Just-Us Teaching Artist (Contractual)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Just-Us Teaching Artist - Contractual

WHO WE ARE

SkyART is a permanent fixture in the vibrant cultural landscape of Chicago's South and West Side communities. Founded in 2001, with creativity at the center of everything we do, SkyART provides free, safe, open spaces where people are empowered and connections are made. SkyART continues to fulfill its mission from our flagship studio in South Chicago and beyond, reaching young people through three pillar programs: SkyWAY, for ages 7-13; Project 3rd Space, for ages 14-24 and Project Impact, our creative therapy program. In 2020 SkyART announced an expansion to Chicago's West Side and began providing school programs in Austin, Garfield Park and Humboldt Park. In 2024 we purchased a 7,500 sq ft building in Garfield Park for SkyART West, our second permanent location. Driving our mission is a deep understanding of the transformative power of art and its capacity to enhance intellectual, emotional and social development.

WHO WE SERVE

The communities where SkyART works and the young people we serve exemplify the resilience and the beautiful diversity of our city. Our free programs are open and accessible to youth from communities that have been impacted by historic marginalization, generational trauma and systemic racism, and who may lack access to cultural programming that affirms their identity and places them front and center as creators of their own futures. The majority of Black and Brown youth we serve are impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) which can negatively impact their ability to be successful in relationships, school, higher education or the workplace. Many are directly impacted by violence, incarceration and/or the foster care system. For all these reasons, SkyART prioritizes the wellbeing and healing of our participants using art as a platform for self exploration, reflection and Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

WHAT WE EXPECT

It takes a team of extraordinary staff, teaching artists and art therapists to bring SkyART to life, and we are looking for extraordinary individuals to help propel our growth into the future. We expect that all staff, from contractors to the Executive Director, practice everyday leadership and participate in both small scale and big picture thinking about the impact of our work. We expect that each individual contributes to creating an environment where we can show up as our whole self — centering young people as the driving force behind what we do — and where the diversity of individual lived experiences and cultures adds to the richness of our programs. Original ideas and critical thinking are required. We dive into the complexities and nuances that color our work and give it meaning beyond punching the clock and earning a paycheck. We ask all employees to practice vulnerability and to hold each other accountable, even those who supervise us, through compassionate calling-in and sensitive communication. Core competencies required for any position include: connection, collaboration, communication, creativity and consistency

WHAT WE DO

Founded by an Art Therapist, SkyART uses art to communicate, to connect and to heal. Through interdisciplinary, process-based projects, skill-building workshops and large-scale collaborations, SkyART encourages critical thinking and inspires creative expression for youth ages 7 to 24. SkyART's Just-Us program serves youth ages 14-21 who are involved in the juvenile justice system. Through Just-Us, SkyART staff, Teaching Artists and Creative Therapists seek to humanize the struggle of incarcerated youth by acknowledging them as whole individuals and artists. In a system and society that all too often sees these youth as criminals first and children last, the Just-Us program empowers them to imagine new possibilities for their future and develop healthy self-regulation and coping mechanisms. SkyART provides open-studio style art therapy groups for youth involved in the criminal justice system and dually-involved youth who are involved in both the justice system and the foster care system. Through our sessions, youth gain self confidence, self esteem and empathy for others. SkyART collaborates with the mental health teams at partner organizations to help create safe spaces where youth behind bars are able to "escape" their circumstances if only for a short time and just be kids. SkyART enters each partnership with the intention of being there longer than any one youth, creating a powerful sense of stability and connection that incarcerated youth so badly need. SkyART has partnered with organizations such as the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC), the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) Illinois Youth Center (IYC) Chicago and the Manuel Saura center to provide art therapy groups for youth involved in the justice system.

HOW YOU CONTRIBUTE

With creativity and expression at the center of everything we do, the Just-Us Teaching Artist will work with current and previously incarcerated youth alongside Just-Us Creative Therapists in a non-traditional setting that focuses on using forms of art to engage young people in their ability to self-regulate, communicate and connect. You will help educate and inspire expressive art making in young people incarcerated, in aftercare (returning to their community), or currently involved in the justice system. We aspire for the Just-Us teaching artists to contribute in creating an environment where we can show up as our whole self — centering young people as the driving force behind what we do — and where the diversity of individual lived experiences and cultures adds to the richness of our programs. We are seeking an innovative, creative, and compassionate teaching artist to assess and provide individual and group art instruction, creative skill-building opportunities, and support trauma-informed and social and emotional regulation needs as they come. We encourage you to not only come as an artist working in your honed expertise, but an artist who is curious and explores a variety of mediums and ideas spanning experience, age, race and gender. We ask all SkyART contractors and staff to practice vulnerability and to hold each other accountable, even those who supervise us, through compassionate calling-in and sensitive communication. Core competencies required for any position include: care, connection, collaboration, communication, creativity and consistency.

JOB DUTIES

• Plan and establish a safe, learning environment for all participants and group facilitators
• Create a culture of learning that reflects the organization's values and supports youth in their development as artists
• Develop process-based lesson plans that challenge our participants to get out of their comfort zone by focusing on the exploration of art-making
• Develop process-based curricula that aligns with the SkyWAY methodology
• Guide participants to research and create independent projects for future gallery exhibitions
• Maintain the upkeep of working space and supplies during sessions
• Communicate with program staff in a timely and professional manner
• Gather and organize necessary materials for each session
• Respond to participant interest to adjust lesson plans in a collaborative manner
• Communicate weekly feedback to partner institutional program administrators
• Promptly entering attendance, lesson plans, and other documentation as required by the program manager
• Guide participants in creating individual projects for SkyART exhibitions or special projects
• Collaborate with SkyART staff, Teaching Artists, Creative Therapists, etc. to address participants' individual needs and provide necessary support, mentorship, etc.
• Present artworks from artists of varying backgrounds, mediums, nationalities, etc. to expose participants to increased diversity and new ways of making
• Communicate with institutional administrators in order to receive clearance for all supplies and materials brought into facility
• Follow partner institutional guidelines for safety and security

YOUR BACKGROUND INCLUDES

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's and/or Master's in Visual Art, Art Education (preferred but not required)
• Experience working with youth who are directly impacted by the justice system; Or, lived experience as a youth directly impacted by the justice system
• Cultural competency to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Willingness to be flexible and manage multiple priorities
• Detail-oriented with excellent communication, organizational, interpersonal, and writing skills
• Practicing artists encouraged, with specializations in drawing, painting, ceramics, digital tools, cooking, animation, multimedia art, video, photography, and sculpture preferred
• Experience working inside of incarceration settings strongly preferred

Background Check:

Our shared goal with our community partners is to create pathways to participation, not barriers. Individuals directly impacted by incarceration are encouraged to apply.

WHAT WE OFFER

• $35-$55/hour/Contractual
• A flexible schedule: We currently have a need for a Just-Us Teaching Artist for 1-2 sites and roughly 3-6 hours per week.

Opportunities for more hours may increase over time.

HOW YOU APPLY

Please submit your resume by email to casey@skyart.org with "Just-Us Teaching Artist" in the subject line. Do not call, mail or fax . In lieu of a cover letter, please answer the following questions: 1. What is your experience with justice-impacted youth? 2. What is your motivation/interest in working with justice-impacted youth? 3. Please provide a detailed response to the following scenario: You are facilitating a SkyART program within a carceral setting, co-leading with a credentialed Art Therapist (AT). A program requirement imposed by the facility is the meticulous inventory of all art materials (e.g., pens, pencils, paints), both before and after each session. During a recent session, a routine post-program inventory revealed that only five of eight pens were accounted for. The AT initiated a search, informing participants that you would both be briefly looking for the missing pens in a designated area. During this search, two additional pens were located. However, one pen remains unaccounted for. Subsequently, facility staff conducted a search of participants before their return to their rooms and found the missing pen. The facility staff then suggested forming a new cohort for the following week, citing the current cohort's failure to adhere to facility rules, but deferred the final decision regarding cohort continuity to SkyART. How would you approach this situation, considering both program integrity and the well-being of the young artists? Please explain why you chose that approach.

Pay:

$35.00 - $55.00 per hour

Work Location:

In person