Our Story
ArtWell was founded in Philadelphia in 2007 to inspire artistic expression and spiritual connection as pathways to healing and wellness. In 2020, we expanded to New Jersey, deepening our commitment to serving children, families, and communities of all backgrounds through accessible arts education and creative movement.
Our New Jersey programs have included a local dance and art studio, homeschooling support, summer camps, and community-based learning experiences designed to nurture creativity, confidence, and connection.
Today, in 2026, ArtWell is answering an urgent call. Across New Jersey, arts funding has declined, equity and inclusion initiatives have been dismantled, and the mental health crisis continues to grow—leaving children, youth, and adults with fewer healthy outlets for expression and healing.
ArtWell exists to fill that gap. Through arts and movement, we create spaces where individuals can experience freedom, self-expression, emotional wellness, and growth—especially in the communities where it is needed most.
Our Leadership Team
ArtWell is led by husband and wife partners who share a deep love for the arts, education, and community healing. With backgrounds in both performing and teaching, we bring our creativity, experience, and unique personalities together to guide ArtWell with intention and care.
For us, this organization is more than a nonprofit—it is our ministry. It is the space where our passion for artistic expression, movement, and service meets our desire to support others in meaningful and lasting ways.
We live in New Jersey with our three sons, ages 9 months, 9 years, and 12 years old. Becoming parents has only strengthened our commitment to creating environments where children and families can feel safe to express themselves, grow, and thrive.
Our own life experiences—including the challenges and pain we encountered growing up—have shaped our belief in the transformative power of the arts. Movement, creativity, and expression became tools for healing when we needed them most, and they remain central to everything we do today.
Through ArtWell, we look forward to sharing artistic practices that help the next generation experience freedom, build resilience, and avoid the lasting effects of trauma and emotional harm. Our hope is to create spaces where healing feels possible, creativity feels accessible, and every individual feels seen.
Adquil Lee
Adquil K. Lee is a teaching artist, choreographer, and movement educator with over two decades of experience using dance and movement as tools for creative expression, healing, and holistic wellness. With professional training across a wide range of disciplines—including modern, hip hop, house, ballet, jazz, breaking, new style hustle, capoeira, acrobatics, and gymnastics—Adquil brings a multidisciplinary and culturally grounded approach to movement education that supports both artistic excellence and whole-person development.
In addition to his professional work in schools and community settings, Adquil is an active member of the dance team at his church, where movement is used as a form of worship, storytelling, and ministry. He believes that dance is a God-created expression—one rooted in deliverance, healing, and freedom—and that movement has the power to restore the spirit, soul and body. This spiritual foundation deeply informs his approach to teaching, choreography, and community work, guiding him to create spaces where individuals feel safe, uplifted, and renewed through movement.
As a co-director of the nonprofit, Adquil plays a key role in shaping programs that unite arts, wellness, and community empowerment. His vision is rooted in the belief that creative movement can support mental health, emotional healing, physical well-being, and positive life outcomes—especially for youth, families, and underserved communities. The organization’s programming reflects his commitment to accessible arts education, culturally responsive teaching, trauma-aware practices, and community-based healing through creative expression.
Through workshops, classes, performances, and outreach initiatives, Adquil seeks to expand access to high-quality arts and wellness programming while nurturing environments where creativity, discipline, health, and self-worth can flourish. His long-term mission is to inspire individuals to recognize their bodies as sources of strength, expression, and resilience—and to help build communities where the arts are not a luxury, but an essential pathway to healing, empowerment, and collective growth.
Esther Wilson Lee
Esther Wilson Lee was born to perform. She began dancing at the age of three and quickly found her place on stage, performing regularly in a children’s musical theater company by the time she was seven. At thirteen, she was accepted into Philadelphia’s renowned High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), where she pursued a double major in Theater and Dance.
After graduating, Esther continued her studies at Montclair State University, focusing on both theater and dance. While still a student, she began teaching musical theater, ballet, and jazz at a private studio just outside of Manhattan—marking the start of her journey as both an artist and educator.
Her professional career includes work with The Walt Disney Corporation, regular performances in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and appearances in print and television advertising campaigns throughout the Philadelphia region.
Esther’s passion for the creative and performing arts is driven by a deep belief in their power to heal, inspire, and transform lives. In 2020, she launched a nonprofit creative arts studio in her community, laying the foundation for what would become ArtWell. Through this work, she integrates performance, education, and service—viewing the organization as both her calling and her ministry.
In addition to her work in education and nonprofit leadership, Esther is also a recording artist. She began recording professionally in 2020 and released original music across Pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop genres, collaborating with respected producers and artists. Her work has been featured at community events, live venues across New Jersey, and on regional radio platforms.
Today, Esther continues to lead ArtWell alongside her husband while raising their three sons in New Jersey. Her work is rooted in a commitment to helping the next generation experience freedom, creativity, and healing through the arts—offering pathways she wishes had been more accessible in her own early life.
Our Programs Include
Dance Classes & Workshops
We offer a variety of custom-designed dance classes and workshops that respond to the unique needs of each community. Our programs create space for self-expression, connection, and healing through movement—welcoming participants of all ages and experience levels.
Music & Storytelling Groups
Music and storytelling have long been powerful tools for connection and cultural preservation. Our groups use these art forms to bring communities together, honor shared traditions, and spark creativity while supporting emotional expression and collective healing.
Local Events & Community Celebrations
ArtWell partners with organizations, schools, and community groups to design one-time events or ongoing series that integrate arts awareness, movement, and healing into your space. Each experience is thoughtfully tailored to support connection, joy, and well-being within your community.