Wimberley’s projectART has paired ten local middle- and high-school students with professional artists for their sixth annual projectMENTOR program, a semester-long apprenticeship that concludes with a gallery exhibition of their artwork, SIDExSIDE, opening May 8. A reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at ARTSPACE, 111 River Rd, #100. The exhibit will continue through June 6, and will be open to the public.
The goal of projectMENTOR is to help students understand what it takes to be a professional
artist, not just by learning an artform but by learning the business aspect of the profession. To that end, students experience the creative process from concept to sale. They are coached in assigning value to their work and signing the contracts that allow their art to be shown in a gallery exhibit and potentially sold.
Since December 2025, students in the program have been working on final projects, learning new techniques and the particulars of creating art in a specific medium.
One of them, tenth-grader Kamren has been paired with artist Erica Smith to learn scenic
design. “Together, my mentor Erica and I constructed and painted an eight-foot by eight foot backdrop based on a rendering I painted. I have had a wonderful time discovering more about the backstage world of theatre and ‘moving paint around’ with Erica.”
“The most rewarding part of this experience,” said Smith, “has been getting to know Kamren and exploring the creative process together. We have come up with so many ideas; deciding which ones to prioritize within our limited time has required thoughtful planning. The most challenging part of the program has been narrowing down our project and deciding which ideas we wanted to pursue the most.”
For most artists, being a mentor in this program is about so much more.
“I joined the projectMENTOR program when I realized I had the opportunity to share my skills in set design and scenic art with a student who was eager to learn,” said Smith.
“When I was a theatre student in college, my mentors played a huge role in shaping my path. Participating feels like a meaningful way to give back and support the next generation of creative students.”
For their final project, Kamren and Smith are building an immersive photography set that two
other mentor-mentee pairs will use for their final project.
This year’s projectMENTOR pairs include artist Eric Morales and students Garner and Drew; artist Lydia Johns and Tess; artist David Bisett and students Arthur, Leigh Weinberg and Finley; artist Melanie Levin and Lenora; artist Brian Delano and Cullen; Melanie Machann and Ada; Heather Carter and Dorian; as well as Erica Smith and Kamren.
Through generous donations, projectART was able to provide each pair with the supplies needed to accomplish their projects and mentors received a small stipend for their participation.
