First Day on the Job

Well, my first day volunteering at Passion Works took an unexpected turn: none of the artists was there! Apparently, on most days they only work from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. In lieu of conversations with them, I talked with an artist in residence at the nonprofit, Christine Miles.

Christine, with many works of passion

I first asked Christine how she got into working with Passion Works. She said she has a background in fine arts, and taught in special needs for Athens schools 32 years. Many of the artists she works with were in her preschool class more than 20 years earlier.

"It's really exciting to see them excelling," she said.

Miles has been living in Athens since 1968, and after she retired from the city schools, this seemed like a "perfect fit.

Miles' favorite part of her job is working with the artists: "It's just a thrill to see people come in on a daily basis ready to produce," she said. "I think we all have disabilities, it's just that some are less obvious than others."

Miles noted that the artists are "very honest and not ego driven."

"It's a lesson in appreciating art for the process rather than the judged product," she said.

Miles' most prized piece from Passion Works is one by Bill Dooley, a "really mystical"work called "The Creation." As far as her own work, she's most proud of the days artists think they're getting something out of her.

I asked Miles if she thought any of the artists looked up to her. She hesitated, saying "it's kind of a peer process. I don't want it to be a hierarchical thing. I hope they see me as someone they're comfortable with and who responds to them."

She went on to describe the plight of most of the artists: "Many artists are struggling with significant physical disabilities, some degenerative; and some have so much psychological stuff to deal with that they can produce more some days than on others. I want people to feel comfortable no matter how much they can produce."

Besides working for Passion Works five days a week, Christine also "rehabs" squirrels as a pastime, nourishing baby ones until they're ready to be let back into the wild.

---

More on the topic of the developmentally disabled in the workforce, while scrounging I found this article detailing nonprofits' fights to get them employed in California. From the article:

Nonprofit groups helping the developmentally disabled are seeing about 800 new clients annually, according to the California Rehabilitation Association in Sacramento, a lobbying group.

Thankfully, these organizations seem to be making long strides.

On a last note, I'd like to leave you with the video that I watched for my Passion Works orientation. It'll give you a good idea of what the whole wazoo's about. Cheers!