Corcoran Art Mentorship Program (CAMP)
 Mentor Rex Weil along with youth drawing up plans for a mural at Friendship House. |
| Photo: Rick Reinhard |
The artist-mentor relationship is the heart of CAMP, and fundamental to that relationship is mutual agreement. Mentors and students sign joint learning contracts at the beginning of each academic year that highlight their objectives and expectations. The contract also reinforces participants' commitment to the principle of mutual respect.
For Hector Gomez, a high school senior at the School Without Walls, and David Carlson, a painter and faculty member at Marymount College, that contract came to life as they spent approximately 16 hours a month together creating art, visiting art museums, discussing paintings, working ideas into an extensive photographic study, and exhibiting the works in a Corcoran show. Concurrently, Carlson and Gomez joined other student-mentor teams at 10 separate group meetings to talk about their work. They also participated in breakout sessions to work on post-high school planning, such as strategies for taking the SATs and sources of financial aid. David frequently visited Hector's home and kept in contact with his teachers and other people in his daily life.
At year's end, the CAMP participants go on a retreat to complete a major work and evaluate their experiences. CAMP students also enroll in the Corcoran College of Art and Design's Open Program to expand their technical skills and earn college credit. In an effort to further bolster students' success, CAMP leaders are launching a pilot art and writing summer program in July 2000 to enhance participants' verbal and writing skills and critical thinking talents by using art and art concepts as instructional vehicles.
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Corcoran
Art Mentorship Program (CAMP) |