The Mentor-Disciple Relationship in the Visual Arts and Beyond

This book undertakes a deep examination of mentor and disciple relationships in the development of artists. It draws upon a variety of relationships and models, including an in-person mentor, a mentor or apprentice scenario, and non-physical mentors such as historical figures, in order to investigate their history and philosophy. This volume specifically addresses the role of mentoring in the lives of contemporary aspiring artists, asking if and how mentoring can be considered a form of human nurturance. Deep historical inspections and philosophical inquiries are combined with analyses of interviews with contemporary artists ranging from 35 to 101 years old. These holistic insights present the subject of mentoring in the arts from the multiple angles of art history and relevant ideas about the benefits of nurturance and acceptance in human development. Using artists' biographies and discussions of their work, this book sheds light on the role that mentoring has played in their development and can play in contemporary education. It will appeal to artists, art history teachers, educators, art students, and art scholars.

Gaetano A. LaRoche is an artist and teacher at an elementary school in NYC. He holds an Ed.D. in Art and Art Education from Columbia University Teachers College, NYC.

1. Introduction 2. Characteristics of Mentors 3. Copying as a Way of Discipleship 4. The Method of the Interviews 5. Four Artists on Mentors