New partnership helps young fine artists, musicians find work

A new partnership between the Guelph Arts Council and the University of Guelph will help grads find work in a notoriously difficult job market: the arts.

"Artists are creative entrepreneurs," the council's executive director Patti Broughton, told CBC News.

"Like anyone else, [they] need to network and learn business and management skills in order to build careers as fineartists or as musicians."

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The partnership will pair 44 budding young musicians and visual artists with local established professionals in their field who will teach them how to navigate the job market, which often includes freelance or contract workand piecing together opportunities, said Broughton.

"It can be a very project-oriented kind of work. You may respond to a call [for] artists, you may be in an exhibition. It's not 9 to five by any means, for many artists. Or they may have a 9 to five job and also be an artist which comes with its own challenges of course.

Twenty-two mentees will be accepted for the upcoming spring term, which starts in May, and another 22 for the fall term. Though the partnership is with the University of Guelph, it is open to any young artist who lives in Guelph.

Applications for mentors and mentees are available by contacting Guelph Arts Council.

The partnership is funded through Ontario150.