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Enzie, this doesn't address the "bigger issues," but as to who is entitled to critique, any member is free to offer his or her observations. Cynthia does have a notice that critiques might be coming from relative beginners as well as long-time practitioners. It's a bit of a "caveat emptor" -- Buyer Beware -- situation. We all have to take critiques for what they are, an opinion, more or less informed. Some opinions are worth more than others. Some members are inextricably glued to a practice or philosophy and will endure no others in their presence and will take up arms reflexively against heathen-horde schools of thought.
Sometimes the long-time practitioner is the one who says something that I don't agree with! I've often written that I don't often critique on composition, because my personal preference is for a rather nontraditional, slightly unbalanced composition. I think, though, that it would be a disservice for me to insist that anyone else adhere to my preference. In such an instance, a relative beginner's observations may well trump mine.
Again, the artist whose work is being considered has to accept the critique in a professional manner. Leaping into the path of perceived darts and arrows isn't productive.
When I broached the matter of an apprenticeship approach, I was intending to speak more to an attitude rather than a program. The fact is, mentors are few and far between in any pursuit. Most of us have to wing it.
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