New Artist Collective Provides Therapeutic Outlet

The Artist Collective, a new initiative at Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) Atlanta, provides a creative and therapeutic outlet for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Lauren Harris, an organizational psychologist with a lifelong interest in art and who has volunteered in various roles with the social services agency since 2006, founded the initiative in early 2019 in collaboration with IndependenceWORKS, a comprehensive program at JF&CS for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities that helps clients build connections with the community. The Artist Collective was developed as an effort to engage more community members around the therapeutic benefits of art for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“It’s created an opportunity for volunteers throughout the community to work directly with the clients we serve,” says Harris, noting volunteers can have a range of talent, from professional artists to hobbyists to those who simply want a rewarding volunteer experience. “This particular group of individuals is phenomenal. It’s an hour of joy working directly with our clients. They are so elated to be there and participate in a structured art activity that they may not otherwise ever encounter.”

The collective meets twice a month, and volunteers lead and assist clients in the creation of artwork in all types of mediums ranging from acrylic pouring, print making, to alcohol ink, among many others.

“Many clients have a hard time grasping brushes, so a lot of our preferred mediums incorporate more creative means of pouring, dropping inks, or using alternative implements to create different abstract forms,” says Harris, noting the group created six large scale acrylic paintings that were auctioned earlier this year at the agency’s popular fundraiser, The Tasting. “The clients take a lot of joy in interacting with our volunteers. It’s a way for them to be social and engage with the community, which is so important. Our clients take great pride in their work and love the opportunity to share what they’re doing with the community.”

The Artist Collective is currently using alcohol inks to create beautiful coaster sets, which will be sold at the 40th Annual Or Ve Shalom Hanukkah Bazaar Dec.8.

Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Services (IDDS) of JF&CS is open to people of all faiths and offers programs and services that support individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers.

“Our programs excel in the area of community inclusion,” said Melissa DaSilva, Director of IDDS at JF&CS. “That includes opportunities for recreation, education and volunteerism and, for those interested, support and training to join the workforce or pursue higher education.”

For more information or to volunteer with the Artist Collective at JF&CS Atlanta, visit www.jfcsatl.org/artistcollective.

About JF&CS

Established in 1891, Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) offers programs and resources to help the Atlanta community. Guided by Jewish values, JF&CS serves thousands of individuals annually regardless of age, race, religion, national origin or ability to pay. We offer counseling and therapy for individuals, families and groups, older adult services, careers and support services, intellectual and developmental disabilities services, as well as free dental services at the Ben Massell Dental Clinic. For more information, please call 770.677.9300 or visit JFCSatl.org.

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