Public art mentoring
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Public art mentoring *
public art mentoring (P.A.M.)
The T Projects annual Public Art Mentoring (P.A.M.) Program is a series of weekly seminars designed to provide artists with a comprehensive understanding of the people, processes and opportunities involved in public art commissioning. Specially designed to guide artists through every stage of the commissioning journey, the program offers practical insights into how public art projects are conceived, developed, procured and delivered.
Through a structured program of seminars, T Projects brings together leading industry professionals and subject matter experts to share their knowledge, experiences and perspectives. Participants gain valuable insights into the roles of commissioners, curators, architects, landscape architects, project managers, fabricators and artists, while exploring real-world case studies and precedent projects.
ThePeople and Process Seminar Seriesis focused on knowledge sharing and professional development, providing artists with direct access to industry expertise in a supportive group mentoring environment. By exploring all stages of public art commissioning, the program helps participating artists build confidence, develop industry knowledge, and better position themselves to pursue public art opportunities.
Public Art Mentoring 2026 Program overview
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Commissioners & Curators session description text. Commissioners & Curators session description text. Commissioners & Curators session description text. Commissioners & Curators session description text. Commissioners & Curators session description text. Commissioners & Curators session description text.
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Architecture & Landscape session description text. Architecture & Landscape session description text. Architecture & Landscape session description text. Architecture & Landscape session description text. Architecture & Landscape session description text. Architecture & Landscape session description text. Architecture & Landscape session description text.
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Public Artist session description text. Public Artist session description text. Public Artist session description text. Public Artist session description text. Public Artist session description text. Public Artist session description text. Public Artist session description text. Public Artist session description text.
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Contracts and Legalities session description text. Contracts and Legalities session description text. Contracts and Legalities session description text. Contracts and Legalities session description text. Contracts and Legalities session description text. Contracts and Legalities session description text.
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Fabrication and Engineering session description text. Fabrication and Engineering session description text. Fabrication and Engineering session description text. Fabrication and Engineering session description text. Fabrication and Engineering session description text. Fabrication and Engineering session description text.
2026 mentors
chris chow
Chris Chow is the founder and Managing Partner of Creative Lawyers. He specialises in advising clients on contractual, commercial and intellectual property matters in the entertainment and creative industries. Chris has spent his entire career working with clients involved in music, film, TV, games/software, content and otherwise creative endeavours, helping them achieve practical solutions, protect their rights and assist in dispute resolution. Chris founded the firm in 2012, and it has since become a one-stop-shop for clients in the entertainment and creative industries. Having once been an opera singer and musician himself, Chris gets creatives and they get him. Chris likes to think of it this way: he works in the entertainment & creative industries as a lawyer, rather than being a lawyer who has clients in the entertainment and creative industries – it’s a subtle, but important distinction.
Craig Guthrie
Craig is a landscape architect and urban designer with 25 years' experience working in Melbourne, China and the Middle East.
He is passionate about cities and how they function and are lived in. Improving movement and liveability are driving forces in his approach to large scale master planning, as well as the detailed design of spaces and streets.
Craig is well known for his work in urban transport having worked on many successful city shaping projects. He believes that improved transport systems that are coordinated with land use planning objectives, can be catalysts for development and renewal. At a local scale, Craig’s approach to the design of streets, and precincts prioritises the needs of people - walking, cycling, and taking public transport. He is committed to the notion that good design unlocks the potential of place by increasing the capacity of urban streets - providing multi-dimensional spaces for a variety of activities which support urban life.
Elishia Whitchurch
Elishia Whitchurch joined UAP in 2007 and brings over 15 years of experience collaborating with artists and creatives on a wide range of projects across diverse budgets, materials, and contexts. Her work spans both public and private realms globally, where she plays a key role in helping artists deliver ambitious and meaningful outcomes.
Elishia was pivotal in establishing & managing UAP’s design studio in Shanghai, where she lived with her family for five years. Upon returning to Brisbane, she led the local design team for three years, continuing to shape the studio’s creative direction and project delivery.
In her current role as Principal, Elishia partners closely with artists and clients to deliver successful, impactful works. She has delivered a range of significant works both in Australia and internationally.
Elishia holds a Bachelor of Product Design from Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art.
Owen Craven
Owen Craven brings over 20 years of expertise in the visual arts sector to his role as a contributor to the Public Art Mentorship Program. As Director at UAP, he drives strategic growth and creates transformative opportunities in public art by fostering innovative partnerships that connect visionary artists with platforms to enhance public spaces and cultural landscapes.
During his nine years as Managing Principal and Senior Curator at Urban Arts Projects (UAP), he led Curatorial, Design, and Business Development teams across Australia and the Middle East. Under his leadership, UAP expanded from its Brisbane headquarters to establish successful studios in Sydney and Melbourne while developing a thriving consultancy practice.
His previous role as Managing Director at Ames Yavuz provided valuable insights into curatorial programming and exhibition development, further enriching his comprehensive approach to public art projects.
Victoria Jones
Victoria has worked in the creative industries in the UK and Australia for over 20 years. She has led the commissioning of over 100 site specific art commissions, managed large art collections, devised participatory programs, curated multiple exhibition spaces, programmed regular events and performances etc and developed the required creative strategies to support these. Victoria has extensive experience of working within complex environments with diverse teams, having led creative projects for Transport for London, the National Health Service, Melbourne Metro Tunnel & the Level Crossing Removal Project.
Victoria is a firm believer in the power of collaboration and has brokered partnerships with some amazing organisations including Amnesty International, The British Museum, Arts Centre Melbourne, Ausdance, Central Saint Martins, London Transport Museum, The British Library and The Royal Ballet amongst others.
Victoria’s work has received awards & accolades, including the International Academy for Design & Health, the Building Better Healthcare Awards, the Institute of Medical Illustrators Awards and the Royal Society for Public Health.
Victoria enjoys creating new projects and programs from scratch including - the Creative Communities program for London Underground, GO Create! at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the ARCH creative program for Royal Children’s Hospital.
Vipoo Srivilasa
Over a career spanning more than 20 years, Thai-born, Melbourne-based artist, Vipoo Srivilasa has created intricate and elaborate artworks that reflect his bicultural experience living between Australia and Thailand.
Working predominantly in ceramics, though his expansive practice also incorporates mediums of paper, mix media, bronze, public art and performance art. Vipoo’s works celebrate the intersections and overlaps between our cultural, social, philosophical, and environmental ideologies with a mix of playfully and reverence, iconography and ornamentalism. He created works that are accessible, positive and beautiful.
An important aspect of Vipoo’s practice is his collaborations and work as an activist to create opportunities for cultural exchange between artists and diverse communities and invite further engagement with cross-cultural and migration experience.
Vipoo holds a Master of Fine Art and Design from the University of Tasmania. His work is represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of South Australia, Queensland Art Gallery and Shepparton Art Museum amongst others. Vipoo was awarded the 2021 Ceramic Artist of the Year by The American Ceramic Society, USA.