Collaborations II: The Mentorship Exchange
The 2027 Celebration of Women continues our exploration of collaboration with Collaborations II: The Mentorship Exchange. This year, we expand the idea of creative partnership beyond artist-to-artist collaboration, inviting artists to share their practices with people from other walks of life.
Collaborations can exist between artists, artist teams, professional or emerging artist and family members, teachers, students, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, parents, seniors, nonprofit professionals, tradespeople, veterans, community leaders, or other individuals or groups outside the visual arts community, etc.
Through mentorship, conversation, shared experiences, and creative exchange, artists and mentees will explore what can emerge when different perspectives come together. The resulting work becomes more than an artwork—it becomes a reflection of the relationship, discoveries, and creative journey shared along the way.
The Mentorship Exchange celebrates the idea that everyone has something to teach, something to learn, and a creative voice worth exploring
Beginning Your Collaboration
Where do we begin?
A collaboration can begin with a simple conversation, a shared interest, or a question you are curious to explore together.
For some, this may be a first experience with collaboration. There is no right way to begin. The goal is to make space for both people to share, listen, experiment, and contribute.
The exercises that follow are starting points, not a formula. Use them as written, adapt them, or simply let them spark your own ideas.
Start with three questions:
Who are we?
What do we each bring?
What interests us?
What would we like to explore together?
What can we create?
What might emerge when our ideas come together?
Enjoy the process. The discovery is part of the artwork.
A Collaboration Exercise for Young Creators
Collaboration is about sharing ideas, trying new things, and making something together. There are no wrong ideas!
1. Meet Your Partner
Take a few minutes to talk and discover something about each other.
Ask:
What is something you love to do?
What is something you are really good at?
What is something you would like to learn?
What is your favorite thing to draw, make, or imagine?
2. Find Your Idea
Together, choose something you both like or find interesting.
It could be:
🌳 Nature
🐾 Animals
🏠 Your home or community
⭐ A dream or imagination
❤️ Family or friendship
🎵 Music
🚀 Something you would like to invent
Write or draw your idea.
Our idea: __________________________
3. Teach Each Other
Show your partner something you know how to do.
Then let your partner show you something they know.
It could be a drawing trick, a way to use a material, a craft, a story, a game, or something completely different.
4. Make Something Together
Now create!
Take turns adding ideas, making choices, and building on what your partner does.
Try not to plan everything before you begin. Let the artwork surprise you.
5. Give It a Name
Look at what you made together.
Choose a title that tells something about your artwork or your experience.
Our title: __________________________
6. Share Your Story
Complete these sentences:
I taught my partner:
My partner taught me:
The most surprising thing was:
Our artwork is special because:
The Big Idea
Two people + two sets of ideas = something new that neither person could have made alone!
A Simple Collaboration Exercise
Collaboration begins with curiosity. This exercise is a starting point to help you get to know your partner, discover what you can learn from one another, and find an idea to explore together.
1. Get to Know Each Other
Spend some time talking about your interests, experiences, work, hobbies, or something you are passionate about.
Ask each other:
What do you enjoy doing?
What are you good at?
What would you like to learn?
Is there a story, memory, place, or object that is meaningful to you?
2. Find a Connection
Look for something you have in common or something that sparks your curiosity.
Together, complete this sentence:
“We would like to explore…”
It could be a memory, a place, a story, an experience, an idea, or simply something you both find interesting.
3. Share Something
Each person brings something to the collaboration.
The artist might share an artistic technique or creative approach. The mentee might share a skill, experience, story, or different perspective.
What can we teach each other?
4. Create Together
Experiment with materials and ideas. Talk, make suggestions, try things, and let the project develop naturally.
There is no need to know exactly what the finished artwork will look like at the beginning.
5. Tell Your Story
When the artwork is finished, take a moment to reflect:
What did we learn from each other?
What surprised us?
How did our original idea change?
What part of the artwork could only have happened because we worked together?
Remember
The goal is not to create a perfect artwork. The goal is to create something neither person would have created alone