Application Information

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for participation in the Youth Art Mentorship Program, applicants must be:

• a grade 11 or 12 student enrolled in high school or an alternative education setting.
• between the ages of 16 and 20.
• a resident of the City of Peterborough or Peterborough County.
• able to access transportation to attend in-person programs at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
• have not previously been selected to participate in the Youth Art Mentorship Program.

Please note: The AGP strives to reflect the whole of our community and encourages applications from all eligible candidates. Previous participants of the program are ineligible to apply.

We are committed to building an inclusive and barrier-free environment for staff, volunteers, artists, visitors, and patrons, and actively work to reflect the diversity of our community. As such, applicants will not be discriminated against for any reason, including but not limited to issues of race, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, class.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

To apply to the Youth Art Mentorship Program, you will need to provide the following:

• CV (Curriculum Vitae)
  • A curriculum vitae (CV) is like a resume but is used for professional and academic purposes. A CV contains a full history of your academic and professional accomplishments; whereas a resume is used for general employment and can often change to meet the specific requirements of a job.
  • Typical sections in a CV include Education, Exhibition History, Related Experience/Activities, and any publications, awards, etc. You want to include all relevant experience and accomplishments that speak to your accomplishments as an artist, student, and person.
• Artist Bio
  • Artist Bios are an opportunity for you to position yourself as a professional artist with experience. It often includes highlights from your CV, i.e.: information about where you went to school, where your work has been shown, if your work is held in any important collections, and/or where you are based. These are HARD to write, so you may want to use phrases like “[name] is an emerging artist based in Peterborough, Ontario” to start off your bio.
  • Artist Bios are written in the third person.
  • Appropriate length is 50 – 250 words.
• Letter of Intent
  • Provide a written statement explaining to the jury your interests, intentions, as well as your personal goals and hopes for the program. The purpose of this letter is to provide more information about how you would be a good fit for this program and why you should be selected to participate. Consider the following questions:
    • Why is it important for me to participate in this program?
    • What skills or special interests can I bring to this program?
    • How will this program help me in pursuing my artistic goals?
    • What kind of work do I want to make?
• Portfolio of your artwork (minimum of 5, maximum of 10 images)
  • A major part of having an artistic practice is presenting your work to curators, researchers, educators, and colleagues. Your portfolio is the first “contact” the professional world will have with your artwork.
  • Your portfolio should contain images of your strongest and most recent artwork. You should also include artworks that show off your range and talents as an artist. If you have an installation or sculptural work, you may also include multiple images of the same artwork to show different elements of it, such as fine details, textures, close-ups, or multiple angles.
  • Documentation is key – bad photos do you and your work a disservice. Good lighting, reducing glare, appropriate colour balancing… these elements all help to convey your work in the best possible way. Include detail shots as well as installation shots as possible & wherever useful. Plain, uncluttered backgrounds help to keep focus on the art.
• Participate in a Portfolio Interview
  • As part of this year’s program, we are conducting interviews for entrance into the program. These portfolio interviews will take place online via Zoom and last approximately 30 mins. The purpose of the interview is for the jury to have the opportunity to meet directly with you (the artist) to learn more about your work in the portfolio, provide constructive feedback, and assess your fit in the program.

KEY DATES

Dates and times may be subject to change. Guest artist workshops and lectures, collection-based training/workshops, and other additional components may be added (subject to interest, funding, and availability).

December 11, 2024:
Final Deadline for applications to the 2025 Youth Art Mentorship Program

December 14 & 15, 2024:
YAM Applicant interviews with the jurors

December 18, 2024:
Notification of results

January 14 to June 3, 2025:
Youth Art Mentorship Program Duration: includes a combination of in-person and virtual meetings, open studio sessions, and workshops teaching studio practices and materials.

June 2025:
Youth Art Mentorship exhibition is mounted at the Art Gallery of Peterborough (exhibition opening and duration TBC)

Funding for this project was made possible by a grant from the PCVS Legacy Fund within the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough.

The Community Foundation is a public foundation and registered charity. By combining and investing gifts of all sizes in a pooled fund, the Community Foundation works with donors to build sustainable community resources that can address the challenges and opportunities facing Peterborough now and in the future. For more information visit www.cfgp.ca