Community Facilitator – North Shore

Arts of Life, a 501C3 nonprofit, advances the creative arts community by providing artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities a collective space to expand their practice and strengthen their leadership. Founded in 2000, Arts of Life is realizing its vision of a professional, person-centric, artistic community that provides a work environment of equality. Today, we represent over 60 artists working in one of our two locations, in their homes, or through creative partnerships in the broader Metro-Chicago area.

The Opportunity

The Community Facilitator plays a critical role in the success of the Home & Community programs in the North Shore area by working directly with participating artists to ensure they are active members of Arts of Life and their local arts community. They support artists to develop independent art practice in their homes and increase their engagement in the broader arts community. This position is a steward in maintaining key partnerships and works with the programming team to develop and implement art programming. The Community Facilitator reports to their Community Program Manager and collaborates with AofL's program team.

The Role

• AofL Culture: Develop a strong sense of belonging that emphasizes radical vulnerability and candor and promotes transparency and collaboration throughout your program.
• Artist Leadership: Ensure artists are key contributors to your program’s development by providing leadership opportunities and including them in critical relationships and decisions.
• Personal Care Support: Assist artists of all genders who require personal care in the restroom, appropriately report any medical issues observed, and ensure that the bathroom(s) remain sanitary, organized, and inviting. Support artists who need assistance eating and ensure that food items are appropriate for each individual’s dietary needs.
• Artistic Mentorship: Facilitate art-making by assisting artists in accessing art supplies for their projects and developing and maintaining adaptive supplies as needed. Give artists technical assistance related to their practice and provide daily written documentation on the artists with which you work. Assist artists with social media and basic technical support.
• Community Programs: Support artists in the community by working with the programming team to develop a broad range of art-based programs. Develop and maintain records and documentation of programs according to both public and private contracts.
• In Home Supports: Provide one on one support to artists in their own homes to support their creative development and foster the establishment and advancement of an independent creative practice.
• Steward Partnerships: Initiate and nurture strong partner relationships with community-based artists, organizations, and businesses, especially in the North Shore area.
• Documentation and Reporting: Implement and oversee attendance tracking & billing in accordance with agency policies. Supervise the documentation of all artists’ activities in Therap, and provide detailed General Event Reports and T-Logs. Provide monthly attendance reports on all programming.
• Steward the model: Ensure that the community-based program uses AofL’s collective decision-making (CDM) model, prioritizes its values, and positions artists in leadership roles in all programming.
• Exhibitions & Events: Attend and provide support at Circle Contemporary events, Arts of Life events, and external exhibitions.

From time to time, you may be assigned other job-related duties within your scope of practice.

What You’ll Need to be Successful

• Bachelor’s degree in fine arts with an emphasis in painting, drawing, or mixed media, a comparable active (at least two years) arts practice, or commensurate experience in the arts.
• Two years of experience supporting people with intellectual/developmental disabilities preferred.
• Registered Direct Support Person (DSP) in the state of Illinois or willing to pursue registration through Arts of Life.
• A valid driver’s license
• Ability to lift/carry up to 44 lbs.
• Ability to perform basic physical moves such as kneeling, reaching, crouching, bending, and twisting
• CPR and First Aid certification or willingness to pursue registration through Arts of Life.
• Fully vaccinated (2 Pfizer/Moderna or 1 J&J) + recommended boosters

Knowledge, skills, and behaviors:

• An excellent skill set in abstraction, realism, or mixed media arts and a broad familiarity with art materials.
• Knowledge of proper artwork handling preferred.
• Takes initiative; is dedicated and creative, with strong organizational and time management skills.
• Commitment to the process of artistic skills development as an avenue for growth and independence for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
• Experience with social service agencies a plus.
• Proficient in using MAC platforms and Google suite
• Working knowledge of social media platforms.
• Must be able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience delegating to and supervising interns or volunteers preferred.
• Ability to anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of the collective to meet or exceed their expectations within the organizational parameters.
• Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance program effectiveness.

Compensation & Benefits

• $40,000/yr
• Health
• Dental
• Vision discount program
• FSA (after 12 months of service)
• Dependent Care Account (after 12 months of service)
• Transit Account (after 12 months of service)
• Generous PTO and sick days
• Parental Leave
• Costco Membership
• Retirement Savings Plan

Schedule

This is a full-time (40 hours) position, generally responsible for working in a variety of locations in the north shore area, with a schedule that may fluctuate with seasonal or incidental changes in program schedules and program needs. Your workload may call for you to work longer days or weekend hours to complete your job duties.

Our Culture

Arts of Life is proud to foster a culture of collaboration and respect. We strive to function under a relatively flat hierarchy, with collective decision-making at the heart of our initiatives. Work is typically done in small teams, and Leadership is enthusiastically accessible to all employees. Work-life balance is highly encouraged, and employees are welcome to use the studio facilities after hours and on weekends.

Be Yourself

Arts of Life is firmly committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities we serve. We value your unique experiences and strongly encourage People of the Global Majority, LGBTQIA+ individuals, women, trans, non-binary people, people with disabilities, system-impacted people, veterans, and people of all ages to apply.