Teens take center stage at 15th Annual Claudette Carter ARTmentors exhibition

Budding young artists will display their creative growth at the 15^th annual Claudette Carter ARTmentors (CCAM) exhibition, culminating a three-month mentorship program. 

The free exhibition takes place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at The Art Base, and the show will run through May 16.

The CCAM program pairs Roaring Fork Valley artists with teens, fostering creativity and collaboration. Attendees can witness the transformative power of mentorship and support the next generation of artists.

Brady Beazley, a junior at Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS), wanted to focus on photography. 

“We didn’t have a photographer who had already signed up,” explained Megan VanZandt, the community program coordinator, so they reached out to photographers and landed on Jeremy Swanson. He became Beazley’s mentor.

Kevin Castillo, a junior at Glenwood Springs High School, was interested in trying something new, which was laser fabrication. The Art Base had a laser fabricator that was not in use. 

“It was a great opportunity for him to get involved since we had the tools at our disposal and did not have any staff members using it,” shared VanZandt.  

Castillo paired well with tattoo artist Matt Hays, who is skilled in laser fabrication.

“It was challenging in a way because I’m a big mark maker, so having these solid lines made it hard for me to transfer my own artistic vision to it,” said Castillo. 

Yet, he was inspired to have learned a new medium. He plans to include his new work in his portfolio when he applies for art schools in the future.

Nicole Gogolak, a multimedia artist, matched well with two teens to attempt working in a three-dimensional space.

Alma Leder, a German exchange student from Hamburg and a junior at Basalt High School, and Reese Ferguson, a sophomore at Basalt High School, had both been attending The Art Base’s Laura Thorne mentorship program last fall.

“I learned how to use installation foam for things I would normally not know how to use it for,” Leder said of her current mentorship. “It’s materials you would never think of using for art, and then you use it, and it’s actually more exciting to use materials in an alternative way.”

Ferguson said that she benefited from the independence and individuality she felt in this mentorship. 

“I learned a lot of different ways you can make sculpture, and I learned a lot of painting techniques,” she said. “I think it definitely extended my knowledge and ways you can work when it comes to art.

“I feel like this program has kind of laid the groundwork for art in my future because it’s something that I really enjoy, and it’s kind of helped me explore that more,” she added.

The Art Base has multiple mentorship programs tailored to fit into a school year. The CCAM was founded in 2010 by Nancy Lovendahl to honor Claudette Carter’s deep commitment to transforming lives through art. 

There’s also the Laura Thorne Sculpture mentorship program that takes place in the fall, and their latest program is called HOME / UN HOGAR for newly arrived immigrant students. For more information, visit theartbase.org/edu.