Meet Dominique Hughes

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dominique Hughes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dominique below.

Hi Dominique, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I found my purpose by watching the lives of both of my parents. My mother was a seamstress, and through her I learned the power of creativity. She could take simple fabric and transform it into something meaningful. She showed me that making is not just about beauty, it’s about resourcefulness, resilience, and leaving your touch on the world.

My father worked for the government for 45 years after serving in the Navy. He modeled discipline, responsibility, and balance, devoted to his faith in Jehovah God, to his work, and to his family. From him, I learned the value of integrity and what it means to commit your life to service with consistency and love.

Together, their lives gave me the blueprint: creativity with discipline, vision with faith, and service as the foundation. When I began to walk my own path in the arts, I knew my gift was not just for me. It was meant to serve others. In every classroom, senior center, corporate space, and youth program I step into, I see art awaken healing, connection, and joy. That is when I knew I had found my purpose.

That clarity is what led me to start my company, Zola Monroe Art Group. It carries my father’s mother name, Zola, his mother, and Monroe, his name, as a tribute to the legacy that grounds me.

Through ZMAG, I serve communities, corporations, seniors, and children with programs that build confidence, connection, and creativity.

My purpose is to use art as service, lifting others, building confidence, and creating spaces where people feel seen and valued. In serving others through my gift, I am also fulfilled, and that is how I know I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the Founder of Zola Monroe Art Group (ZMAG), and what sets our work apart is that we don’t do “average crafts.” Our programs are structured, therapeutic, and meaningful. With the expertise of licensed art therapists and teaching artists, participants aren’t just passing time, they are learning skills, building portfolios, and even exhibiting and selling their work in community shows. That visibility and recognition are powerful, especially for people who never thought of themselves as artists.

We focus on inclusion and bridging intergenerational gaps. Our workshops bring together seniors, youth, corporate teams, and communities that might never otherwise share space. The most exciting part for me is watching people who once felt incapable discover their own abilities, build confidence, and find peace of mind through creative expression.

Another special aspect is that ZMAG programs give people more than art, they provide therapy, healing, and connection. That’s why we’ve been able to grow into partnerships with bookstores, wine companies, and corporations for team-building and creative engagement. Whether it’s a senior painting for the first time, a youth experimenting with STEAM-aligned art, or a corporate team reconnecting through creativity, the results are the same: confidence, community, and inclusion.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The first quality that shaped me is resilience. In both art and business, things don’t always go as planned. I had to learn how to adapt, recover quickly, and keep building. My advice to anyone starting out is: don’t fear failure. Each setback is training for the next level.

The second is leadership through collaboration. My work is never just about me, it’s about engaging seniors, young people, companies, and whole communities. I had to learn how to listen, organize, and bring different voices together. For beginners, I’d say practice building relationships. Success is rarely a solo act.
The third is strategic thinking. Creativity is powerful, but to build a company and sustain an art practice, I had to understand planning, budgeting, and partnership-building. That knowledge turned ideas into programs and exhibitions that actually impact people. For those early on, learn the business side of your craft. It will give your work stability and reach.

Resilience, collaboration, and strategy, those three elements allowed me to grow from an individual artist into the founder of an organization making a wide community impact.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Absolutely. At Zola Monroe Art Group (ZMAG), collaboration is at the heart of what we do. We are always looking to work with organizations, companies, and individuals who value creativity, wellness, and community impact. That includes senior living communities, schools, libraries, nonprofits, cultural institutions, and corporations interested in meaningful team-building experiences.

I’m also excited about partnerships that stretch the arts into unexpected spaces, like bookstores, wine companies, wellness organizations, and local businesses that want to bring people together through creative engagement.

For anyone reading who wants to connect, the best way is through our website at www.zolamonroeart.com, where you’ll find more about our programs and a partnership inquiry form. I welcome collaborations that align with our mission: using art as service to inspire confidence, inclusion, and connection across generations and communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zolamonroeart.com
• Instagram: Zola Monroe Art Group
• Facebook: Zola Monroe Art Group
• Linkedin: Zola Monroe Art Group
• Twitter: Zola Monroe Art Group
• Youtube: Zola Monroe Art Group

Image Credits

Photographer: Blaze_shots