2008 ushers in the fourth season of The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, joining together masters of the arts with promising new talents, in six different disciplines - visual arts, dance, film, music, literature and theater.  In 2002, the Rolex Foundation formed this endeavor as a catalyst to promote and preserve the culture and the arts.  Following its custom of sustaining individual excellence, Rolex gives budding artistic prodigies the opportunity to learn and further expand their given talents.

The program follows an exacting process for each cycle of The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.  An advisory board, composed of renowned artists and other qualified individuals, is chosen for the task of endorsing six Mentor candidates, one from each given field. When the chosen Mentors formally agree to participate in the program, the real challenge begins. Each Mentor works closely with Rolex to create a profile of their ideal student.  Six discipline-specific Nominating Panels are then formed to search the world over for the most suitable candidates. There is no open application to the program; about 20 candidates are personally invited to apply, after which the list is narrowed down to three finalists per field. Each Mentor meets with their potential Protégés in person, and selects the best candidate.

Once the Mentor and Protégé relationship is formed, each pairing will meet at least six weeks out of the year, though most will spend much more time together, as knowledge and ideas are exchanged. The flexible format of the Initiative allows for personal interaction between Mentor and Protégé.  Students will have time to spend observing their Mentor in his or her working environment, and some teams will even collaborate on future projects, as well. Rolex actively participates in this process by providing logistical support, such as arranging travel, meeting places, and so forth. Rolex also documents each relationship, on film and in writing, to better promote awareness of this extraordinary process.  Each Protégé is awarded a $25,000 grant for participation in the program, in addition to a stipend for related expenses.  Upon completion, another grant of $25,000 is extended for each participant to utilize solely for development of projects in their chosen field of study.

While the short-term benefits of The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative are priceless for these individuals, long-term effects have the potential for true cultural impact. Since its inception, over 200 exceptionally talented beings, from over 40 different countries, have joined together to develop an everlasting connection between art and the people who live, love, make and appreciate it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 7th, 2008 at 8:24 pm and is filed under Rolex Pop Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.