Places open for 2012/2013 Artspace Mentorship Programme

Only hard-copied nominations delivered to the Artspace Gallery or at the Artspace Gallery booth at the Joburg Art Fair will be accepted.

Serves as a launch platform

This is an opportunity for visual artists who have been working on developing their artistic voice and guiding their careers and are ready for their first solo exhibition at a contemporary commercial gallery that would serve as a launch platform into the professional art sector. It is a platform for them to learn more about the art industry, how to conduct themselves, how to turn their talent into a career and how to market themselves effectively.

Successful candidates will work closely with an appointed mentor who will be well placed to push both the mentee's artistic practice and provide insights on building a successful career through his or her own experience.

The programme has been operating successfully since 2008. It has showcased nine new artists working under the guidance of some of the most respected contemporary artists in the country. It has been hosted at the 2010 and the 2011 Joburg Art fair, where both the work of the mentors and the mentees have gained exposure to the public and the art market. This was through the support of the Gauteng provincial government and BASA in 2010.

Selection process changed

"Previously, the mentees were selected by the selected mentors, or matched by Artspace. The artists chosen by the mentors or gallery were selected on the basis of who they believed were suitable to take up such an opportunity. Since the 2011 programme however, the selection process has changed; we have decided to open up the opportunity. Artists may now nominate themselves for consideration. A panel, which comprises the gallery curator and external industry experts, will select two or three artists for this programme from the nominations received.

"Navigating through relationships with galleries can be intimidating for a new artist with little experience," explains Artspace curator Teresa Lizamore. "This process introduces the gallery to new voices and the artists to the gallery in a supported process."

Artists, are you read?

The main objective of the programme is to identify contemporary artists who are ready to engage with the market and industry at the next level and give them exposure in working with a gallery and a curator under the guidance of an experienced mentor. It is to introduce the buyers and collectors to new prospects who will be working towards sustained careers, and provide exposure to build their profiles.

The programme will run on an 18-month cycle, as this will give artists the benefit of working with their mentor for a concentrated period of time, which will facilitate their producing a new body of work for their solo exhibition.

The programme is fully sponsored by Artspace Gallery. Due to the expenses and logistics associated with travelling and transport of artworks of artists, this opportunity is at this stage open only to Gauteng based artists.

Criteria

Only the following artists are eligible:

• Artists who have not yet had a solo exhibition at a gallery in South Africa and who are not committed to an exhibition within this period
  
• Artists who are residents of Gauteng
  
• Artists who are prepared to commit to the duration of the programme and who are available for the necessary studio visits and workshops. (Artists who are employed may apply but need to commit to the requirements of the programme)
  
• Artists who are prepared to consider representation by the gallery for a period of three to five years after the programme.

For more, go to www.artspace-jhb.co.za