Creating Connection Through Art: A Vision for Healing

Brookfield Living Magazine - August 2026 

By: Jennifer Moran, Marketing and Communications Director at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts 

For Stephanie Engle, art is more than creativity—it is connection, healing, and belonging. 

A licensed social worker and community advocate, Engle first discovered the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts as a parent. After enrolling her daughter in the Wilson Center's summer camps, she quickly noticed something special. 

"She was thriving here," Engle recalls. "There was no tension in her body. She was very relaxed, and the experience built her skills, her confidence, and gave her a sense of peace." 

That positive experience sparked a conversation that would grow into something much larger. 

While speaking with Wilson Center Education Manager, Erica Wilkinson, Engle began exploring how the arts could serve not only children, but also families facing some of life's most difficult challenges. Together, they envisioned a program that would use creativity as a vehicle for compassion and support. 

The result is Art for a Cause, a free monthly workshop series offered through a partnership between the Wilson Center and the Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services. 

Held on the second Wednesday of each month, Art for a Cause welcomes adults of all artistic abilities to create meaningful projects that are later shared with families affected by substance use and substance-related loss. Participants make watercolor cards, remembrance pieces, and other handmade works that offer comfort, support, and hope. 

"What makes it so beautiful is that people come together in this class, and the art that is created here is given to families in our community who have gone through a traumatic loss," says Engle. "We want them to feel that they have the support of the community behind them." 

For Engle, the program addresses an important need. Families affected by substance-related loss often experience isolation and stigma. Art for a Cause creates visible expressions of community care while also helping participants better understand the realities of substance use and prevention. 

The program reflects what Engle believes makes the Wilson Center unique. 

"When you walk into this building, even when you get on the campus, you're overcome with a sense of tranquility," she says. "It's very relaxing. Everything that happens here is cultivated in that sense of connection and belonging." 

That belief is rooted in her professional experience. Working with individuals who have experienced trauma, Engle understands that healing doesn't always begin with words. 

"When people experience profound trauma, it can be difficult to express what they're feeling," she explains. "Part of the arts experience is that there are often no words. It meets people naturally wherever they are in their healing." 

Today, Art for a Cause continues to bring together creativity, compassion, and community. For Engle, it is a powerful example of what can happen when people come together with a shared purpose. 

"The Wilson Center helped take our vision and breathe life into it," she says. "It's a very special program, and we're incredibly grateful for the partnership." 

To learn more about Art for a Cause or to register for the free art class, visit www.wilson-center.com/art-for-a-cause