ABOUT: Creative Clay offers four categories of employment services within the Artlink program: Professional Artist Apprenticeships, Community Employment On-the-Job Training, Creative Clay Internships and Job-readiness Training. This program is for artists who wish to hone their careers in the arts or to hone their job skills through skill-building and independence through the arts. Artlink was originally started in 2003 as an apprenticeship program, with its first exhibition at Florida CraftArt.

Community Employment: On-the-job Training—The Artlink community employment program was created to help individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment in arts related positions, or within cultural organizations. Participants are chosen for further job development based on their mid-term evaluation and progress in the internship program. Selected students attend three potential job site visits and apply to their selected employment opportunity. Creative Clay supported employment staff continue to provide ongoing support to individuals placed in outside and track employment outcomes for 3 years. 

Internships at Creative Clay: On-the-job Training—Creative Clay’s Artlink Internship Program is an arts-focused job training program that has three distinct areas, each with its own unique job description. These areas include Gallery Receptionist, Studio Assistant and Repurpose Store Attendant. Interns have an opportunity to participate in training in one or any combination of these three areas. Interns may work four hours per day and up to two days per week. Interns who qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation services are paid minimum wage. 

Job-Readiness Training/Pre-employment Training—Participants learn soft skills, such as appropriate workplace attire, communication, and self-advocacy. Additionally, students learn to navigate public transportation, job-seeking strategies, resume development and how to complete job applications.  

COST: Participants may be referred by Vocational Rehabilitation or be funded through grants, donors, or sponsors. Paid apprenticeships only available if the participant is a Vocational Rehabilitation client and chooses Creative Clay for its services.

Call to Artists for 2024 Artlink Professional Artist Apprenticeship—Creative Clay’s Artlink Apprenticeship Program places promising member artists with professional artists in the local community. Artlink participants meet with their professional artist supervisors a minimum of four hours per week for three months, totaling 48 hours with 12 hours of teacher preparation time. During these meetings, apprentice artists work alongside professional artists as they engage in artistic and business skills that are transferable to a variety of settings. Artist mentors pass on important business skills necessary for a successful career as a professional artist. At the conclusion of the apprenticeship, a selection of the works created during the training program will be included in an art exhibition held at a public museum, gallery, or other cultural venue in St. Petersburg, FL. 

Expectations for Artlink apprentices include: setting artistic goals, writing a project proposal and budget, creating an Apprenticeship Journal, creating artist statements/bio, attending gallery openings and events, creating a minimum of 3 art pieces in any medium, preparation of artwork for gallery submission, initiating and completing artwork submission process, networking, marketing, and community engagement. 

To Apply: Email Artlink Manager, Ashton Sanchez—ashton@creativeclay.org or call Creative Clay at 727-825-0515.

Thank you to our funders! Artlink 2024 is made possible in part from funding from the White Family Foundation, The J. Crayton Pruitt Foundation. In 2019, the Artlink Apprenticeship program was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Artlink Apprenticeship Teams 2019 :

Marissa H. and Rissa Olson/Marquise R. and Calan Ree/Tyler B. and Lourdes Rosas-Rasdall/Cameron P. and Jonathan James/Sydney R. and Meike Groh/Cory B. and Gordon Harlow/Mikey J. and Rick Crandall/Damlary R. and Alli Arnold/Tate F. and Mason Gehring