Friends Life Community
Visual Arts Empowerment Specialist
Friends Life Community
Job Summary
Embark on a Journey of Empowerment with Friends Life Community!
At Friends Life Community, we believe in the boundless potential of every individual, with and without disabilities. We are on a mission to create opportunities that empower adults with intellectual disabilities to discover their unique talents and find their place within the community and the world. Together, we are building a more fulfilling life for our Friends and bringing peace of mind to their families.
Our Core Values: Belonging, Self-Advocacy, and Innovation
At the heart of our organization lies a commitment to our core values:
Belonging: We believe that everyone deserves to be seen, respected, and celebrated for their unique qualities. We create an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone is excited to be a part of the community.
Self-Advocacy: We empower the Friends to know their rights and responsibilities, encouraging them to use their voice to advocate for themselves in a proactive and engaged manner.
Innovation: We never settle for the status quo. Committed to constant evolution, we continuously improve our programming and methods to provide better opportunities, education, employment, and quality of life for the IDD community.
Your Purpose: Visual Arts Empowerment Specialist
As a Visual Arts Empowerment Specialist, you will be a driving force in shaping the transformative impact of our visual arts program and classes. Your mission is to actively foster self-expression, storytelling, and community connection through visual arts, empowering our clients to find their voice and contribute meaningfully to the community. Successful candidates will embody enthusiasm, creativity, and a person-driven commitment to overcoming challenges, ensuring that each client’s artistic journey is a source of pride and accomplishment.
Job Responsibilities
Expectations:
We expect you to infuse creativity into program implementation, demonstrating a passion for visual arts, effective communication, and strong organizational skills. Your collaboration with team members and volunteers will result in clients experiencing the joy of artistic expression, increased community engagement, and the promotion of Friends Life Community as a hub for artistic inclusivity. A successful Visual Arts Empowerment Specialist will also actively advocate for clients in the local and regional art world, using connections with galleries and other artists to secure exhibition opportunities that display and highlight the Friends’ pieces, elevating them as professional artists with the sophistication and recognition they deserve.
Duties and Responsibilities: Visual Arts Program Support:
- Create and develop content and curriculum that maximize individual and group outcomes in visual arts.
- Infuse curriculum with guided artistic innovation to teach self-expression and build confidence
- Maximize collaboration with coworkers and volunteers to orchestrate classes that engage and produce final products that participants are proud to showcase.
- Demonstrate best practices, inclusion, empathy, communication, and relationship-building with clients.
- Create legacy projects with clients that spark activism and drive change.
- Support clients using a variety of visual art mediums to connect with the larger community and break through social barriers that lead to greater inclusion and equity.
Community Collaboration:
- Represent FLC as a visual arts expert, increasing positive awareness of our mission and brand.
- Integrate opportunities for clients to actively participate in community art activities, fostering a deeper understanding of the value of inclusivity.
- Promote Friends Life Community as leaders in the intersection of visual arts and disability services.
Event Support:
- Showcase client artwork and support staff and clients at events to increase community engagement.
- Collaborate on program-wide evening/weekend activities, ensuring the success of events such as Social Club Events, Friends’ Treat Truck events, Dinner Club, etc.
- Work closely with team members to advertise, execute, and meet event objectives with a focus on visual arts.
Planning and Implementation:
- Support each client by understanding individual goals and reporting progress on artistic expression goals.
- Provide individualized adaptations to meet artistic goals, ensuring a personalized approach to each client’s journey.
- Create and implement action plans for visual arts classes, groups, and individualized coaching.
- Build support systems around individuals to sustain success in the visual arts program and beyond.
Other Duties:
- Support overall program goals and collaborate with team members to achieve organizational objectives.
- Fulfill organizational policies and procedures with a commitment to excellence in service delivery.
- Transport clients in company-owned vehicles, fostering a sense of community and inclusion.
- Mentor and coach co-workers and volunteers, embodying a positive attitude and commitment to professional program implementation.
- All duties assigned by the supervisor.
Qualifications
- Alignment with the organization’s mission and the ability to share the FLC brand script with passion.
- Experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is preferred but not required.
- Proven ability to teach and inspire artistic growth.
- Enthusiasm for guiding and motivating others towards increased confidence and expression using the visual arts.
- Bachelor’s degree in a visual arts-related field or equivalent work experience preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to teach visual arts skills.
- Ability to give direction and feedback to others for successful program goals.
- Commitment to learning and receiving feedback.
- Demonstration of core values: belonging, self-advocacy, and innovation.
- Ability to execute visual arts programming and projects with a team.
- Active demonstration of professionalism and good judgment throughout all work.
- Flexibility and adaptability to support daily activities and benefit the organization.
- Bi-lingual in English and Spanish preferred
- Experience and passion for creating original works of art, with a keen understanding of storytelling through visual arts.
- Understand and demonstrate policies procedures, and safety protocols, and maintain CPR and First Aid certification.
Additional Information
Benefits
Working Conditions:
This position, whether full- or part-time, is the heart of our mission, requiring your presence onsite to directly engage with and empower our clients. Transportation in company-owned vehicles is essential, and participation in training, events, and other activities beyond regular program hours may be required. Your dedication to visual arts empowerment will contribute significantly to the positive transformation of our participants and their families.
This is a person-centered position, working directly with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The position requires moderate physical activity to conduct programming, including lifting up to 50 lbs and remaining on your feet for 3+ hours at a time.
The physical and mental requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Friends Life Community focuses on safe work environments by using best practices with participants. All employees must be willing and able to use de-escalation techniques, positive behavior supports, and redirection to ensure that all management styles support a safe environment where clients can continue learning.
We work to create a supportive environment and team that encourages self-care and collaboration to sustain the level of energy required to provide transformative programming.
Compensation Package
This full- or part-time position offers a starting rate of $18-$22/hour, dependent on experience and qualifications.
Full-time benefits include:
- Medical (lowest premium option is 80% employer paid)
- Dental/Vision (50% employer paid)
- Life ADD (employer paid)
- Simple IRA (3% employer match)
- PTO and Sick Leave accrual
- 18 paid holidays (including two five-day summer and winter breaks that are left to the discretion of our Board of Directors)
How to Apply
Join Our Inclusive and Empowering Community!
At Friends Life Community, we are dedicated to fostering a culture of belonging, self-advocacy, and innovation. If you are ready to be a part of a team that brings joy and fulfillment to the Friends and their families, we invite you to join our journey of inclusion and empowerment. Together, let’s make a positive impact in the lives of our Friends and the community!
Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and 2-3 references to admin@friendslife.org. Position open until filled
Details
- Date Posted: February 7, 2024
- Type: Full-Time
- Job Function: Programs and Service Delivery
- Service Area: Arts / Culture
- Salary Range: $18-$22/hr
- Working Hours: 20hrs/wk part-time, 40hrs/wk full-time; occasional nights and weekends required