Youth Art Mentorship Program
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Deadline to apply:
Sunday, December 6, 2026
Eligibility
Application Information
Important Dates
Apply online through our submission site by clicking the button below.
About the Youth Art Mentorship Program
The Youth Art Mentorship Program (YAM) presents senior high school students with the opportunity to learn from professional mentors to gain valuable skills as professional artists and create work for a public exhibition. Selected artists receive training in visual arts and creative administration, which can open doors to a number of careers including: animation, industrial design, architecture, and the non-profit sector.
Guided by the Artist Mentor, AGP Curator, and Education Programming Coordinator, successful applicants will work independently and with their peers to develop new ideas and create artwork for a professional exhibition at the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Artists will be given free access to studio time, materials, and equipment, and receive payment as professional artists for their exhibition.
The Youth Art Mentorship Program at the Art Gallery of Peterborough is generously supported by LLF Lawyers, LLP
We gratefully acknowledge the PCVS Legacy Fund, within the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, for their early multi-year support of this program.
About the Artist Mentor:
Spencer J. Harrison (he/him) is an Artist, Activist, and Educator. Spencer has been painting and creating installation-based art for forty years, and his work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.
As an activist, his focus is on human rights for all who are marginalized, with his greatest focus on youth. For instance, he is the founder of Camp fYrefly, Ontario (a camp for LGBTQ2S&A youth) and has been an Artist-in-Residence with the Toronto District School Board for fifteen years. In this role, Spencer operates an open door, public studio where he has produced many works, including the first painted PhD dissertation in Canada.
Additionally, Spencer has been teaching in the Drawing and Painting department of OCAD University for more than ten years, where he has assessed more than 50,000 portfolios for the admissions to the University.
Spencer believes in the power of art and youth to change the world and is thrilled to be working in this program at the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
A message from Spencer…
Meet the jurors
Fynn Leitch (she/her) has been the Curator at the Art Gallery of Peterborough since 2014. She has an MA in Visual Culture and a B.A.Hons. in Art History from Queen’s University, and she is also the former Director of Artspace (2011-2014). She has participated extensively in committee work, juries, and conferences regionally and nationally; including, the Artist-Run Centres and Collectives of Ontario (ARCCO), ARCA National Conference, the Arts Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee for the City of Peterborough and the Electric City Culture Council.
Kelly Egan (she/her) is an associate professor in Cultural Studies and Media Studies at Trent University whose work focuses on materiality and obsolescence. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (2001) in Mass Communication from Carleton University, a Master of Fine Arts (2006) in Film/Video from Bard College (2006), a Certificate in Film Preservation from the Selznick School of Film Preservation at George Eastman Museum (2012), and a Master of Arts (2003) and PhD (2013) in Communication and Culture from the York/Ryerson Joint Graduate Programme in Communication and Culture. Her award-winning experimental films have exhibited extensively nationally and internationally at festivals/venues including the Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Images Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival, and TIFF Lightbox, amongst many others. She has lived and worked in Peterborough since 2014.
Highlights from the Youth Art Mentorship Program
More highlights and features…
Exhibitions:
2026 Youth Art Mentorship Exhibition: all of your secrets are safe here with me
2025 Youth Art Mentorship Exhibition: Prologue. Portraits for future selves
2024 Youth Art Mentorship Exhibition: Figuring Identity: declarations and dreams
2023 Youth Art Mentorship Exhibition: Wayfinding
2022 Youth Art Mentorship Exhibition: Being in the World
In the news:
Kawartha NOW: “Art is for everyone with the Art Gallery of Peterborough’s range of educational programs”
Peterborough Examiner: “New works by young Peterborough artists on exhibit“
Peterborough Examiner: “Art Gallery of Peterborough launches youth mentorship program”
Program Eligibility
To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are a grade 11 or 12 student enrolled in high school or an alternative education program.
- You are between 16 and 20 years old.
- You able to attend regular in-person meetings and workshops at the Art Gallery of Peterborough from January to June.
- You can organize transportation to and from the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Please note: transportation support is not available.
- You have not taken part in the Youth Art Mentorship Program at the Art Gallery of Peterborough before.
Please note: The Art Gallery of Peterborough (AGP) welcomes applications from all eligible candidates and works to reflect the diversity of our community. We are committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free environment and do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or social class. Past participants are not eligible to apply.
Looking for more information?
Please contact:
Casandra Lee
Education Program Coordinator
Art Gallery of Peterborough
E: caslee@peterborough.ca
T: 705 743 9179 x 2025