Mar 1, 2023
MAWA’s Foundation Mentorship Program
Call for Submissions
Year-Long Mentorship Program, Sept 2023 – Sept 2024
Application deadline: Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at noon
Presented in partnership with the Winnipeg Film Group
The Foundation Mentorship Program (FMP) is a professional training program designed to help women and non-binary, trans and Two-Spirit woman-identifying people in the visual arts develop skills and define their decision-making philosophies by providing information, resources and support. In this year-long professional training program, established artists (mentors) meet individually with their mentees for 4 hours per month to share their experience, expertise and advice. The entire FMP group meets for 3 hours each month for critiques, discussion, gallery visits and other activities. Note that each of Cecilia Araneda’s two mentees in film/media art will also receive a free Winnipeg Film Group production membership and up to $500 in Film Group gear and facility rentals.
Applicants will be selected based on the quality and potential of the artwork submitted, the emerging artist’s willingness to dedicate time to the program, and the mentor’s ability to work with the emerging artist through a shared medium or conceptual interest. Mentors choose their mentees. If you have applied before and were unsuccessful, consider revisiting your application and the quality of your images and applying again. Note that demand for this program far outstrips available spaces. Sometimes the mentors agree that an artist’s work is excellent, but they do not feel that they have the specific skills or experience to help. Another year, another mentor might select you.
Potential mentees of all adult ages and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Students are not eligible. There is no fee to apply, but successful applicants will be charged $300 for the program. If you require accommodations such as ASL for the application process or the program itself, or if finances would be a barrier to a successful application, please contact Adriana at programs@mawa.ca.
The Mentor: Filmmaker Cecilia Araneda came to Canada when a child as a refugee. This experience plays a large role in her body of work. Araneda’s practice is also strongly rooted in the examination of private and public memory as it connects to identity, consciously working against the idea of the fully controlled image. Araneda is additionally a nationally recognized media art curator and is a recipient of the Joan Lowndes Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. Araneda is happy to mentor in English or in Spanish, her first language. ceciliaaraneda.ca
To apply for the Foundation Mentorship Program: Send a single PDF document labelled with your name and FMP (e.g., Sarah Wong FMP) containing:
- a letter outlining why you want to participate in this program and what you hope to achieve through mentorship, including a description of your art practice, and information regarding how we can contact you by phone, email and post
- an artist résumé (maximum 3 pages)
- up to 20 embedded images of your artwork, with an image list or captions giving the title of the work, medium, date completed and dimensions; or links to up to 3 minutes of video
Email your application to programs@mawa.ca and put “FMP 2023” in the subject line. (If English is not your first language and you would like to apply verbally, please call the office and we can make accommodations.)
Foundation Mentorship Program Info Session
Wednesday, Apr 5, 2023, 6 – 7 pm online
Free!
Thinking about applying? Not sure if the program is for you? Check out this informative video at https://vimeo.com/754767638 or come to a free information session, hosted by former mentor Shawna Dempsey and FMP Coordinator Adriana Alarcón. Watch the MAWA website and emails for a link.
Caption: Cecilia Araneda, Intersection, feature film, 2022. Photo by Matt Duboff
Cecilia Araneda, Souvenir, experimental short film, 2023
