Introducing Bailey Karr

Bailey Karr is a multimedia artist from Baton Rouge, where she has been distributing her work for the past 7 years. She received her BA from LSU in 2023, where she majored in studio art and minored in printmaking. After graduation, she was the in-house display artist for Anthropologie before moving to Lafayette in July of last year.

Bailey is currently the printmaking instructor at Scrappie Studios, where she has been teaching adult classes since the studio's opening in August. She attends workshops at the ACA and Basin Arts, and her work has been featured in shows by Archives Exhibitions and Scrappie Studios. She recently launched her website and is excited to provide and distribute her work independently.

Who makes up your art circle?

My art circle actually consists of a lot of musicians. I see a lot of live music. Talking to people about art in a way that isn’t in terms of my own medium helps conceptualize ideas more thoroughly. In addition to musicians, artists who frequent the studio where I work, Scrappie. Scrappie offers a lot of room for encouragement, a sounding board to bounce ideas off others, and a place to ask questions without the risk of judgment. Getting to be in a studio with other artists again has been really good for me. We all encourage each other, share resources, tips, ideas,etc. There’s room for all of us to be curious without fear, and together that makes us stronger as artists.

How do you expand your art circle?

My art circle expands by going out into the community: Working, going to shows, and attending workshops. I enjoy meeting people organically because you never know who is out there. You can’t build community if you’re not a part of it.

My art circle also expands through teaching. I meet so many people from so many different professions: doctors, educators, administrators. And it’s nice because they signed up for these art classes, and I get to remind them why. I get to remind them that they are an artist and always have been. Your profession doesn’t have to be art for you to be an artist. We are born artists. Everyone is an artist.

What value do you see in having a creative community?

A creative community is crucial for the expansion of ideas. When one person is operating at a creative frequency, ideas come faster and clearer. When multiple people are operating on that level, it’s like a beacon. The call gets put in stronger, and the universe answers.

How does your artistic approach contribute to your community?

My work focuses mostly on the unconscious world. The space between dreams, thoughts, and memories. I think a lot about childhood. My work is very playful, and I hope to remind people of that. We are all children in these grown bodies.

I try to remind people, through my work and teachings, that it’s all play. Play, have fun, ask ‘what if’, and try new things. Whatever you’re making or doing, it’s not so much about the final product as it is about process and experimentation. You never know where you could end up if you don’t try.