“To cultivate an environment in which creatives thrives

through community works of art

and community partnerships.”

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STATEMENT OF INTENT | To foster clear direction for mentees, engender community pride, and build wide connections and deep appreciation and representation of cultural identity. Artist X Advocacy Mentorship Program is led by artist/advocate mentor, Jill Wells BFA, CADC who draws from her experiences as an Artist and Iowa Board Certified Substance Use Counselor to bring together youth, creatives, educators, professionals, and community organizations. AXA was founded in March of 2020 by artist, advocate and mentor, Jill Wells BFA, CADC who draws from her experiences as an Artist and Iowa Board Certified Substance Use Counselor to bring together youth, artists, educators, advocates and community organizations.

 

PARTNERS + STAKEHOLDERS​

• Mainframe Studios

• Iowa Arts Council

• Iowa Department for The Blind

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Your investment will

support youth art mentorship programing,

our intent and mission.

 

Thank you!

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MISSION + PROGRAM | The mission of the A.X.A. Mentorship Program is to connect mentees with various local partners to create opportunities for community engagement and healing through the arts. AXA is an annual mentorship program open to youth and young adults in Des Moines, who are interested in the Arts or Advocacy fields of work. Mentee(s) will also co-create a public work of art/art performance with Wells. The six-month mentorship program includes two, three month-long mentorship slots.

• weekly one-on-one mentor/mentee sessions (Frequency: 1x weekly sessions @1 hour per week. Any additional time invested by Mentee, outside of the listed frequency, is unpaid and at the mentee’s discretion).

• mentee stipend: $500.00

• a series of community engagement workshops, podcasts, and interviews

• mainframe studio space

• a resume/portfolio prep workshop 

• professional photography headshots

• creating an original public work of art

• professional network development

• social/emotional support

• practical experience working with professionals in a variety of creative/corporate disciplines

• community involvement through creating a public work of art/art performance

• Due to COVID-19, A.X.A. Mentorship Program offers a hybrid in-person and virtual schedule

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