Student U and Durham Art Guild Provide Creative Mentoring Program 

The partnership between Student U and Durham Art Guild is all about “art-making, education and fellowship.”

The Creative Mentorship Program, launched in January 2013, pairs creatively driven high school students with local professional artists for 20 weeks. The pairs create collaborative works that are then exhibited by the Durham Art Guild. The students also participate in field trips to supplement their creative juices.

The first session ran from January to June 2013. The mentor and student pairs were:

Hillside New Tech High School 12th-grader Rey Cruz and Jim Lee created collaborative photographic art.

Angel Naranjo, who was in the 10th grade at Northern High School, joined Caty Kendall to work with ceramics and painting.

Southern High School 10th-grader Diamond Johnson worked with Jeannette Brossart on mosaics and photographs.

Adrienne Garrett collaborated on a site-specific installation and mixed-media work withDurham School of the Arts 11th-grader Jared Nelson Lopez.

Vernondo Garcia-Carroll, then a 10th-grader at Durham School of the Arts, worked with Lee Moore on printmaking, mixed media and installation.

Those involved consider the program a huge success. “It expanded what I could do, or what I thought I could do,” Jared said of his experience.

“You have a safe place to work out equations and solutions,” Lee added, “and I think what the world needs are solutions.”

The coordinators of the program are currently working to raise funds through IndieGogo for the 2014 Creative Mentorship Program.The goal is $20,000 by December 5. At this time, $1,578 has been raised.

The funds will help support a new set of students in 2014, including paying for supplies, space, the stipend for the artists and field trips. The program is also offering incentives for the community to give, from a credit in the gallery for a $50 donation to a signed collaborative work from the entire team for a $5,000 donation. Find more details on the fundraiser here.

Take advantage of another opportunity to support the Durham Art Guild during theDurham Art Council‘s Holiday Market Art Walk on November 23 from 10am-5pm and November 24 from 1pm-5pm. The DAG will host an “Art-a-Thon,” which produces affordable, local art in record time. There will be glitter painting, portrait drawing, a photo booth and more. Donations, pledges and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the DAG.