Project time period: January 2023 - May 2024
Project Crea - A mentorship program for Latin American Youth Creators.
Too many artists and creators step into the entrepreneurial world only to realize that their formal education left them unprepared for the realities of building a sustainable creative career. The industry moves fast, but the systems meant to support emerging talent often lag behind.
After years of working with artists and creators across disciplines, I’ve seen this gap firsthand.
We need more vibrant, inclusive learning spaces where young and emerging artists can gain the skills, confidence, and connections to turn their creativity into a thriving career. Spaces that don’t just teach, but empower—fostering growth through collaboration, mentorship, and a holistic approach.
That is what Project CREA is all about.
Some program components:
Weekly sessions in a 2 month period:
Mentees participated in weekly group meetings where they engaged in hands-on activities and workshops on creative identity, how to navigate social media as an artist, organizing deadlines and finances and much more. A goal of the mentorship was to create a holistic approach that not only covered how to earn a living as an artist but also crucial topics such as mental health and lived experiences.
Mentorship with youth artists Camila Salcedo & Laura Rojas:
With the guidance of the incredible artists and mentors Camila and Laura, mentees developed (or continued) an independent creative project of their choosing and collaborated in the conceptualization of a final showcase event.
Virtual Check-ins with Val Duarte:
Mentees also had the opportunity to have 1-1 calls with me. During these calls, we would discuss more in depth the creative practice of the mentees, have conversations around the challenges they were facing during the mentorships and in their general practice, references for inspiration and, generally, use that time as the mentees desired to go over any specific project they were working on.
Final Showcase Event
If you’d like to know more about Creato check out their website, and keep up with their Instagram. Here is the list of the amazing mentees who were part of the mentorship in 2024.
Check them out!
🔸Juanita Alba (she/her) Printmaking, Artist Books, Mixed Media @juanitaamanecer
🔸María de los Ángeles Sánchez García (she/her) Multidisciplinary Artist @mariadelosangeles_art
🔸Francisca Rojas (she/they) Documentary Film
🔸Ruben Chavez-Munoz (he/him) Photography, Mixed Media (collage), Video, Sonic Arts, Textiles @ruben.chavez.munoz
🔸Eric Espinosa (he/him) Photography, Mixed Media (collage) Design, Photography, Illustration @ericespinosaa
🔸Sofia Reyes (she/they) Design, Printmaking, Multidisciplinary @ukukito.prints
🔸Zoe Marin (Creative Producer), Mercedes Isaza Clunie (Artistic Director) and isi bhakhomen (Creative Producer), the leadership team of @firstborntheatre
🔸Esteban Powell Suarez (her/him) Writing (prose & screenwriting), Filmmaking (analog & digital) @thesteban
🔸Eli Dominguez (she/her) Multidisciplinary @eligrasscreates and @happylittlenails_
Project Crea 2024 was funded through @artreachtoronto, @torontoartscouncil and the Creativity Everything lab at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Text: Val Duarte
Photography: Luisa Cruz