Position Opening: Spanish-Fluent Art Instructor

Spanish-Fluent Art Instructor
Part-Time Non-Exempt

Creative Growth is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and actively embraces a diversity of people, ideas, talents, and experiences. We highly encourage people of color, individuals with disabilities, and members of other historically excluded groups to apply. We are committed to providing a culturally safe workplace, and recognize that this looks different for everyone. We will work with existing staff and new hires to identify and ensure respect for cultural safety needs. Creative Growth is actively working on increasing fluency in equity issues, and is participating in ongoing organization-wide training in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The Opportunity
Creative Growth is seeking to add to its Studio team a new Art Instructor who is fluent in Spanish to provide art instruction for and support Spanish-speaking artists enrolled in Creative Growth programs. Client artists in Creative Growth’s Studio work with a wide range of media to create 2D and 3D artwork, including painting, drawing, mixed media, ceramics, woodwork, textiles, rugs, and digital media. The program is designed to provide client artists with opportunities to develop independence, self-direction, and creative expression while acquiring skills for art making and professional development.

The right candidate will be fully aligned with Creative Growth's core values of creativity, respect, care, self-expression, and accessibility and commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Fluency in Spanish is required.

The Organization
Creative Growth is the oldest and largest nonprofit art studio for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Our mission is to advance the inclusion of artists with developmental disabilities in contemporary art and strengthen community through a supportive studio environment and gallery representation.

Founded in 1974 on the idea that all people are capable of producing works of high artistic merit and that the act of creating can be transformative, Creative Growth now serves 140–160 artists with disabilities (primarily adults, with an ancillary youth program) and positions their work within the contemporary art world. At Creative Growth, the process of creating is honored and celebrated, and the impact of that recognition and appreciation transforms the lives of the artists. The participation of most Creative Growth artists in Creative Growth's programs is funded by the California Regional Center system, and all artists receive 50% of the net proceeds from sales of their artwork.

The Creative Growth Studio provides professional-grade art-making workshops in a variety of media. At the heart of the program is a team of working artists/instructors who support and encourage individual creativity by creating an open, adaptive environment with few rules and no judgment—a space where a community of creators work side by side inspiring, encouraging, and celebrating one another. The Gallery presents public exhibitions in Oakland and online and represents the artists at national and international art fairs. Work made by Creative Growth artists is included in major collections and institutions worldwide, such as MoMA (New York), SFMOMA, the Smithsonian Institution, the Studio Museum of Harlem, American Folk Art Museum, the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the Collection de L’Art Brut (Switzerland), and The Museum of Everything (London).

Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop and implement (in Spanish) engaging instructional strategies that provide Creative Growth client artists with opportunities to explore and apply art-making techniques in painting, drawing, and/or mixed media.

  • Set artistic goals and evaluate client artists’ progress from an artist/person-centered perspective.

  • Foster community building among Spanish-speaking client artists.

  • Communicate and engage with Spanish-speaking client artists’ families, caregivers, case managers, and Spanish-language interpreters as needed to support artists’ well-being and artistic and professional development.

  • Monitor and document artist behavior, well-being, and attendance.

  • Assist Client Services team with creation and presentation of Individual Service Plans (ISPs) and data collection for grant reporting.

  • Maintain a safe, organized and functional work area and positive classroom environment that supports client artists’ independent learning, collaboration, and choice; work with other staff to maintain Studio safety.

  • Maintain sufficient high-quality art supplies and re-order as needed.

  • Work cooperatively and professionally with other staff, volunteers, and client artists.

  • Maintain client artist confidentiality in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

  • Attend staff meetings and participate in special events.

  • Other duties as assigned by Studio Director.

Qualifications

You are an ideal candidate if you:

  • Have experience working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

  • Have familiarity with and desire to implement person-centered principles.

  • Are a self-starter, can work independently, are inventive, and able to multitask.

  • Find satisfaction in helping others achieve their goals.

  • Are enthusiastically committed to the vision, mission, and core values of Creative Growth.

  • Possess compassion and respect for the community we support.

  • Enjoy working in a diverse, creative, collaborative, and fast-paced environment.

  • Share with us a respect for diverse backgrounds and voices and a commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and equity.

  • Have strong project management and collaboration skills.

  • Are proficient with Google Suite and Zoom.

  • Have ample studio art background with a strong foundation in studio basics such as sketching, drawing and painting, experience utilizing a wide variety of art materials as well as areas of specialization including but not limited to fiber art, sculpture (ceramic, wood, etc) and printmaking. 

  • Are a practicing, professional visual artist with a robust portfolio and exhibition history.

Requirements

  • Fluency in Spanish and lived experience with Latinx/Hispanic culture.

  • Ample studio art background.

  • Bachelor’s degree in fine arts (BFA) or a closely related field, or equivalent experience.

  • Minimum 1 year of teaching experience.

  • Flexibility, ability to adapt to frequently changing circumstances.

  • Successful completion of the following background checks and clearances, as mandated by the State of California, Community Care Licensing (CCL) Division, for all employees of licensed facilities such as Creative Growth: record of criminal history obtained from California Department of Justice, i.e., clearance to work in a licensed facility; record of health screening, including negative TB test results; and current First Aid and CPR certification (Creative Growth will provide necessary training and cover the cost of acquiring these certifications).

  • COVID-19 vaccination and booster or legally valid exemption.

Special Environmental Factors

Creative Growth currently operates both in-person and remotely. The ASL Art Instructor is expected to primarily work in-person.

  • When working in the Studio:

    • The Studio is a busy, active, open, and sometimes loud environment, with an average of 50-55 client artists with disabilities working on artistic projects each day.

    • The Studio is equipped with heavy machinery in the woodshop, which occasionally makes loud noise and generates dust.

    • While Creative Growth has made great efforts to minimize toxic fumes and ask staff, volunteers, and artists to refrain from wearing perfumed products, the Studio contains art supplies that may trigger chemical sensitivities.

    • The Digital Media Lab, staff restroom, and several of the administrative offices and meeting areas are on the second floor, accessible by two sets of stairs and one elevator. 

    • Practice social distancing, mask-wearing, and other forms of Covid safety.

  • When working remotely:

    • This position may require online instruction using Zoom, as well as frequent meetings and other communication/engagement with current and potential new client artists, artist families and care providers, and Creative Growth staff using  Zoom, Google Meet, and telephone.

 

Artist Dan Miller working next to Studio Instructor Veronica Rojas, Photo by Diana Rothery

 

This position reports to: Studio Director

The Spanish Art Instructor position is a 43% part-time (15 hours per week), non-exempt position; the hourly rate is $25 per hour. Creative Growth’s operational hours are 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional programs and events on evenings and weekends. Creative Growth is unable to provide housing or travel assistance.

This position includes the following benefits:

  • Paid time off (vacation/sick time) accrued at the rate of 1 hour earned per 11.82 hours worked, available for use 30 days after employment start date

  • Employee Assistance Program (counseling, financial, and legal services, training through an outside vendor)

Please submit cover letter and résumé in PDF format via email to jobs@creativegrowth.org (with “Spanish-Speaking Art Instructor” in the subject header). Due to the volume of applicants, only candidates who will be invited to interview will be contacted. Position is open until filled.

In Tags