ECU student in front of Tony Davis’ sculpture ‘Folly Interstice’, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2020. Photo Julie Gordon.
Thanks to ECU’s partnership with Sculpture by the Sea there are excellent opportunities for Visual Arts students to gain practical experience, including mentor relationships and an internship placement.
Sculpture by the Sea artist and mentor Olga Cironis commented that, “this mentorship program is a wonderful idea for emerging and senior artists to exchange ideas, be inspired, challenge each other and keep one’s art practice fresh. I look forward to meeting with Kat regularly to discuss her ideas and realise her goals over the next few months.”
When asked how the ECU mentorship would impact her career, ECU mentee Kat Wilson-Smith said that, “the ECU mentorship program has encouraged me to believe more in myself as an artist, and that I am in fact fortunate enough to pursue my passion.”
Olga Cironis and ECU Student at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2020. Photo Julie Gordon.
Kat offered her thoughts on being mentored by exhibiting artist Olga Cironis that it was “an absolute honour to be mentored by Olga Cironis. We both speak similar visual languages with an understanding not only of symbology but also the understanding of contexts within our work. Olga doesn’t confine herself to one medium, which I can relate to, and is always learning and growing as an artist. If she wants to communicate something she will find the medium that gives her words the best voice even if it means it’s an unconventional material. I admire that she is never afraid to learn new things, her knowledge is invaluable.”
Also benefiting from ECU’s sponsorship of the event, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) student Alex Fuller secured an internship at Sculpture by the Sea and the opportunity to show her work in the ‘Sculpture Inside’ exhibition.
“It’s my philosophy that students should be seeking out and taking advantage of all opportunities available to them. Sculpture by the Sea is a chance for me to continue to diversify my experience, gain practical curatorial experience on a large-scale project and continue to build relationships within the local arts sector.”
“The best part about being open to experiences, is that you never know what opportunities might arise. I’ve had some fantastic offers from the most unlikely of places – by being open with your goals and visible, you start to gain traction rapidly. I am excited to see how Sculpture by the Sea will inform my current journey, and what might come out of it!”