Artist Mentorship Hub
In 2022, with the support of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program, ARTogether and Oakland Art Murmur partnered to pilot an artist mentorship program for Oakland-based refugee and immigrant artists. The program welcomes artists of all crafts, levels, and experiences looking to expand their network, learn new skills, develop their career, and obtain professional guidance. Throughout the program, participants were paired with a mentor artist with compatible interests, artistic craft specialties, experience levels, and/or goals for the mentorship program.
ARTogether was thrilled to deepen this project of intentional community building and culturally relevant professional development in 2023, through a 3-day intensive program centering gathering, collective power building, and peer connection while providing mentorship, guidance, and professional development led by local, BIPOC artists and art professionals established in the field. 1st and 2nd generation immigrant, refugee, and diasporic artists reflected on their own journeys as artists thus far, identified their goals and needs, and grounded themselves within their values and wishes. Each day included creative exercises, group workshops, and individual coaching sessions.
Previous instructors in this program included Raeshma Razvi, Kimberley Acebo Arteche, Rhiannon Evans MacFadyen, Jason Bayani, Maw Shein Win, Preeti Vangani, Edward Gunawan, Rupy Tut, Sabina Kariat, Nivedita Rajendra, Christine No, Shelley Wong, and Chetna Mehta.
Cohorts
2023 (Literary Arts Focus)
Zara Jamshed
Kristie Song
Diana Fu
saahil m.
Angel Bista
Elizabeth Feng
Diana Medina
Percy Shumacher
Amy Zhou 周纯
Tracy Jones
Kiki Quach
Clary Ahn
Carmela Gaspar
Vina Vo
Jerrica Li
Jessica Yuru Zhou 周玉茹
Marwa Doost
2023
Jy Jimmie Flora Gabiola (Photography, Writing)
Valerie Win Liu (Illustration)
Ipeleng Kgositsile (Performance, Writing)
Dalar Alahverdi (Visual Art)
Romina Zabihian (Visual Art)
Arina Sawari-Stadnyk (Visual Art, Writing)
2022
Sunroop Kaur (Visual Art)
Sen Mendez (Visual Art)
Etty Alberto (Visual Art)
Linah Sofi (Visual Art)
Anita Sulimanovic (Visual Art)
René Revolorio Keith (Visual Art)
Jawn Wilson (Visual Artist)
Alisson Gothz (Multidisciplinary)
Juliana Mendonca (Dance)
Ariam Weldeab Araya (Film)
Our Story
In 2022, with the support of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program, ARTogether and Oakland Art Murmur partnered to pilot an artist mentorship program for Oakland-based refugee and immigrant artists. The program welcomes artists of all crafts, levels, and experiences looking to expand their network, learn new skills, develop their career, and obtain professional guidance. Throughout the program, participants are paired with a mentor artist with compatible interests, artistic craft specialties, experience levels, and/or goals for the mentorship program.
ARTogether was thrilled to continue this project of intentional community building and culturally relevant professional development in 2023, through a 3-day intensive program centering gathering, collective power building, and peer connection while providing mentorship, guidance, and professional development led by local, BIPOC artists and art professionals established in the field. 1st and 2nd generation immigrant, refugee, and diasporic artists reflected on their own journeys as artists thus far, identified their goals and needs, and grounded themselves within their values and wishes. Each day included creative exercises, group workshops, and individual coaching sessions.
Previous instructors in this program included Raeshma Razvi, Kimberley Acebo Arteche, Rhiannon Evans MacFadyen, Rupy Tut, Sabina Kariat, Nivedita Rajendra, Christine No, and others.
Cohorts
2023
Jy Jimmie Flora Gabiola (Photography, Writing)
Valerie Win Liu (Illustration)
Ipeleng Kgositsile (Performance, Writing)
Dalar Alahverdi (Visual Art)
Romina Zabihian (Visual Art)
Arina Sawari-Stadnyk (Visual Art, Writing)
2022
Sunroop Kaur (Visual Art)
Sen Mendez (Visual Art)
Etty Alberto (Visual Art)
Linah Sofi (Visual Art)
Anita Sulimanovic (Visual Art)
René Revolorio Keith (Visual Art)
Jawn Wilson (Visual Artist)
Alisson Gothz (Multidisciplinary)
Juliana Mendonca (Dance)
Ariam Weldeab Araya (Film)
