MENTORPODS
CLIENT
Canada Council for the Arts
TYPE OF PROJECT
Mentorship
CATEGORY
Public Art
BRIEF
MENTORPODS was created by us at the SUMO Project and delivered in collaboration with dexd as a creative mentorship platform designed to support novice* artists in developing and pitching public art concepts with expert guidance. We envisioned the program as a bridge between artistic practice and the practical realities of producing public art—offering a structured yet flexible environment for learning, experimentation, and professional growth.
Running from late June through August 2025, the program received applications from across Ontario, including Hamilton, Ottawa, and Windsor—reflecting a widespread need for mentorship opportunities in the field of public art. From these, we selected participants whose diverse disciplines, perspectives, and lived experiences enriched the program’s collective learning environment.
We brought together a small, interdisciplinary team of experienced professionals—artists, architects, project managers, engineers, and technical advisors—who worked closely with the mentees through weekly presentations, workshops, and reviews. Together, we guided participants in strengthening their creative voices, refining their proposals, and gaining practical insight into materials, fabrication, contracts, and budgeting.+INFO
We would like to sincerely thank all of our guest lecturers for their generous time, expertise, and insights. Your contributions enriched the MENTORPODS program, providing invaluable guidance and inspiration to our emerging artists.
This opportunity have been possible thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts
MENTEES
1
Olya Tkachenko
Vytynanka Dress, Paper, 2018
2
Jenny Santos
Trumpets, Ceramics, 2024
3
Michelle Lepine
The Garden of Ubuntu, Acrilic on canvas original - Vinyl on Backerboard, 2024
4
Eva Pestrin
-
5
Elizabeth Lau
Heartbeat, Ceramic, 2025
6
Martha Steele
Chime / Renew, Recycled glass and steel, interactive sound-sculture, 2023
EXERCISE
Over these weeks, participants explored the process of creating public art, from conceptual development to practical implementation. Sessions covered project planning, site-specific strategies, material selection, sustainability, and buildability. Artists shared proposals and budgets, receiving feedback on both creative and logistical aspects. The program also addressed career development, navigating opportunities, and the broader social and community role of art in public spaces.
Our focus was on fostering collaboration, inclusivity, and professional development. We created a supportive community where creative risks, open dialogue, and critical thinking were encouraged. By demystifying the processes behind public art—from concept to installation—we helped equip emerging artists with the tools, networks, and confidence to navigate commissions and make meaningful contributions to the public realm. Through this exchange, we collectively nurtured a new generation of artists ready to engage with the social, cultural, and spatial dimensions of contemporary public art.
ASSIGNMENT
For this iteration, six participating artists have been invited to design temporary, site-responsive works for the exterior of a private residential property on Hughson Street in Hamilton. This domestic-scale site — with its street-facing façade, side entryway, and backyard — offers an unusual set of possibilities. It is intimate yet public, transitional yet rooted, and situated just one street away from the Hamilton Art Crawl. With the owner’s consent, we are treating it as an open canvas for experimentation, where the threshold between private and public life can be explored in playful, thoughtful, and accessible ways.
PROCESS
The process began with mentees presenting their initial concepts and approaches in response to a fictional call for submissions. Building on feedback from earlier sessions, artists then shared the progression of their ideas.
.jpg)
An expert advisior-led workshop further supported the artists in advancing their proposals from ideation to constructibility, offering guidance on materiality, detailing, and design strategies to help refine their concepts into site-specific, buildable works.
One of the key guiding principles emphasized during the workshop was environmental responsibility. Participants were encouraged to avoid harmful materials such as plastics, toxic resins, or other unsustainable substances.
They were also asked to consider the full life cycle of their work—including how it might be stored, reused, or repurposed after the exhibition. Practical strategies such as modularity, ease of transport, and long-term adaptability were highlighted to help artists maximize the value of their time and materials while aligning with sustainable practices.
RESULTS
Together, the group identified recurring themes across the individual proposals—such as sustainability, materiality, playfulness, transformation, and community—and used these as the foundation for a unified collective proposal. This collaborative approach led to the development of a shared vision composed of distinct yet interconnected artworks. Each artist presented their piece as part of this larger vision, using three drawings—a site plan, front elevation, and back elevation—to illustrate how their work would relate spatially and conceptually to others in the group.
Concept Image of Front Facade: Shelf Life's Solitude (left) and Connect (right) Cabinets by Jenny Santos installed on the exterior wall of the house alongside Olha’s Tkachenko’s house banner facade (illustration) and Liz Lau hanging installation, Welcome.
Concept image of Back Facade: Shelf Life's Nature (left) and Play (right) Cabinets by Jenny Santos installed in the back exterior of the house. Also pictured is Eva Pestrin’s installation, Fibre Fence
Concept Site Plan: showing Shelf Life's Cabinets by Jenny Santos & Olha’s Tkachenko’s house banner facade (grey line), Eva Pestrin’s installation, Fibre Fence (pink short lines), Liz Lau hanging installation, Welcome, Michelle Lepine's Sleepy Psilocybin (Mushroom) and Martha Steele's Metropolis Moss
BECOME PART OF THE CIRCLE
Get in touch at admin@sumoproject.com