Lori Vafiades is a “Healing Arts Visionary.” Known for her warm, inclusive approach, Lori’s dedication lies in creating transformative experiences that use art to support healing and connection. With a BA in Cross-Cultural Communications and over nine years as the Arts Pastor at The Sanctuary Church, Lori brings a unique blend of creative talent and spiritual insight to each project she undertakes.

Lori is a versatile art instructor, teaching for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ Institute for Human Resilience, where she works with faculty and staff, and through Sanctuary Studios, a vibrant local community she leads, dedicated to supporting and encouraging artists. Her influence extends internationally, having taught and ministered across Mexico, Canada, India, South Africa, Israel, and Germany. As a published illustrator, Lori’s work has reached over 11,000 readers through the children’s book Here I Am the One You Love, and her art graces homes, businesses, and government buildings worldwide.

Beyond art, Lori’s background in recovery has deep roots—her parents directed three of the largest Salvation Army recovery centers in the U.S., inspiring her lifelong passion for community support. Lori and her husband have engaged in recovery classes together, a journey that now enriches her own work as she leads healing art sessions for the recovery community at The Sanctuary Church.

Through her e-commerce business, Lori Vafiades Studios, Lori shares her work with a global audience, while locally, her curriculum, such as the Sanctuary Healing Art Prayer Encounter (SHAPE), guides individuals in a powerful, art-centered healing journey. With credentials in ministry, activity direction, geriatric and adult education, and early childhood education, Lori’s multifaceted approach has made her a trusted guide for both beginners and advanced artists, as well as a catalyst for personal transformation through faith-centered, creative practice.