Artist Mentoring

One-to-one creative mentoring, professional development and practical business guidance with visual artist Aldona Kmieć.

Whether you’re an emerging or mid-career artist, developing an exhibition, building your creative business or seeking fresh direction, I offer personalised mentoring to help you strengthen your artistic practice and develop the practical skills needed to sustain it.

My approach is collaborative, practical and artist-led. Drawing on my experience across visual arts, creative industries, business management and digital media, I offer constructive feedback, professional insights and real-world tools tailored to your individual goals.

What I can help you with

Artistic development – refining ideas, themes, visual language and creative direction
Portfolio reviews – selecting, editing, sequencing and presenting your strongest work
Exhibition development – concepts, proposals, curatorial planning, installation and presentation
Artist writing – statements, biographies, CVs, project descriptions and grant applications
Professional practice – gallery approaches, exhibition opportunities, networking and professional relationships
Creative business management – artwork pricing, editioning, budgeting, invoicing, financial planning and sales
Marketing and promotion – artist branding, websites, social media, newsletters, photography and video content
Project management – budgets, timelines, planning tools, workflows and managing creative projects
Career development – setting achievable goals, identifying opportunities and building a sustainable artistic practice

Practical tools for your creative business

Being an artist can also mean managing a business. Alongside creative development, I can help you establish straightforward systems to organise your work, manage your finances and promote your practice with confidence.

Depending on your needs, we’ll work on practical resources such as:

Artwork pricing and costing spreadsheets
Simple budgets, cash flow tracking and invoicing systems
Exhibition budgets, timelines and project plans
Grant application checklists and project proposals
Marketing strategies, content calendars and newsletters
Artist portfolios, CVs and professional presentation materials
Digital workflows, file organisation and archiving

The aim is to develop useful tools you can continue using independently, not just discuss ideas during our sessions.

About me

I’m an award-winning visual artist, photographer and arts educator based at Montsalvat Arts Centre in Melbourne. Alongside my artistic practice, I bring extensive professional experience across the creative industries, business development, marketing, digital production and project management.

Some of my previous roles include Digital Project Manager (Temple App), Senior Digital Producer (Sitback), Marketing Manager at Startup Gippsland Business Incubator (GippsTech), Video Producer (Maroondah City Council), and Credit Controller (Aerial/Pacific Optics & Jai Kudo London).

Connect with me via LinkedIn

I’ve worked across digital agencies, business development programs, commercial photography, video production and community arts, managing projects, budgets, marketing campaigns, digital platforms and multidisciplinary teams.

I also bring direct experience of developing exhibitions, securing arts grants, producing commissioned artworks, working with galleries and cultural organisations, and running my own creative business since 2010.

My qualifications include:

Advanced Diploma in Photography, London Metropolitan University
Certificate IV in Small Business Management
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, RMIT University

Having worked on both sides of the creative industry, I understand the challenges of balancing artistic ambition with the practical realities of earning a living, managing projects and building a sustainable career.

How Mentoring Works

We begin with a short questionnaire and a face-to-face chat to understand your artistic practice, current challenges and professional goals.

Our first session focuses on getting to know you, reviewing your work, identifying your strengths and choosing priorities.

Depending on your needs, subsequent sessions may include portfolio reviews, exhibition planning, business development, practical exercises and individual feedback.

You’ll leave with clearer direction and achievable next steps.

Choose a single session for focused advice or ongoing mentoring over three to six months for more structured artistic and professional development.

Sessions are available in person at my Montsalvat studio in Eltham, Melbourne, or online.

Individual Sessions

1 Hour: $80
1.5 Hours: $120
2 Hours: $160
3 Hours: $240

Mentoring Packages

3 × 1hr Sessions: $215 (save $25)
3 × 1.5hr Sessions: $320 (save $40)
3 × 2hr Sessions: $425 (save $55)
3 × 3hr Sessions: $640 (save $80)

Every artistic practice is different. Whether you’re preparing your first exhibition, developing a professional portfolio or looking for practical ways to grow your creative business, mentoring is tailored to where you are now and where you’d like to go.