Curtis [Talwst Santiago] was fantastic to work with—honest, kind, and considerate, which made his feedback especially meaningful. He truly listened to where I’ve been and where I want to go. We delved into the conceptual and material frameworks of my work, including class, race, and sexuality, and his analysis was both insightful and thorough. He also offered practical advice on finance, career goals, access, and geography. Our discussions on music, sound, and performance were particularly helpful, given our shared interests. I deeply appreciated his studio visits and support—it was a pleasure working with him.

Working with Farah Al Qasimi through the NewCrits mentorship program has been a truly transformative experience. Farah approached every session with immense care, respect, and gave incredible feedback. Farah's expertise, constructive critique, and thoughtful guidance was exactly what I have been looking for to level up my artistic practice. I cannot recommend the NewCrits Studio Mentorship program enough and I cannot recommend working with Farah enough.

I left each meeting feeling challenged, inspired, and more confident in my practice. I have been missing being able to get constructive feedback about my practice and NewCrits is offering so many amazing opportunities that I have been looking for.

Over the course of a few months, I met with Farah three times and our first meeting we discussed and shaped ideas for a new photography project. By our second session, Farah provided thoughtful guidance on the photos I had taken, helping me refine my vision and identify clear next steps. The third class was especially impactful—Farah helped support and refine my MFA application for 2025. The feedback, notes, and conversations that we had are going to stay with me for a long time. I cannot thank Farah and NewCrits for such an amazing opportunity.

"I have now been in conversations with Ajay three times in the last 5 months. It has been a gift of ongoing thoughtful attention and keen listening with someone new to my work and practice as I am navigating new mediums and exploring new professional goals. NewCrits community of artists supporting other artists is a model that centers the discussion around one's art and balances criticality, coaching and community."

"Working with Ajay is to be treated with a synthesis of care and criticism that is often missing in the discourse of a contemporary studio practice. Ajay not only engaged with my work and material process, but also how to think about my work’s best way to be presented in applications. I came away from a meeting with clarity and with an understanding of my work and what avenues were available to pursue. NewCrits presents the opportunity for discourse and community in an art world that is becoming more decentralized and I will be making use of such a resource as much as possible."