eventbrite for additional upcoming events.
tEACo’s mission is to develop and deliver meaningful, process-oriented, multi-modal programs that incorporate movement, sound, writing, visual arts, theatre arts, and reflective sharing to promote social-emotional learning, well-being, community engagement, and development.
Inspired by the regenerative benefits of authentic creative expression, we set out to make expressive arts available to as many audiences as possible. We are dedicated to fostering a non-discriminatory, inclusive, and safe environment that encourages self-discovery and personal growth through experiential learning, play, creativity, and cultural exchange. Our team’s extensive training and diverse backgrounds support us in creating evidence-based curricula tailored to meet participants where they are and provide tools that support both individual growth and community contribution.We offer services with individuals 1:1, in group workshops, retreats, and are also available for corporate and non-profit trainings, and speaking engagements. Most offerings can be experienced both in person and virtually.
Contact
Please reach out for any interest in collaborations,
and to learn of our upcoming events.