HIGH SCHOOL ARTS MENTORSHIP WITH ANNE LABOVITZ(OCTOBER 2020 - APRIL 2021)

Exhibition: April 13th - May 2nd 2021

“Over the course of six months, I facilitated a collaborative Internship space for 19 local high school age students at Art in Motion, guiding the discussion, critique, brainstorming techniques, collaboration, creative problem solving, and interdisciplinary art-making with the ultimate goal of producing work for an art exhibition at Art in Motion in April 2021. This program was designed to support young creatives in building confidence in their creative voice and direction. By working with a professional artist, students learned life-long creative skills of collaboration, dialogue, practice, creative problem solving, and process.

Studio discussions included the following questions:  How do you come together to talk and share? How do you live a creative life? What creative projects are you working on now? How can the Apprenticeship support your creative work? What brought you to this place today? What is your sense of space and place? What part does nature play in your life? What do you think are the most important issues in the world? What role can you play in these ‘big issues’? Discussions were both verbal and expressed via the arts.

These 19 amazing students worked hard to develop creative ideas with intention through a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, collage, wood carving, music composing, piano, writing, and poetry.

Committed to developing their craft, these students work with me twice a month. Having a mentor is an important process of becoming an artist and this time was precious to me too. This dynamic group always kept me leaning in, and I am inspired. There were wonderful opportunities that came out of this creative infusion together, including an essay by one participant whose experience as an intern gained them an invitation to the St. Thomas honors program. Students' ages and experiences varied, yet what was consistent was vulnerability, creative thinking, and serious art-making. This opportunity was essential as a cornerstone of professional opportunity for regional art students.

As you walk around the gallery please note that these artists have been working since October creating this body of work. I am so proud of all the students and their work here!

This program was open to all creative or art-curious high school students in the surrounding area of Holdingford, MN., including but not limited to Holdingford High School, Upsala High School, Albany High School, ROCORI High School, Apollo High School, Tech High School, and homeschoolers. This program was free and generously supported by Art in Motion. We are thankful for their support.”

-Anne Labovitz