When local stone sculptor Stephen Yettaw saw an invitation for a casting call in Toronto for a reality show profiling Canadian artists, he nearly dismissed the email as junk. But, his curiosity paid off and upon reading the email, Yettaw realized it wasn’t a hoax.
“I came seconds away from deleting it,” remembers Yettaw.
On Oct. 28, he hopped a plane to Toronto and took a chance at auditioning for the upcoming Canadian reality series called Art for Love. The show puts 10 Canadian artists in competition with one another, as they live side-by-side for 30 days. The winner will receive $25,000 and a solo art show in Toronto.
In his first interview with the judges, Yettaw had only one minute to impress. He was required to give a brief introduction about himself, followed by presenting a piece of original artwork.
Yettaw chose an abstract piece because he wanted to “invoke interest.”
After the interview, artists were ushered upstairs into a loft area, which Yettaw discovered would be the final artists’ work area. This is also where the show’s staff announced who made it through to the second interview.
“That’s when the butterflies kicked in,” recalls Yettaw. As he waited to hear his number, he realized the show was something he really wanted to be part of. Only 35 people were called back for the second interview, and Yettaw was one of them.
This time, he was given three minutes to sell himself to the judges.
“My second interview went so well,” he says, adding, the judges immediately asked him if it would be possible for him to return to Toronto in a week for a third interview. Yettaw explained to the judges he was returning to work in the oilfield and they allowed him to do his third interview early.
“I think the interview went really well,” says Yettaw. The judges were very interested in his background as a heavy equipment operator in the oil sector, and Yettaw also stood out because of the type of art he creates.
Most of the artists were painters, says Yettaw, who is a sculptor. Most artists were also under 30 years old, while Yettaw is 40.
Now, he must wait a month before he hears if he made it through to the top 10. Filming of the reality show starts Jan. 1, 2012. The top three finalists will receive art shows and a tour in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. Any of the top prizes would be a benefit to an artist’s career, says Yettaw.
Whether he is accepted on the show or not, Yettaw says he has already gained from the experience through meeting other artists, viewing their work and networking at the casting call.
