Art‖Works are working art studios for which Community Integrated Services provides supplies, integrated studio facilities, and professional support for artists within the Philadelphia art community. CIS strives to support working artists by fostering self-sustainability, equality, and community. Art‖Works is self-employment under Customized Employment, and is designed specifically for artists and
artisans. CIS assists each artist by helping to advance their creative practice, then developing relationships on behalf of the artists at art galleries, craft venues, retail stores, and other events to sell and exhibit their work. The process to explore is person-centered and specific to the individual's creative interests, which can be a broad range of artmaking; for example woodworking, painting, leather-crafting, sculpture, jewelry design, and comic book design, just to name a few. Artists receive 100% of the revenue earned from their sales; there is no commission that CIS gets from the artist. Creative Employment Specialists serve as a support to help each artist develop their career, and integrate with other working artists in the Philadelphia art community. Each artist is a self-employed, working artist creating and selling their artwork as a means of employment. During the discovery process, the individual is exposed to various art mediums at one of the studio spaces while working with a Creative Employment Specialist. A typical candidate would already be creating artwork or crafting independently, and through the discovery process, CIS would help refine their work. All of our Creative Employment Specialists are artists, have their Bachelor of Fine Arts and/or their Master of Fine Art Degrees, as well as ACRE certifications in Customized Employment, and work in conjunction with the Small Business Advisory Committee at CIS. The discovery process gauges artistic abilities, talent, personal genius, and the interest of pursuing a career as an artist. During this time, the individual creates a body of work, and this work is part of the criteria for acceptance into the art studio. The artist is expected to make conscious decisions about their artwork, and maintain a level of self-direction and motivation. The work is also assessed for marketability in both sales and exhibition opportunities. CIS is looking for a unique vision and voice that has a place in the contemporary art market. Once this has been determined, the next steps include a focus on business ownership, and what this means for the individual, and their team, to be a self-employed artist.
