The Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art is proud to introduce the 2026 Visiting Artist Mentorship Series, a new pilot program made possible through the generous support of the Central Okanagan Foundation. Over the coming year, we will facilitate four of these specialized sessions, each designed to foster meaningful connections, knowledge sharing, and networking between the Okanagan arts community and our national peers.
While the Central Okanagan is home to a vibrant community of creators, geography can sometimes limit access to the professional networks and "behind-the-scenes" knowledge found in larger urban hubs. This series brings national perspectives directly to Kelowna, offering a space for honest exchange about the realities of maintaining a professional practice today.
Moving away from traditional artist talks, these sessions focus on the "how" of a career: the lived experiences, the hurdles, and the practical strategies that keep a studio running. It is an invitation to move past formal presentations and engage in a real dialogue about building a sustainable, resilient, and connected creative community.
Session 2: Reclaiming the Creative Void
In this edition of the Visiting Artist Mentorship Series, Vancouver-based Portuguese-Canadian artist Kevin Jesuino invites us to dismantle the pervasive "hustle culture" of the arts industry. Together, we will work to reclaim rest, boredom, and self-care as vital somatic practices rather than luxury commodities.
For the professional artist, the pressure to be perpetually inspired often leads to a dysregulated nervous system. This session investigates the political act of doing nothing and its role in long-term creative sustainability. Our discussion and practice will center on the "Anatomy of the Pause," exploring:
Physiological Awareness: Identifying the urge to produce and learning how to consciously soften that impulse.
The Rehabilitation of Boredom: Viewing stillness not as a void, but as a fertile, liminal space for the imagination to reset.
The Radical Ritual: Transitioning from "fight or flight" (sympathetic) into a state of "rest and digest" (parasympathetic).
Participants will leave with a somatic toolkit to navigate the creative void, transforming self-care from a consumerist checkbox into a radical, embodied ritual of resistance and renewal.
Note to Participants: Please bring comfortable layers of clothing that allow you to move freely. We also recommend bringing socks if you are not comfortable being barefoot.
Attendance & Contributions
Register here to let us know you will be attending. This session is free to attend, However, for those with the capacity to do so, we invite you to participate in our Pay It Forward program.
Pay It Forward
We believe in building a creative community where everyone belongs. This event is open to all. For those in a position to give, we invite you to pay it forward. Your generosity keeps our doors open to everyone, creates access for all, and sustains the programs that enrich our collective cultural life. We gratefully accept contributions by cash or online here.
Unable to contribute? You are always welcome here.