On Thursday, December 13, 2018, JF&CS held an introductory meeting for the IndependenceWORKS Artists Collective. This new initiative aims to bring the innate love of arts and crafts to clients in the IndependenceWORKS Program. Volunteers ranging from professional art therapists to local hobbyists will lead monthly art projects for the clients.

The mission of IndependenceWORKS aims to help clients, who have a variety of intellectual and developmental disabilities to stay active and integrate in the Atlanta community. The Artists Collective is a new stride with one-hour projects that can vary from painting, to food decorating to tie dying and more. The clients are already excited to get started – with Broadway fans and talkative enthusiasts; the new activity is a bright spot they are looking forward to. Like everyone, they’re ready to express themselves.

The Collective’s first meeting started with short introductions, not only between the volunteers and staff, but an overview of the clients that they would be working with. While IndependenceWORKS clients have a variety of limitations, each art project will have a straightforward baseline – larger tools and nontoxic mediums so everyone, no matter what, can take part in the fun. While one client may work faster than another, or one may have trouble gripping a paintbrush, this criterion means no matter the disability they can all enjoy each art project. Each of them can see their hard work pay off.

The Artists Collective is hoping to fill a calendar with events; click here to learn more.