The Mentorship Program

IMPACTING OVER 100 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR, THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM EXISTS TO TRANSFORM STUDENTS’ LIVES THROUGH ART AND TO PREPARE THEM FOR A DYNAMIC ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL FUTURE.

Each month of the school year, Oklahoma City Public School students visit Artspace’s studio to create, learn and experiment with art. With the help of our Education Director and local artists who serve as program mentors, this free program prepares Oklahoma students for a future of possibilities through an interdisciplinary art curriculum. We incorporate art history, theory, and contemporary art trends into the curriculum, prioritizing an active dialogue and participatory atmosphere. The Mentorship Program takes into consideration our 21st century context of digital media and visual culture.

The Mentorship Program does not replace the classroom. This program started as ARTSPACE’s outreach efforts to schools to provide students an experience beyond traditional academia. We connect young minds to a flourishing art community in Oklahoma City and beyond. Entirely free to students and teachers, this program is funded through ARTSPACE’s resources and generous community support.

Students participate in activities like printmaking, woodblock carving, digital media, and preparing art works for the annual Mentorship Exhibition and Steamroller Print Festival. These two events provide extraordinary exposure for students, connecting them to a larger art community.

The Mentorship Exhibition during Youth Arts Month in March showcases exemplary works from students with a formal exhibition in all ARTSPACE’s galleries. Students learn how to frame, hang, light, and write about their works, while receiving vital exposure in the juried exhibition.

The Steamroller Print Festival each spring features the printing of student and local artists’ large-scale wood block works. This festival is a community block party in collaboration with downtown Oklahoma City businesses. During each festival students interact with art professors, college students, and professional artists while helping in the printmaking process.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Putnam Heights Academy

Emerson North

Santa Fe South

Astec Charter

Star Spencer

Frederick Douglass

Emerson South

Belle Isle Enterprise

Southeast

NW Classen

Harding Fine Arts Academy

Classen SAS

Mission Academy

Mount St. Mary

Putnam Heights Academy Emerson North Santa Fe South Astec Charter Star Spencer Frederick Douglass Emerson South Belle Isle Enterprise Southeast NW Classen Harding Fine Arts Academy Classen SAS Mission Academy Mount St. Mary

Stop Motion Animation Summer Program

With the decision to focus on workforce development, the expanding film industry in Oklahoma, and student interest in animation, we shifted our summer programming to explore 2D and 3D animation in 2021. From storyboarding and puppet-making to PR and marketing, students produce a full stop-motion short under the guidance of their award-winning instructors and industry professionals: Nicole Emmons and Mason Drumm.

Our program helps prepare the next generation of filmmakers right here in OKC. Supporting our students means investing in the future of Oklahoma's vibrant film scene.

Program Press

Why Animation Education Matters:

Boosts Creativity: Animation fosters creativity, allowing students to bring their imaginative stories to life.
Develops Technical Skills: Students gain hands-on experience with animation techniques, enhancing their technical abilities.
Enhances Problem-Solving: Animation projects require critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and personal growth.

Student produced Stop Motion Films

"Melk" is a stop animation made by our mentorship students that tells the story of a rural family in the '70s who get an unexpected visit by a stranger from another world.

View the film here.
PIPES created by our mentorship students during the 2022 summer stop motion animation program under instructor Nicle Emmons.
View the film here.
On what was meant to be a fun vacation, two close friends, Trevor and Cameron, end up separated after their plane crashes inside what is seemingly a cave in a strange island. Trevor now has to traverse the dark and bloody caverns and fight off beasts like no other just to reunite with his friend. However, the island itself isn't what it seems...
View the film here.
Ahochi, a Native American girl, faces challenges expressing herself under the oppressive rule of her teacher. When a mischievous Red Fox steals her only escape from her boring and grim reality, Ahochi suddenly finds herself led into a surreal and otherworldly adventure.
View the film here.