career coaching for artists
CREATE A body of work | BUILD A STUDIO PRACTICE | MARKET YOUR ART
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AboutA program designed for serious artists wanting to grow their art-making process and jumpstart their art career. Learn in a small group setting under the guidance of an experienced mentor and guest speakers.
We have video testimonials below—check them out! BenefitsUpon completion of this program, artists will have:
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Prerequisites or EquivalentBasic Courses (or Equivalent):
Elective Courses & Workshops (or Equivalent):
It's recommended for artists to have taken at least 3 sessions of Intermediate level classes or higher before applying. Important Dates:
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What You'll be doingAttending Classes & "Out & About" Trips
Artists will be studying at Art on 30th under experienced mentors as well as taking a trip to visit galleries off-site. Setting Goals Artists will be encouraged to set a goal to sell their artwork, set aside time to paint, enter shows, and participate in our Live Painting opportunities during opening receptions. Culminating Show at Ashton Gallery Artists will help curate, hang, and market the program's student show collectively, as well as bring attendees to the opening reception. Entering Calls for Art Artists will enter all calls for art hosted at Art on 30th as well as enter at least two calls for art outside of our community for added experience and exposure. Creating a Body of Work Artists will create a cohesive collection of art that represents their newly-developed visual voice, that contains a minimum of six pieces. Certificate of Completion Each artist will receive a Certificate of Completion that indicates what they've achieved. |
ready to apply?
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The mentorship program is open to any eligible artists. Applications indicate where you are in your artist development. Deadline for Fall 2025 is June 16th, 2025. The selection process is juried by the mentor panel and notifications will be sent on June 23rd, 2025.
To submit in-person: Download and print to fill out by hand. Then return in-person at the gallery front desk. To submit online: Simply fill out the form using the button below... |
Meet your mentor: kristen guest
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"The best thing I ever did was learn how to make goals as an artist, work in collections, bring value to my art, find my niche through personal inspiration, and build a studio practice...and I want to share all those things with you."
---------------------------------- Kristen Guest is an award-winning, full-time abstract artist and art instructor in Southern California. She graduated from art school at Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Art Education, that focused on painting, book arts and printmaking, and has been teaching realism painting since 2004 and abstract painting since 2018. Kristen currently works in three mediums: acrylic, oil, and colored pencil. Kristen lives in Poway, CA where she works out of her home studio. She is a mentoring artist and the Director of Education for Art on 30th, an art center in the North Park district of San Diego, CA. Her work is currently represented through Janssen Artspace in Palm Springs CA and Libby Silvia Artstyle in Wellesley, MA (Boston area). Kristen’s work has been on exhibit with Ashton Gallery in San Diego CA, The Athenaeum Arts & Music Library in San Diego CA, Sandstone Gallery in Laguna Beach CA, Huntington Beach Art Center in Huntington Beach CA, Borrego Art Institute in Borrego Springs CA, Arc Gallery in San Francisco CA, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center in Port Angeles WA, Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe NM, Woman Made Gallery in Chicago IL, and Saatchi's The Other Art Fair Los Angeles. Mentor Website |
student testimonials
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"Although I was out of my comfort zone most of the time, it was totally worth the time and money. The business portion of the program was invaluable and I learned so many new techniques because we had 2 mentors and expert guest speakers."
- Susan B. |
"I'm so glad I took the mentorship program. I got to meet and work with different artists and my classmates were so inspiring. Having a timeline was helpful for me in completing a body of work and various goals. I highly recommend!"
- Susan A. |
"Having gone through this program has made me view myself more seriously as an artist and pushed me to be a marketer of my art and enter more shows. We all learned so much from each other and received great direction from our mentors."
- David B. |
