THE Mentorship Program

 The APA Mentorship Program involves ceramic artists working together in a formal, peer-learning framework, with experienced artists mentoring evolving artists. The protégé’s goals lead the pair’s direction. Mentors are seasoned professionals who provide personalized and regular support, training, advice, encouragement, and feedback. The program is for APA members and operates through the APA. 

The Mentorship Program does not take the place of education through formal educational institutions or artist-run workshops but augments the learning process for emerging artists. The Mentorship Program also is not an internship program for academic credit or where evolving artists would work for the mentor. A mentor offers their knowledge, expertise, and advice to those with less experience. By leveraging their knowledge and skills, mentors guide protégés in the right direction. A mentor helps protégés consider opportunities for artistic growth, gain confidence, and base their support on their own experiences and learnings.

WHAT IS MENTORING?

Specifically, a mentor helps protégés explore their skill, technique, career options, set development goals, develop new contacts, and identify resources. Mentoring focuses on applying knowledge in practice. Many highly qualified teachers in the ceramic arts community enjoy the process of helping others grow. In turn, students greatly benefit from formal mentorship programs to augment their learning in school, workshops, and sessions to learn specific ceramic art techniques. 

HOW TO APPLY.

To read more about the program, open, download and read this PDF document: APA Mentorship Program PDF

We are now accepting mentor applications. Please click here to apply. The APA will contact you shortly after receiving your application. 

We are now accepting Protégé applications. Please click here to apply. The APA will contact you shortly after receiving your application.

Current Mentors

Mindy Andrews:

My love for education and learning has been a constant in my ceramic practice and teaching career. I have had work selected for numerous exhibitions in Canada, USA, Australia, Asia and Europe. My work can also be found in numerous galleries in Canada and the United States.

 Since graduating from the Alberta University of the Arts in 2002, I have worked at North Mount Pleasant and Wildflower Art Centres as an instructor and on call ceramics technician. During that time, I also mentored a number of students as well.

My ceramics knowledge is extensive from working with clay, surface design techniques, overglaze and luster application and glaze chemistry. 

Susan Thorpe

Susan Thorpe graduated with a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of Western Ontario in 1974 where she studied art history, drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture. Her first experience with clay occurred at university in sculpture class and for fun she enrolled in throwing lessons at the campus Clay Studio. There was no looking back!

In 1988 she moved to Calgary and became a member of the Alberta Potters’ Association and enjoyed exposure to international ceramics at the Alberta University of the Arts (formerly Alberta College of Art and Design), the Banff Canter for the Arts and Australian National University.

 Thorpe’s work has undergone intensive change over the last 20 years. Initially her handbuilt clay work resembled the fruit baskets from her hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario. The baskets soon evolved into thrown vessels with brightly coloured glazes and found objects for handles.  

In recent years she has produced a selection of tableware made from Alberta stoneware clay mined and blended by Plainsman Clays Ltd of Medicine Hat. Leaf imagery is built up through a multi-layered process of resists and glaze patterning. Colours are a rich blend of earthy brown and caramel, burgundy and oxblood red, vibrant blue and violet. Glazes are formulated using only non-toxic and lead free materials. 

Susan Thorpe has shared her knowledge and experience with the customers at Ceramics Canada, and as an instructor for Mount Royal College, the Calgary Board of Education, the City of Calgary and the Alberta Potters Association. Susan has recently retired from the position of Ceramics Technician at Wildflower Art Center.

Callie Diesel

Diesel Clay pottery is made with a richly coloured red stoneware that is layered with visual textures and lively colours for a sophisticated, yet approachable look.
Strong and sturdy, handsome yet poised, these pieces will add the perfect touch of unique personality to your table, or make gifting effortless!

Teresa Wyss

Teresa Wyss is a small-batch potter working out of her home studio to create functional art ceramics. She works in a porcelain stoneware clay body, decorating her pieces using the sgraffito technique, hand carving designs into a slip-covered surface. Pairing a black slip with her brightly coloured glazes, Teresa’s work is redolent of rustic woodcut prints. Her designs are inspired by wildlife, the Canadian landscape, and the vivid colours of nature. 

Born in Cornwall, Ontario, Teresa now lives in Calgary to be closer to the mountains. Teresa received her Bachelor’s Degree in Geography at the University of Guelph and has taken ceramics courses at Medalta, in Medicine Hat and The Glebe, in Ontario.

Darlene Swan

Darlene Swan was born, raised and educated in Calgary and aside from a two-year period of living in Germany, she has spent most of her time in this community. She received a Bachelor of Physical Education and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Calgary.

Now in retirement from teaching school she has become an active member in the Calgary arts community, where she works in collaborative settings with other artists, especially clay artists. She works in her own studio in Calgary.

Darlene has been creating pottery for more than 30 years and her high level of skill has been acknowledged by the Alberta Foundations for the Arts, which recently added one of her pieces to its permanent collection.

Ashley Morrow

I began my clay journey at Mount Royal College around 1993 or 1994. I was a biology student and needed a non science / creative outlet and enrolled in a campus rec pottery class taught by Susan Thorpe. In 1995 I transferred to UNBC in Prince George, BC to finish up my bachelor’s degree where I majored in wildlife biology, but I had to put the clay on hold and did not touch it for another 6 years. 

When I eventually returned to clay, it was 2001 and I enrolled as a student at Fairview Studios, and I have been throwing pots there ever since. I began teaching wheel throwing at Fairview Studios approximately 13 years ago and have been doing so ever since. 

My education in clay has been essentially self directed and is continually ongoing. Aside from reading everything I could get my hands on, scouring the internet for as much information as possible, and watching every throwing video on YouTube, I have travelled all over the place to learn new techniques and to help develop the skills I already have. I have been as far as Ireland to salt fire with Marcus O’Mahoney, and have been to workshops as close to home as Red Deer and Medicine Hat and have had some amazing teachers along the way. I even began working at Ceramics Canada in Calgary approximately 13 years ago with the thought that it would allow me to surround myself with even more people in the clay community that I could learn from.