The Contemporary Glass Society has announced its 2010-2011 glass mentorships: Rachel Welford has been paired with Philippa Beveridge, Alex Hoare with Keiko Mukaide, Sarah Brown with Gayle Matthias & S…
The Contemporary Glass Society has announced its 2010-2011 glass mentorships: Rachel Welford has been paired with Philippa Beveridge, Alex Hoare with Keiko Mukaide, Sarah Brown with Gayle Matthias & Sabine Little with Fiaz Elson. The mentoring process is about evolving a two-way relationship that benefits each person. The pairs will discuss many aspects of a glass practitioners practice, and the topics for discussion may include the mentee thinking five years ahead, to visualize where they see themselves going with their work. The mentor may encourage them to consider different possibilities for their work and “what if“ scenarios to help them to improve and develop their practice. The mentorship may also involve a critique of the mentees work linked to their strengths and weaknesses, with regular reviews of their progress. The mentor may also give advice on how to make new contacts, help with useful practical resources as well as marketing and motivational tips. Previous participants in the scheme said: The mentorship has enabled me to break away from using the classic bowl form into forms based on a visual idea; it has been liberating. I would not have had the confidence to do this alone as I needed someone to first push me in a direction and then discuss with me my efforts and guide me forward again. I have also given a lot of thought to my statement and appraised my work in this context. I now have a more experimental approach to my work. I have really appreciated having an objective person to talk to about my practice, career and contexts for my art. there is also the dynamic of simply being part of the Mentorship Scheme itself. I have found this has been partially responsible for spurring me to make progress on things which I have been planning for ages. It has enabled me to have advice on a range of topics from equipping my new workshop to potential exhibiting opportunities. It has also given me the impetus to examine my practice and to develop in new directions. The mentorship has reinvigorated me to pursue my artistic vision and support this through other existing aspects of my practice. I am thinking new things and asking myself new questions about my own practice as well. The meetings have been energizing, and at points intense, including the sharing of more intimate understandings, feelings and frustrations related to the creative work with which she is engaged. There will never ever be enough time, and that“s how it should be – always another question and another idea – otherwise creativity would end, and relationship would end, and I don“t think that“s what this is about. The Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is widely regarded as the foremost organization in the UK for promoting and encouraging cutting edge glass and glassmakers within the wider art world. Founded in 1997, CGS is a non-profit making limited company by guarantee, with dual objectives of encouraging excellence in glass as a creative medium and developing a greater awareness and appreciation of contemporary glass worldwide. CGS is aimed at those working in or interested in contemporary glass.