The Path
Overview
Facilitated by Dr Kellie O’Dempsey The Path is both a workshop and mentorship that guides artists through concept and production development of a body of work.
The program includes:
intensive workshops
individual consultations
Critiques and talks from artists and industry professionals.
Working together with the artists, processes and frameworks are established where we safely discuss artwork, talk about the how’s and why’s, unpack meaning and establish the historical and contemporary relevance of practice.
This facilitated process aims to encourage growth in individual arts practices to develop critical thinking, to create community, explore and understand contemporary art practice. The program prepares artists to strategise and design a professional path towards future projects for their practice.
The Path is aimed at emerging and early career contemporary visual art practitioners who are – painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, installation, photography, video, audio and digital, interdisciplinary and performance art makers.
This program is designed to equip emerging and early-career artists with the skills to plan, strategise and design a professional career path.
IMPACT | Individual Artist
Artists will learn to:
Identify artistic investigation.
Bridge the gap between ideas and a project.
Articulate projects to presenters, galleries, partners, and funding bodies.
Understand the intersection of practice, concept, and delivery .
Design and deliver an artistic project, series, or body of work.
Engage and learn about critique and capacity to discuss new work.
IMPACT | Broader Community
The Path also offers a variety of other benefits to the wider ecosystem:
Encourages Innovation: Artists will explore the intersection of practice, concept, and delivery, integrating digital technologies to expand their creative approaches.
Builds Community: Collaborative workshops and critique sessions foster connections between participants and arts professionals, creating a vibrant artistic network.
Leads to Commission-Ready Work: By guiding artists through project design, presentation strategies, and proposal preparation, The Path ensures participants are well-positioned to deliver polished, compelling works for inclusion in local festivals and programming.
Format
The Path | 10 Week Mentorship Program
Includes: New work concept development, planning, production and delivery; guest instructors and industry professional visits; public presentation and pitch on completion; durational mentoring.
Includes: New work concept development and planning; intimate WIP showcase.
The Primer | 4 Days / 2 Weekends
The Preview | 2 Days / 1 Weekend
Includes: Concept development for new work.
Office Hours | 45min 1:1 Consultation Sessions
Artists are encouraged to define a key focus or multiple inquiries for their session and submit any relevant materials upon booking.
A full-day of individual consultations may be booked by councils or arts organisation.
Testimonials
Knowing the practices of many of the artists before they enter The Path, I’m amazed at how they are transformed through the program. They emerge able to talk confidently about their work in the context of contemporary practice and with new works or works in development that are focussed and relevant.
- Megan Williams, USC Gallery Director, 2022
The Path provides a unique opportunity for artists to interrogate what they do, why they do it and what they want to do next in a guided and supported space alongside a focussed group of like-minded peers. It’s different to what you might experience in art school and definitely something that is hard to achieve when you’re first set adrift into the art world by yourself. It seem that the path gives artists the space and the tools to reflect critically on what they want their art practices to do and be next. But it’s also a really fertile space for fostering collaborations, professional relationships and new ideas. I’ve personally been really impressed with the excitement and vision that each artist shares in their presentations at the conclusion of The Path and can see many of them on the cusp of projects and opportunities that might not otherwise come about.
- Michael Brennen, Noosa Regional Gallery Director 2022
The Path is an extraordinary mentoring program, providing a healthy dose of challenge, inspiration, education, and connection. Kellie gave me the freedom to explore the uncool parts of myself, to be experimental and playful, and dream big within my art practice. I learned how to talk about my art, consider exemplars, and place myself within an art lineage. I made a gigantic leap from a painting-focused practice to exploring performance and installation. A leap I wouldn’t have had the boldness to do alone and I’m so grateful for Kellie’s mentoring that gave me the space to do so. I’m left being wildly excited about my art practice and where it will go.
- Fiona Harding, The Path participant, Nambour (2022)
Inhabited Ipswich and The Path was pivotal in expanding my arts practice into new directions and introducing me to the Ipswich creative community. Kellie was generous with her time and knowledge and under her guidance I was able to realise an ambitious project that has directly led to further opportunities.
- Sean Williams, The Path x Inhabited, Ipswich (2023)
The Path program has provided me with the tools and confidence to push my art practice in new and exciting directions. I am in the process of collaborating with another local artist on a proposal for an exhibition at Ipswich Community Gallery to produce a body of work that will incorporate projection art and community engagement. This will be my first experience in applying to exhibit my work at a gallery.
- Cynthia Copley, The Path x Inhabited, Ipswich (2023)
After Path
After the 2021 The Path x Sunshine Coast Council, 3 new artist run initiatives were launched by participants and have been established now for over 3 years.
Photo Details |
Fiona Cuthbert, Detail from Bystander (2024), Photo credit Ren Wren
Photo Details |
Fiona Cuthbert, Detail from Bystander (2024), Photo credit Ren Wren
Photo Details | Brady Cooke, Detail from Colourman 2022, Photo credit Carl Warner
Office Hours
Office Hours provides emerging and early-career artists with a dedicated 45-minute consultation with Dr. Kellie O’Dempsey.
Artists are encouraged to define a key focus or multiple inquiries for their session and submit any relevant materials upon booking.
Dr. Kellie O’Dempsey will provide feedback, critique, or further research materials in areas such as:
Concept development
Exploring new works
Identifying professional development opportunities
Strategic planning
For news and updates
Office Hours Consult