Become an Art Box Mentor
The Wiregrass Museum of Art wants YOU to be an ART BOX Mentor!
To celebrate National Youth Art Month in March, ART BOX partners teams of middle and high school students with artist mentors to create original installations at the Wiregrass Museum of Art, which will be displayed in the galleries during the exhibition!
ART BOX is a two-day challenge where art teams of middle and high school students will be partnered with an adult artist mentor who will guide them through their construction of an installation. Only four high school teams will make the cut to compete in ART BOX. The winning team receives a donation to their school’s visual art program!
Students will assemble a team of four to six and send us a letter explaining why we should pick them. We’ll give each team a theme, assign them an adult artist mentor, and lock them in WMA all day Friday 2/28, from 9:00am to 6:00pm and return on Saturday 2/29 from 9:00am to 5:00pm! Students are challenged to think creatively, work with given supplies, collaborate, and install on a deadline during this competition.
WMA is looking for artists to be mentors during ART BOX!
We are looking for artists, educators, curators, or creative professionals. You do not necessarily need to have a background in Art Education to serve as a mentor; however, you should possess the following skills/work habits:
- Creative, Energetic, Motivated, Flexible, Patient, Innovative
- A general knowledge of the elements/principles of design (line, color, balance, contrast, harmony, etc.)
- The ability to think abstractly/conceptually (the mentor encourages students to be inventive and not so literal)
- A specialization in at least one artistic medium such as painting, woodworking, drafting, etc.
Chosen mentors will receive a $250 stipend and hotel accommodations.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS
When the clock starts, your team will be assigned a table inside the museum and a random installation theme. The next step becomes critical for the art mentor as you will help your team choose and develop the most creative idea in the shortest time frame possible. Then teams will begin constructing their installations with the materials gathered and provided!
The creative process is collaborative and invites diverse and sometimes challenging viewpoints. As an ART BOX Mentor, your primary responsibility will be to help your team maintain direction throughout the entire installation experience from inception to critique. Your role may shift from coach to mediator as you encourage students to validate each decision and intervene if your team has trouble reaching an agreement. Mentors should have the skills to assist others in a positive, constructive way. This includes excellent communication skills, especially the ability to be an active listener and provide feedback in an effective manner. Mentors can draw upon their own career development with their team, including aspirations, goals, experiences, and the particular knowledge, skills, and attitudes they have found necessary to succeed in the art world. Since ART BOX is restricted to 14 total hours, establishing a comfort level early on and maintaining that relationship throughout the lock-in is essential to the overall success of your team and their final art installation.