Coaching/Mentoring

I often bring interns into the sculpture studio and office.  Being an intern is a win win situation.  I obtain help with my projects and the intern gets to learn.  A studio intern helps me with my sculpting projects. An office intern works in the office helping me with marketing and public relations. Most of my internships are unpaid.  Though they are unpaid that does not mean there are not advantages.  Here are some of them:

• Information/education- I’m a talker and often I will talk about new projects, new material, and just about anything the intern wants to talk about while we work.  It is an opportunity for an up and coming artist to pick my brain.
• Instruction– Often the same thing an intern is learning, say mold making, other people are paying me to learn in a class.
• Marketing Information– The information that interns receive are not just on how art is done or how to sculpt. I teach marketing to artists, and an intern can expect to learn this, if they are so inclined.
• Opportunities-On more than one occasion  I have had requests for jobs that I thought might be very appropriate for an up and coming artists and have passed them on to interns.
• Connections- Besides being in the studio, when the opportunity arises I like to bring interns to gallery shows, introduce them to other artists and art organizations and take field trips to such places as my foundry or manufacturing facility. On other occasions, with long term and dedicated interns  I have paid for luncheons and conferences that were pertinent to the interns studio and work in the studio. I have traveled with some interns to conference and shows.
• Perks- I offer all interns discounts on my classes and from time to time if I have one more chair to fill and an intern is willing, I’ll offer them the class for free.
• Personal one on one- sometimes interns are working on sculpture in their own home/studio and want to have some guidance. They are welcome to bring their piece to my studio so that we can discuss it. From time to time interns have used my studio to work on their own pieces.
• Experience If you are applying for a job and have worked as an intern I can write a letter of recommendation. If you need a letter of recommendation for school, or other I approach this on a case by case basis.  You are also welcome to put your work at B. Mongeon Sculpture Design studio on your resume.

What is required?
Having a passion for what you do and a knowledge that your efforts can make an extreme difference is more important to me than the amount of experience you have. I  can teach sculpting, but I can’t teach you passion.

Studio Interns -In the studio some other things that are helpful but not necessary
A love of sculpture, knowledge of the human anatomy and a desire to grow as an artist
Digital modeling or sculpting in zbrush or mudbox as well as knowledge about 3d scanning is also helpful.

Office Interns
we work on both PC’s and Macs, but the intern computer is mac. A Knowlege of WordPress and microsoft word are the basics.

Hours?
There is not telling. Sometimes I am working on a job, say mold making for a life size sculpture. I know it will take me a week of intense work and at those times I am looking for someone who can help me as much as possible.  Other times the work load is much less intense.  I have had people come in the evenings, on weekends or through the day.  The amount of time and the time of day can be arranged with each intern.

What it is not

• The studio is not a clean environment- work shoes and clothes are necessary, and if you don’t like getting your hands dirty… well the studio internship is not for you, you might be more suited for the office marketing internship.
• Though I love what I do, I spend a lot of time cleaning up messes.  Before I can start another project or another part of project I have to clean up the mess from the previous one.  This also includes me getting down on my hands and knees in the studio and scraping the clay off of the floor, if I do it you do it as well.
• The studio also has dogs and cats that wander in and out. So if you have severe allergies, you might reconsider.

Where?
My studio and office are located just north of the Heights area, in Houston, Texas It is a very laid back atmosphere and you will often find me taking breaks by the pond or visiting with the creatures that I find on the way to the studio.

How Do I apply?
Simply drop me a line and tell me you are interested. If you are under 18, I’ll have to visit with your parents and have them sign a release form. Please note work with FIre, power tools, hot wax, knives and many other tools.  I’d love to set up a time to meet. We can chat, and please bring by some of your work so I can see what you do.

What are some of the things interns have helped you with?
Putting together armatures
Smoothing clay
Adding wax and clay
mold making
cleaning waxes for bronze casting
Assistance art art shows, conferences, presentations,  and the Upsidedown Christmas party
Helping me to organize and clean-  One day I will find the time and the intern who can help me clean the back room.
Look up the following blogs to see the jobs that interns have helped with Richard Hathaway sculpture for The TW Woods Gallery Vermont Evelyn Rubenstein for the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center. Prairie View A & M panther

Office interns help with:

Marketing in print and digital, public relations and other areas of the business of art.

Other information

What we do at B. Mongeon Sculpture Design studio
Portraits, life size sculpture mascots, The God’s Word Collectible Gift series, Digital design and technology digital sculpting 3d scanning.  Also, My husband is Mike de la Flor and is a medical illustrator, you may see him from time to time. He has the same philosophy as I do about up and coming artists. We both want to encourage individuals.  As any successful artist knows you spend a great deal of time marketing your art and sometimes I am up in the office while interns are working downstairs.  I’m also a writer, and a host of podcasts which keeps me upstairs just as much time as downstairs.

You are welcome to take pictures of our work together, but permission must be obtained on a case by case basis. Some of my projects I’m not allowed to talk about publicly until they are completed.   You can also post the work, but I will need to tell you how to post credits, as my contract states I have to do this.