Mentorships with Ignite Artists

Applications

Closing date 30th September 2016

Mentorships provide professional development opportunities for emerging artists. An emerging artist is establishing the own arts practise or working in a group or open studio to progress towards the sale of the artwork.

Applications can be presented in any format.  email us for application form and advice on how to apply,

Successful participants will be notified on 3 rd December and I time arranged to meet your mentor and development an agreement between the three parties.

The number of hours you spend with your mentor will be determine by your goals and/or projects.  You can meet with your mentor weekly, fortnightly or an intensive block of time.  We will then pay you mentor as agreed.

Examples of goals or projects are:-

• Establishment of your art practise.
• Business planning and marketing
• How to make the most of social media
• Working on a commission or body of work for exhibition.
• Setting up markets
• Working with a gallery towards exhibition
• Collaborating with a mentor to produce new work.

There are not up front fees for the mentorship, unless you want to pay up front, meaning you can skip out application process and we will assist you to find the right mentor for your needs.

We have a FREE information session for those wanting to mentor others on Thursday 15th September @ 5:30 Ipswich Arttime Supplies, 203 Brisbane Street, Ipswich. However if you are applying for a mentorship you may also wish to attend.

 

ArtISability and Funding

My heart is too see artists with disabilities engaging in our community. ArtISability was designed as a Professional Development Program and yet to date very few professional artists have accessed our workshop program.  Some found my advertise misleading. Yet on nearly every piece of marketing the word, Professional was printed.

The definition of a professional is a person who makes money or an income. I am determine to raise the bar. ArtISability was founded on arts funding. Our pilot ran successfully in 2014 with all six participants completing all sessions.  Our workshop programs have been funded to date through the arts sector funding, sponsorships, fundraising and one Community Event Grant.

We are hoping to develop an artist network in Ipswich, which is kick started by arts funding for our 2017 Mentorship Program.  Professional artists being mentored by professional artists. While artists with disability face additional challenges, their is no reason to lower the bar of sink to help them feel good.

If not applications are received from artists living with disability who are working in the arts, then all places will go to other artists. I am hoping to submit an application to the arts council of Australia. I am looking for cream.

I not prepare to submit CV of untrained artists.  The quality of the application is based on the participants qualifications,  I am asking for money for their professional development, not to employ artists. This is the reverse of how we have worked to date.

Ipswich currently has no professional development opportunities full stop!  So I am more than happy to have the places go to the best applicants.  I myself play and compete at the same level as every artist.  That is my standard for all.  No free rides.

However artists like myself do face barriers in the production and sale of our work.  For me these a few places I can't access. However for others its accessing technology and information and needing materials and courses presented in other formats.  I succeed because I am pig headed, hard working and refuse to accept being labelled as disable.  Sorry! I am one of the most capable people I know.

I will lower barriers that prevent access by buying ramps and provide information through volunteering my time. But its up to other artists to step up.  Reading and writing are not required to make high level art. Art skills are!

So again I launch my fundraising 2016 Campaign. Most funding bodies want to see I am not seeing them as my soul income.  Most will not fund a 100% of a project.  Basically I am $500 short of keeping my door open, that will cover our insurance.

So I am in the process of up loading Christmas Cards we made at ArtISabiliy to my Etsy.  I am now 250 cards sales away from my target, yep Christmas cards are all $2 each!

If I sell more I can address more access issues. 

Here's a few examples:-

click here to shop!

Why should you consider having a mentor?

Many professionals seek out coaches and mentors in their professional life as they develop their practise. By developing your arts based practise you are becoming self-employed. Many artists make the mistake of selling there work at low prices. 

The arts industry is a tough one and few artists are able to sustain themselves on their art sales alone.  Like every other industry, the arts is govern by its own code of practise. I also found learning to navigate the different galleries difficult.  There is much to learn.

Where to make your point of sale is another pivotal point in establishing your practise.  To some extent your point of sale will depend on the art products you are producing.  A mentor can assist you to think through the various layers involved in establishing your practise and their there to support you when things don't quite go the way you hope.

A artistic mentor is not so much of a teacher as an advisor.  Those seeking a mentor should already have an art practise under development.  Or course using and artistic mentor means they can help you refine your skills and established sound practise in your studio.

Our 2017 Mentoring Program

So what types of activities could a mentor assist me with? 

• Defining your art practise and setting up your art studio
• Creating a body of work for exhibition
• Entering work into competition
• Developing a business plan, cv and portfolio
• Working with galleries
• Learning about the arts industry's code of practise
• Grant writing
• Ways to fund your arts practise
• Defining your sales point
• Using social media to promote your work
• Business set up
• Developing your artist network and linking you in to the local arts community.

Once we have our list of finalist for the program we will be doing to things:

• Look for a mentor who can best assist the applicants to achieve their nominated outcome.
• Using the applicants cv to apply for funding

The shape of our mentorship program will be driven by the participants.  At this point of our development we are not yet seeking to offer workshops and classes.  We are keen to established a sound foundation for the network.

If you would like to know more about mentoring or becoming a mentor you are welcome to attend our FREE information session on 15th September @ 5:30 pm at the coffee shop at Arttime Supplies 203 Brisbane St, Ipswich.

Please let us know if your attending by 14 Sept.  You can email us for more information.

Wisdom For Mentors

Opportunities Don't Just Happen

"Opportunities don't just happen we create them."

The role of a mentor is to shadow an artists while they build their artistic practice.

Nathanael Small in his post today explains the

process of coaching someone.

Mentors Wanted!

Email Us

We are looking for artists who can inspire other visual artists to grow their art practise. This can be achieved through advising them in creating a body of artwork, professional development growth, business planning, preparing for exhibition, submissions for galleries or collaborating together.

The outcome of the program will be determined by the participants you work with.  A mentor role is very different to that of a tutor, rather than teaching skills you are refining the skills the artist already has, to enable them to be more competitive in the market place.

So were are looking for artists that are flexible in their own art practise and have been practising for 5 or more years.  However we are also seeking mentors will excellent industry knowledge and extensive industry networks that will enable participants to grow their own industry networks.

Success applications will be determined by the minimum experience requirements;  and whether they is a match with a participant in the current program.

Applications for 2017 mentorships are now open and close on 30th September once we have successful participants we will meet as a team to determine suitable match-ups.  This may require a interview process.

One of our panel will contact you if we think you are a potential match for a candidate.

To be considered for a position please email us your current CV and artists statements, online links to your work with a one page statement on your current art industry networks.  We also need a quote for your fees and charges.

Email Deb for more information.