A direct connection to artists can be transformative: In 2020, Topical Cream launched the Art Writing Mentorship Program, developed in collaboration with Recess/Assembly. The program demonstrates the power of mentoring relationships. Literature, film, and art criticism have mapped and narrated the vital, natural evolution many make from being system-impacted to being a published author.

At Topical Cream, we’ve supported that story to life-changing effect for each writer through our three-month mentorship program. For the AWM program, we work with writers who have been system-impacted to help them harness the power and importance of their experiences, training them in the craft of art-writing and creative writing while also providing them with concrete skills that can translate to a variety of fields.

Female-identifying and gender non-conforming writers meet three times a week, or over the course of an intensive weekend, with a mentor to discuss and hone their craft, and are offered opportunities to attend talks, readings, and studio visits that provide crucial insight into the daily practices of primarily female-identifying artists. Through these initiatives, writers expand their knowledge of contemporary art and establish a supportive network of industry professionals. At the end of the program, writers are provided opportunities to share their work through locally organized and virtually screened readings and are invited to submit a full-length feature on a topic of their choosing, to be published on Topical Cream.

For more information or to sign up please reach out to rosie@topicalcream.org.
Donate to our program here.