Mountain Ambulance Service dba Art for the Heart

In 1982, with partner Alan Siegel, Jean Nichols helped start Mountain Ambulance Service, to serve the rural communities of the Peñasco area. When the county took over 911 calls, she continued the health related work with ongoing community projects including Art for the Heart, dedicated to fostering health through creativity.

For the past 13 years, Nichols has been Project Coordinator of Art for the Heart, developing a weekly women’s art and support group, free community classes, after-school programs, workshops in traditional arts, summer youth programs, and gallery for local artists to display and sell their work.

Born and raised in rural New England, Nichols attended Goddard College in Vermont, studying philosophy and art. She left school in 1965 to travel throughout North and Central America to take photographs and do freelance work.

In 1968, Nichols came to Northern New Mexico and fell in love the area. In 1969, she settled in Llano and put down long-term roots. During the early years she worked as an adobe plasterer and stained-glass artist. She has worked in many artistic mediums including costumes, doll-making, fiber arts, folk art, graphic design, photography, pottery, recycled art, sculpture, stained glass, watercolors, and more.

Nichols serves as a resource and volunteer for many community projects. She helped build a ReUse Center out of shredded paper bales at the Chamisal Transfer Station. When the economic downturn affected art sales, Nichols started the innovative UpCycled Fashion, a project to turn old and discarded clothes into new fashions.

Art for the Heart’s mission is to foster health through creativity. The gallery/studio offers art and creativity classes, workshops, and community collaborations; gallery and website sales of local artists’ work; a women’s group; summer youth projects; and has initiated a cottage industry turning discarded clothing into new fashions.