Beyond the Canvas: A Decade of Cultivating Emerging Talent

By combining a dedicated exhibition opportunity with one-on-one mentorship from established artists, RISE does more than hang art on walls—it builds careers, confidence, and community connection.

Adele Schatschneider, a AUArts graduate who participated in RISE early in her career, recalls the exact moment her textile art installation was finished.

"There was this moment once everything was hung up that I experienced this euphoric feeling of gratitude and awe. If it were in a movie, it would have been filmed with the camera spinning around me,” she jokes. “I turned to the artsPlace staff member and said with so much wonder, ‘I have a solo show,’” she recalls.

A single exhibition opportunity is sometimes all it takes to create momentum. John F. Gerrard had just made the bold decision to pursue art full-time when he received the news that he was selected for RISE.

"It was fantastic—my first proper show," he recalls. "It was a great first show to have on my CV.”

Earning that first professional credit alongside early-stage support can prove pivotal for an artist navigating a highly competitive field.

"Gallery opportunities can be hard to get, and there's a lot of competition. The more opportunities for people to get their work out there, the better,” John says.

For many artists, the biggest hurdle isn't coming up with creative ideas; it's overcoming the self-doubt and isolation that comes with building a practice.

"Sometimes being an artist is lonely, and we feel like we're creating in a void," Adele says. "There's a lot of uncertainty in being an emerging artist. We're full of passion for our work and anxiety about whether it's good enough. Initiatives like RISE help validate our choices in creating art," she says.

That sense of validation can be life changing for a new artist.

Entering the program without formal arts education, and with a distinctly unique style, Katie Barron questioned whether her work belonged. But the mentorship she received through RISE shifted her mindset.

"The validation of my arts practice through being included in RISE gave me the confidence to pursue a career as an artist," Katie says. "In completing the program, meeting with mentors, and receiving feedback from the community, I learned that the work doesn't have to be any one thing; it just has to be genuine, and people will still connect with it.”

“The whole process taught me a lot about trusting the work you make and creating what speaks to you,” Katie adds.

For local ceramics artist Ella Valge-Saar, participating in RISE fundamentally shifted how she viewed the purpose of her craft.

"RISE helped me realize that the value of art, for me, lies in its power to connect people to place and to each other, through shared experience and storytelling," she says. "The experience built a sense of community connection I had not experienced with my art before.”

Over the past decade, the artists who stepped into opportunities like RISE have done more than launch exhibitions—they’ve contributed to their communities as makers, educators, collaborators, entrepreneurs, advocates, and mentors.

For Ella, the impact was long-lasting. "This opportunity was the seed for much of my professional development in the next 10 years. It gave me confidence to think bigger and push my comfort zone in what I thought I could achieve,” she says.

That individual confidence ripples outward across our cultural landscapes: audiences encounter fresh and innovative ideas, established artists gain future collaborators and peers, and the next generation sees creative careers as both possible and worthwhile.

“It’s important for the arts community to see the perspectives of emerging artists, as they bring new views, ideas, and methods. The motivations of emerging artists can be unique compared to established gallery artists, and this is a valuable perspective to share and discuss,” says Ella.

When we invest in emerging talent, we aren't simply supporting individual careers—we're strengthening the creative ecosystem that helps our communities thrive.