By J1 Student Elena Brown

While it might seem like just a simple after school activity, the Joslyn’s Kent Bellows Mentoring Program means much more to its young artists. Many aspiring youth artists express themselves through their art during their time as mentees.

Kent Bellows was a photo realist artist from Omaha. After he died, The Kent Bellows Foundation was created to preserve his legacy in Omaha. Later, the mentoring program was born.

The purpose of this program is to help teens develop their artistic abilities, gain technical skills in various media, build an art portfolio, and meet other like minded peers. The program allows young artists to develop skills in drawing and painting, but also allows them to experiment in other mediums such as sculpture, mixed media, textiles, photography and more. 

Leo Kelly, a sophomore at Creighton Prep and artist enrolled in the Kent Bellows Mentoring Program, has been able to express his creativity in the program. He has also had the opportunity to meet many people his age with similar interests. 

“Kent Bellows has given me a creative outlet to express myself through my art. I have also met so many cool people that have inspired my art,” Kelly said. 

Each applicant must send in an application and be interviewed. Each trimester, mentees focus on a media of their choice. They work to create original works of art to be displayed in an exhibition that friends and family can attend. Viewers can also show their appreciation by purchasing a work of art made by a student.

Students don’t pay a flat price for their mentoring. It is run on a pay-as-you’re-able system, meaning mentees can pay anywhere from $1 to $600 depending on how much they want to contribute. This makes the program much more accessible to young artists across Omaha. 

This summer, a new foundations program directed towards freshmen and sophomores in high school held at the Joslyn museum. It will focus on building skills in drawing, painting and mixed media. Mentees will also make frequent trips to the museum’s exhibits. The core Kent Bellows program will be set aside for juniors and seniors in high school, and will continue to focus on a wider range of medias. They will also continue to hold exhibitions of their work. 

Kent Bellows Mentoring Program is made for those who have a passion for art and want a new and exciting environment for expressing themselves through media. It is a fun way to channel a creative outlet and it looks great on a resume!

“It’s a great way to get involved with the Omaha community and grow as an artist,” Kelly said.