mentor program
As part of our mission at Art Gallery on Ovens we offer a Mentor Program to all artists booked into our exhibition program.
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Our role is to advise and discuss options throughout the stages and process of developing a solo/group exhibition presented to the public in our professional gallery.
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The depth of the mentor involvement will depend on the experience and needs of the exhibiting artist.
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The process can begin one month or several months before the dates of the exhibition, with the following aspects covered in our program.
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Planning – number of works, theme, design & display of works
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Marketing – Flyer, printing, images & information, website, social media
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Opening – timing, invites, catering, speaker, management
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Installation – hanging, labelling, pricing & sales documentation
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Gallery management – procedures, Point of sale, records, security
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Closing – Sales management, removing work, gallery obligations
Being a mentor is an important part of our personal and professional development as resident artists at Art Gallery on Ovens. We are enthusiastically committed to the importance of helping others in our community achieve their artistic goals and develop reputations as local artists.
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Being a mentee can be very beneficial for artists in the following ways:
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Receiving feedback, developmental guidance & support for the upcoming exhibition
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Advice on developing ideas and new ways of thinking
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Opportunity to learn and understand curatorial aspects of an exhibition & the processes involved
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Exposure to professional artists that then enable the development of individual personal strengths and professional growth as an artist.
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Ongoing information and involvement in a community gallery through workshops and volunteer roles.
We look forward to working with all Guest Artists in the coming year at the gallery.
Interview with Tim Ockenden
How did you find the experience of being mentored through your exhibition at AGoO?
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It was a good experience and very positive for me. I was given ideas and ways to hold an exhibition of my artwork.
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I learnt so much about preparing and planning the work in order to get a body of work together. Also how to present, hang and manage sales. Meeting other artists, learning from them and knowing they wanted to encourage and help me take this step, has made me very grateful for this opportunity. All artists should get their work in a gallery.
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The more you do what you love doing and keep at it, the more confident you get and that is what this has done for me. Without the gallery’s mentoring program, I would still be working from home and selling only in markets.
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I would have to say it was a huge learning curve which has given me far more confidence as an emerging artist in the region. I really enjoyed the experience of looking after the gallery on my own and talking to visitors about my work.
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Having a Solo exhibition like I did, has given me individual attention, exposure and promotion. For example, as a result of my interview in the paper about the exhibition, I have been approached by another gallery in Glenrowan and possibly another. My exhibition helped me immensely to believe in and challenge myself and it was a huge success for me.
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Tim’s advice to those interested in being mentored through a Solo of group exhibition.
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Build up a body of work, a collection of themes that can be selected for a Solo exhibition. The more you keep doing what you are doing in your medium & style, the more confident you will get.
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Take the opportunity if there is a space in the calendar and plan. Grab the chance to have someone mentor you through all the steps of the exhibition.
Having an exhibition will challenge you and make you feel more confident with yourself and your art.
