Claudette Carter ARTMentors

Research confirms that mentorships have significant positive effects on young people in a variety of social, academic, or work situations. Mentorship relationships connect young people to social, emotional, and personal growth opportunities.

CCAM pairs young, aspiring artists with an experienced local artist and explores the importance of the artistic process over a period of five months culminating in an exhibit at the Art Base. CCAM is designed for sophomore, junior, and senior high school students, as well as homeschool students. Each mentee and mentor work together to establish effective lines of communication, problem solve, and most importantly: create art! The program culminates in an exhibition in our gallery at the Art Base.

CCAM is competitive and requires an application process. Questions? Contact programs@theartbase.org.

Generously sponsored by Richard Carter.

2024 Mentors + Mentees

EDIE O’BYRNE +
Shawna Miller
Glenwood Springs High School Freshman
(Illustration + Music)

Edie O’Byrne is a 14-year-old emerging artist and freshman at Glenwood Springs High School. She has a passion for realistic portraiture and a deep connection to music, which often influences her work. Edie’s art seeks to capture the essence of her subjects with a soulful touch, reflecting her love for both art and music. Excited by the opportunity to collaborate with Shawna Miller, Edie looks forward to the journey ahead, aiming to grow and expand her artistic horizons. This collaboration marks a significant step in Edie’s artistic path, inspiring her to reach new heights in her creative expression.

SPENCER GALL +
Jessi Mansor 
Glenwood Springs High School Junior
(Painting + Drawing)

Spencer is a junior at Glenwood Springs High School. His focus is on painting and drawing. He was inspired by his mom and her artwork as a child. He loves art and is thrilled to be a part of the Claudette Carter ARTMentors Program. He is very excited to be working with mentor and artist Jessica Mansor.

LILU ILLOUZ +
Linda Loeschen
Basalt High School Junior
(Ceramics + mixed media)

Lilu, currently a junior at Basalt High School, lives in Basalt, CO with her younger sister and parents. Lilu has loved art since she was very little and is extremely grateful and excited to be participating in the 2024 CCAM program. Her work consists of ceramic sculptures and mixed media collages mostly reflecting on her struggles and what has come out of them in the hope of bringing her viewers a sense of relatability.

2023 Mentors + Mentees

SOFIE KOSKI,
freshman, home schooled +
Brian Colley
(Illustration + Comic Making)

Sofie is a home schooled freshman in the Crystal River Valley. She has been drawing ever since she learned how to hold a pen, and loves art of all kinds! Her area of interest as of now is illustration and comic making although she is extremely inexperienced in the latter. Sofie is very excited to have been accepted into this year’s Claudette Cater ARTMentors Program, and is very excited to be working with Brian Colley!

GRIFFIN HARTLEY,
sophomore at AHS +
Ryan Prince
(Illustration)

Griffin is a Basalt Colorado resident and attends Aspen High School. He likes listening to older music, mostly 70’s 80’s era music, but not modern pop. He does not like writing very much despite his parents both having careers in writing. However, he likes art and has been a participant in various Art Base offerings over the years and is now excited to be participating as a mentee in the 2023 Claudette Carter ARTMentors Program. He is inspired by cars and vehicles specifically from the 90’s. Griffin is working with the Art Base’s very own Installation + Facilities Manager, Ryan Prince.

JACKSON SCOTT,
junior at AHS +
Trey Broomfield
(Photography)

Jackson Scott is a junior at Aspen High School, lives in Basalt, Colorado with his younger sister Kate, his parents, and an overly loved yellow lab.  Jackson has a passion for sports, travel, music, and spending time with friends and family; and is looking toward a bright future going to college to study business.  He was originally inspired to create art as a young child in the studio with his grandmother, professional artist Barbara Sorensen.  That exposure inspired him as an artist and deepened his appreciation for visual arts.

SAMANTHA CERVANTES,
junior at BHS +
Gail Folwell
(Painting + Ceramics)

Samantha’s works in both ceramics and painting inspire the viewer to feel different emotions including the ones they try to avoid. Samantha’s work can be personal and distinctive at times. She is interested in topics related to mental health and socio-emotional well being because she feels as if people struggle to acknowledge that it’s okay to not be okay. Making art about these topics brings attention to the heightened emotional well being of humans post pandemic. Samantha makes pieces of art in which she expresses her own mental health ups and downs to allow herself to process them through her art making. Samantha is working with sculptor, Gail Folwell. sculpture.

SKYE WEMPE,
junior at RFHS +
Linda Loeschen
(Ceramics + Stained Glass)

Skye, currently a Junior at Roaring Fork High School, is working with Linda Loeschen and is excited to gain valuable experience in the art world. Skye is most interested in ceramics and stained glass pieces that strive to exhibit the beauty of her surroundings. She believes that the area in which we live is so beautiful that she would like to create impactful pieces reflective of that beauty. She looks forward to using this mentorship to grow as an artist and create works that bring people joy.

2022 Mentors + Mentees

CHARLEE FISHMAN,
sophomore at GSHS +
Andrea Wendel
(Architecture)

Charlee is a multidisciplinary artist with many interests. She has worked in jewelry, drawing, painting and sculpture. Her visual vocabulary is equally diverse, often including minute details, simplified forms and a variety of pattern. The body of work made for CCAM has been heavily influenced by her interest in architecture- specifically art deco.

NATALIE FRYER,
junior at BHS +
Savanna Labauve
(Ceramic)

Natalie’s ambitious works in ceramics and painting are informed by her interests in nature and process. Many of her works reference specific flora. She takes advantage of the materials she uses, rather than fighting them. She embraces the chance involved in working with clay, and lets gravity create unexpected marks in her large, fluid acrylic works on fabric.

LILY JOHNSON,
junior at CRMS +
Deb Shannan
(Photography | Mixed Media)

Lily’s work is very personal and introspective. In her triptych created for the CCAM exhibit, she examines how her family’s history has informed the present moment, and the future. Lily’s complex works on paper use a variety of materials and techniques, such as watercolor, collage, ink, and cyanotype printing.

SAGE KAUFMAN,
sophomore at GSHS +
Marcia Weese
(Print making )

Sage is interested in nature and landscape. She has been working on creating a grid of works on paper using watercolor and mokuhanga printing- which uses watercolor rather than ink. She is drawn to images of moons, water, mountains, and woodgrain. The delicate quality of her works and her materials (pigment, water, and paper made of plant fiber) mirror her subjects.

2021 Mentors + Mentees

TASHI JACKSON,
junior at CRMS +
Staci Dickerson

“My curiosity towards the Visual Arts has fascinated me since I was little. The ability to be in the visual creative art and design field is one area where I can see a future for myself. I am thrilled to be a part of such an incredible opportunity and am eager to see what I will learn and take away from my mentor Staci Dickerson.”

 

DANNY CARRENO,
senior at RFH +
Reina Katzenberger

“I’m a senior at Roaring Fork High School, throughout this amazing opportunity I plan to target mixed media and create various pieces that are based upon self revelation. I am most excited to be working with Reina Katzenberger, a professional artist with the ability to create within high levels of skill and character whom I know will guide me, inspire me, and motivate me to become a greater artist day by day. Therefore, I am also excited to expand my skill sets in art as I bring myself to open my mind and soul deeply, broadly. This will allow me to create pieces that uncover more about myself through my art.”

 

View the artist talk with student artist Danny Carreno and mentor Reina Katzenberger below.

STELLA FIRMIN,
junior at BHS +
Erin Rigney

“My name is Stella, I’m 17, and I go to Basalt High School. I first got into art when I was a little girl, I was always very creative. I started taking art more seriously in the past two years and have been able to make a lot of great pieces so far. I hope to gain a lot more knowledge from this mentorship and am super excited to learn more ways to express myself!”

 

View the artist talk with student artist Stella Firmin and mentor Erin Rigney below.

FINN JOHNSON,
sophomore at AHS +
Paul Woznicki

“Finn Johnson, Sophomore at Aspen High School explores faces and figures through various methods of deconstruction and art media such as stenciling, illustration, and painting.”

 

View the artist talk with student artist Finn Johnson and mentor Paul Woznicki below.

2020 Mentors + Mentees

ANALYN HOFFNER,
freshman at BHS +
Nancy Lovendahl
(Abstract Realism)

“When I’m not at school you can find me outside hiking or skiing—always incorporating nature into my art.” 

Analyn is particularly interested in an abstract realistic style of art and is really excited to learn about art as a career and finding more meaning in her work.

LINK TO ART TALK
TANNER BEAZLEY,
freshman at CRMS +
Doug Graybeal
(Architecture)

“I have been fascinated with building creative things since I was little and I have been interested in architecture for most of my life.

Tanner is excited to learn the steps of creating an architectural project and the interaction between nature and the built world.

LINK TO ART TALK
CODY THOMPSON,
junior at BHS +
Mathew Jinks
(Digital Media)

“I fell in love with art freshman year thanks to my high school art teacher, Sunny McClain. I am interested in exploring different mediums of art and I’m really excited to see what I can do and learn with my mentor Mathew Jinks.”

LINK TO ART TALK
KATHERINE DAVILA,
senior at BHS +
Summers Moore
(Photography)

“My interests involve photography, painting art, and drawing. “Art helps me express my emotions through different mediums. This mentorship will help me show my view of the world.”

LINK TO ART TALK