RCC Arts Students Enhance Their Career Ambitions Through the ACOR Mentorship Program

Through RCC’s partnership with The Arts Council of Rockland County (ACOR), RCC students looking to build careers within the arts world can get a helping hand from an experienced, local artist. The ACOR Mentorship Program, launched in 2022, is designed to develop young, diverse artists by providing support through mentorship, workforce training, project development, and an arts incubator.

This year, two RCC students were selected as part of the program: Christopher Raetz, an animator who is a 2023 graduate, and Michelle Garza.

Raetz was paired with Kris Campbell, an artist who creates large-scale needlework tapestries and is who is currently exhibiting at ACOR’s Hidden Treasure Gallery in the Palisades Center.

“The ACOR mentorship program has connected me with local artists who are dedicated to their crafts. Through the program, I have had the opportunity to visit galleries and exhibits, and have gotten advice on showcasing my artwork, accessing grants, and more,” Raetz says. “I have been able to begin post-production on a short, animated, AI-generated film, which has been a passion project of mine, and has propelled my skills as an animator.”

The program, sponsored by Orange and Rockland county utilities, runs for six months, from March to August, with a wide-ranging curriculum including one-on-one studio time with mentors, professional development workshops, gallery and studio visits, and three separate exhibition opportunities.

“So many artists leave college and have no idea how to be an artist when they get out of school. They know how to draw or create a sculpture, but they have no idea how to navigate the business side of it or get themselves known,” explains Barbara Galazzo, an ACOR Mentor who is Exhibitions and Events Director at Rockland Center for the Arts. Artists like her join the ACOR Mentor Program because they are eager to give back and help shape the next generation of emerging artists.

“Through a program like the ACOR Mentorship Program, mentees learn information that may take a decade or more to navigate, and they become part of a community of young, like-minded

individuals they can grow with,” she adds. “The ACOR Mentorship Program is a valuable resource to young, emerging Rockland County artists."

ACOR also recently hosted its 2023 ACOR Arts Awards Celebration at RCC’s Ellipse Room on campus. The program included awards for artists in the fields of acting, dance, music, and visual arts as well as categories such as Arts Educator and Arts Leader.

For more information about ACOR and the ACOR Mentorship program, visit www.artscouncilofrockland.org.

About Rockland Community College, State University of New York

Rockland Community College (RCC), located in Suffern New York, provides purpose driven educational opportunities in a supportive, affordable, and accessible environment, empowering individuals to positively transform themselves and their communities. RCC welcomes students from diverse backgrounds who appreciate small class sizes and personal attention from a distinguished, award-winning faculty that includes Fulbright scholars and SUNY Distinguished Professors. Many graduates go on to top universities to further their education on their own or through RCCs institutional collaborations. RCC is also proud to provide career training and professional development to adult learners looking to change careers or upgrade their skills through a variety of programs and educational opportunities including workforce training, certifications, and microcredentials. Many of the programs are developed with employers in the community in high demand industry areas to enable graduates to move into a new career upon graduation. More information can be found at sunyrockland.edu.