The Fine Art of Mentorship

Art Education. My “art education” has followed an unorthodox path—which I believe is not uncommon among practicing artists, particularly those who come to the party quite late. In preschool, I first showed a bent toward abstraction, determined that it was OK to color hair green. Next (and a family move) came three years of Saturday morning children’s art classes at the Baltimore Museum of Art. In addition to the joy of trying out a lot of different ways to put paint on paper, these Saturdays also gave me special time with my father—who was also a student at the museum, taking weekly evening classes in oil painting. After my class, the two of us would spend another half hour exploring collections of Picasso, Matisse, and mostly the Impressionists. (Through osmosis or covert observation, my father’s influence on my artistic development is undeniable, but that is a story for another time.)

After another move at age ten, I didn’t find much inspiration in public school weekly art classes (through 8th grade), or from an elective oil painting class in high school. A year of art history in college would have been more appealing had the course included the two decades beyond 1950.

A self-taught photographer from age 8, I was well into my 30s before the idea of studying that art form materialized, bringing me to the Minnetonka Art Center and my first experience with art mentorship. Instructor George Gambsky, an accomplished photographer whose own mentors included the great Minor White, taught a series of small classes for serious photographers. He quickly dispensed with formal instruction on the mechanics of using the camera and darkroom, guiding us to find our own vision as we mastered composition and light. Over five years, my very small cohort explored with George, finding our own way of seeing and interpreting the visual world. I didn’t know at the time that these “lessons” would apply more generally to “art.”

One day at the ripe age of 67, I looked at a print and wondered what I could do by adding “a little” paint. A few weeks later I was totally immersed in paint—without the photographs. I felt that I was back in Baltimore exploring colors and compositions that were not bound by reality. Back to green hair! Yet my lack of formal art education seemed to be a barrier and I sought professional help through community workshops and, most notably, the Open Acrylic Studio class at Artistry (the Bloomington Center for the Arts). There I met painter/instructor Tom Tyler and what turned into a long-running small group of older adult “students” with diverse approaches to visual art. I’ve been part of this group for eight years now, benefitting from Tom’s gentle guidance and my cohorts’ wide-ranging directions and opinions, now as an independent group renting the art center’s studio space every Monday. It’s not so much a class as a group mentorship.

Formal Mentorship. As I plunged further into paint and mixed media, I wanted/needed more guidance and feedback, and found the Women’s Art Resource of Minnesota (WARM) program. Unfortunately WARM was in its last couple years before dissolving—but not before I applied to WARM’s Mentorship program. Although the program officially ended before my mentorship began, many of my cohort negotiated private arrangements with our “assigned” mentors. I worked briefly with painter Marcia Soderman-Olson before she relocated to Sante Fe, and then began my ongoing work with Deborah Foutch. Deborah is a textile artist with a background in dollmaking, not photography or even much painting. But I learned –even in our initial interview—that a true artist can pretty much teach anyone committed to their art. Technicalities like brushwork and paint mixing can be learned elsewhere, if necessary, but developing a strong sense of composition, color, and feeling comes from working with an artist, not a technician—and hearing a lot of not-always pleasant, yet always constructive feedback.

We initially met a couple times a month, and the plan was for the program to go on for two years. That was nearly six years ago. We don’t meet that often now, maybe every other month when I have some new work or new concerns. Among other things, Deborah helped me connect the compositional elements underlying my photography to what I was now doing with paint and canvas. Her own approach to layering materials inspired my integration of collage—and layering paint-- into my work. In addition to our individual time together, I joined her “pod”—a diverse collection of early career artists all working individually with Deborah. We have continued meeting at least a few times each year to share new work and new challenges. It has become a collaborative mentoring group.

I don’t think I will outgrow my need for mentoring. I can now give myself a lot of constructive (or self-pitying) criticism. I can often anticipate what Deborah will say. But still it helps to have another point of view, particularly from someone who has been along on the journey since the beginning.

Mentorship is a relationship. At its best—and I believe that has been my experience—it’s not so much about learning what to do and how to do it as about developing your eye, your style, and most of all, about trusting that eye and your own motivation. Over time I’ve learned how to see –how to see when viewing artwork in general, how to see my own work, and how to move it forward. And I’ve come to appreciate how much I learned from years as a photographer, and how much those “green hair” worksheets are still with me.

“The Art of Discovery.” Deborah brought the “pod” together for an exhibit in 2024, held in the On2 Gallery at her studio building, California Building in Northeast Minneapolis. Now Deborah has invited me and fellow mentee John Stumme to exhibit again in the On2 to celebrate and promote the concept of art mentorship. Each of us will exhibit recent work on an assigned wall in the gallery, with a fourth wall showing a landscape work from each of us.You can see the exhibit only during building hours and only if you take a rather old elevator to the second floor gallery. The opening on January 24 will be less a reception and more a discussion about mentoring, about our respective journeys. I hope you can join us for this Saturday event, 5-7 pm (see bleow). If you come, please enter the building on the east side through MoJo Coffee off 22nd Avenue, off the parking lot. (You might not be able to get inside otherwise!) Oh, and grab a chai or coffee in MoJo on your way up, if you arrive before 6!

Casket Arts Valentine’s Day Open Studio, February 14 (11 am – 4 pm)
You will note there is no “Second Saturday” campus event at Casket Arts this month. In 2026, we have replaced Second Saturdays with four “Open Studio Saturday” events, in addition to Art-a-Whirl and Open Casket weekends, and December’s Holiday Market. Up first, our Valentine’s Day Open Studio Saturday on February 14. Enjoy browsing art throughout our campus, maybe finding a special gift for your Valentine… or yourself. Studio 218 will offer a colorful contrast to what has been an unusually dreary winter so far. More details next month! 681 17th Av NE, Mpls.

On Exhibit
“The Art of Discovery: Going Deeper Through Mentorship,” On2 Gallery, California Building, January 24-March 1. Details above. Works by mentor Deborah Foutch and two of her mentees, Andrea Canter (“Tipping Point,” below) and John Stumme, illustrating the artistic development that can occur through mentorship with a seasoned artist. Opening reception/discussion on January 24, 5-7 pm. California Building On2 Gallery, 2205 California Street NE, Minneapolis.

Wyoming Creative Arts Community, Hallberg Center for the Arts 11th Annual “That’s Why Eye Saw” through January 17. This is an annual nonjuried show of photography, film and digital. My two digital prints, “Red Railing” and “Shades of Gehry”, are hanging with the rest. 5521 E. Viking Blvd, Wyoming; open Tueday-Saturday; www.wyomingcreativearts.org

White Bear Center for the Arts Annual Members Exhibition, through January 23, Ford Family Gallery, Exhibition Hall, and Atrium. An annual nonjuried show of members’ work, there’s a parallel “junior” exhibition in the adjacent Community Hall for young artists age 6-15. My “Summer Quilt” mixed media work is included this year. 4971 Long Av, White Bear Lake; open Monday-Saturday; www.whitebeararts.org

Visit Me at Casket Arts
Although there are fewer open studio events in 2026, there will be no less activity in Studio 218. I hope you can make it to our Valentine’s Day party at Casket Arts, but it is the sort of holiday that likely has competing activities. Winter is a great time to arrange a private studio visit – to see my recent work, to look for something to fill that empty (or tired!) wall space in home or office, to talk with me about a commissioned work, to just have fun browsing original art on a cold winter day! Feel free to bring a friend, relative, even a young (well behaved) child—I enjoy hearing “reviews” from uninhibited kids and it is never too soon to introduce children to original art—or artists.

Easy to make an appointment—email, text or call! I am around most of the winter.

Andrea
612-501-8812
andreacanterartworks@gmail.com

Andrea Canter
Artist and Owner
andreacanterartworks.com

Andrea Canter Artworks
The Casket Arts Building
681 17th Ave NE, Studio 218
Minneapolis, MN 55413

January 2026Rachel HoldgraferJanuary 20, 2026