As I reflect on my time so far as the Summer Projects Coordinator at ArtMix, I am in awe of how much I’ve accomplished and learned in only three weeks. My first couple of assignments were fairly simple, like look around the Harrison Center (which is where ArtMix is located), familiarize myself with the website, read last year’s end of the year financial report, and memorize the mission statement:

I love my desk space! And the name tag makes me feel very official.

ArtMix transforms the lives of people with disabilities through the creation of art.

I quickly learned that ArtMix is all about inclusion, not just in their programs, but on the administration side too. The moment I walked into the office I felt like I was a part of the team. They value my ideas and ask for my opinions.

My co-workers believing in me, gave me the confidence I needed to jump right into the projects they had come up with for me. So far my projects have revolved around two events, that were raising money to support our program Urban Artisans. The Urban Artisans program is nationally recognized, and it helps students with and without disabilities develop vocational skills. The students learn how to create, market, and sell art, while being payed minimum wage.

My co-worker Adrienne and I holding bowls as we setup for Here’s the Scoop!

The first event was called Here’s the Scoop. It was Saturday, June 11 in conjunction with the Independent Music and Art Festival. We sold ice cream in ceramic bowls made by the Urban Artisans, and all of the proceeds went right back into the program. In preparation for Here’s the Scoop, I corresponded with the volunteers. I also created a picture frame that people could take photos with, in the hopes of increasing our social media reach. I had total freedom with the project, and when it was finished, I was really proud of what I had created.

My Here’s the Scoop projects were easy in comparison to the projects for our other event. The kick-off to the Art & Home Tours was Thursday, June 16. The bulk of my work was outreach, which I really enjoyed. I created a list of organizations and contacted them in the hopes that they would spread the word about the tours to their coworkers. One place that I contacted was the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ). I had hoped that they would do some advertising for us, but I didn’t realize how big the publication really was. They got back to me very quickly, and they were very willing to work with us. Since I was the one who contacted them, this was my project, and that meant I was put in charge of creating the ads for IBJ. I had a lot of creative freedom on the project, and with some minor adjustments from my co-workers, the ad I created was published in the IBJ online. Its surreal to know that something I made was seen by hundreds, if not thousands of people.

I also created the program for the event. I’m starting to feel confident in my ability to create things on behalf of ArtMix, and I am feeling comfortable with our brand. I understand the way things should look in order to represent the organization well. I still have a lot to learn, but I think I’ve come a long way in just three weeks.

While I love corresponding with people and creating promotional materials, I think the best part of my job so far has been talking about the programs. I love sharing with people the work we do at ArtMix. During Here’s the Scoop, I got to tell people exactly what ArtMix does. We were able to share with so many people our mission. Next week I get to meet the students who are participating in the Urban Artisans program. I can’t wait to learn more about these students and see all that they accomplish this summer.