7 questions with Lauren Wagner from the Bakehouse Art Complex

The Bakehouse Art Complex (BAC) is a not-for-profit organization, which provides an affordable home base to 70 of Miami’s most eclectic artists while encouraging their growth and development. Situated on a 2.3-acre property in the outskirts of the Wynwood Design District the  BAC dates back to the 1920’s when it was an industrial bakery. A group of artists purchased the property in the 1980’s and retrofitted the structure into several individual studio spaces and two galleries.

Through the years the BAC has continued to advance and today it is filled to capacity with 70 artists occupying their own individual studio space. The complex hosts over 20 exhibitions per year featuring artists from all over the nation, in addition to those housed there. Two hard working women hold this tight ship together: Arlys W. Raymond, the Executive Director, and Lauren Wagner, the Associate Director of Exhibitions.

Three years ago Lauren Wagner was fresh out of college when she moved here from Long Island to work for a well-known pop artist. When she heard about an opening at the BAC, she was encouraged to apply by a friend who insisted she was a perfect fit for the position. Wagner went for it and has happily been there over a year, claiming that being the voice for this large group of artists is wonderful. At 25, she is responsible for all exhibition planning, design development, curatorial implementation and installation of the exhibition spaces and facility.

Lauren Wagner will show off her curatorial debut with the Recently Acquired exhibit at The Gallery at Miami-Dade Kendall Campus with the opening reception Thursday, September 17th from 6-10pm. The presentation will feature 11 of the newest resident artists to the BAC and run through October 10th.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Lauren Wagner about her background and working at the BAC:

Steve: Are you an artist yourself and what medium do you work in?

 

Lauren: Am I an artist? I have always loved art, and enjoyed creating art. But I do not have the dedication/patience to be an ARTIST. I still mess around, it’s a great way to relieve stress. I enjoy working with charcoal, most of my work is just black and white.

I have taken the business route in art. I took a bunch of classes in college like Gallery Management & Non-Profit Art Management… and graduated with a degree in Arts Administration. I’ve always enjoyed this side of things.

I am now stepping into my curator role, and am able to use both my education in art and my own creativity in this position. I think you have to be artistic to be a curator, you need to be able to create a context for which the artwork can be further explored.

S: You mentioned that you play the flute, what other artistic outlets do you enjoy?

L: Yes, I play the flute and piccolo. I’ve played since I was 10.  I also love acting. The last play I performed in was during my senior year of college (2006), the Vagina Monologues. I miss that a lot.

S: What is the process for artists interested in renting studio space at the Bakehouse?

L: The Bakehouse juries in artists every month. All applications are due by the first of every month. We require 3-4 original artworks to be brought to the BAC for the panel. We also require an updated CV, Artist Statement, Professional References, and a CD of images. The application then gets reviewed by our panel of jurors that consist of Gallery Owners, Directors, Curators, and other Art Professionals in the area. If your application is accepted, we hold an entrance interview and the process begins. If your application is not accepted, you may reapply after 6 months.

S: What is the event schedule for exhibitions at the BAC? I know there is a monthly event, but could you please clarify the timing of that event?

L: We have an Opening Reception every month on the Second Friday. We started doing Fridays instead of Saturdays (with the rest of Wynwood) for a few different reasons. We are a 33,000 square foot facility, when we have an opening, we have 70 studios open for viewing, 2 galleries, a project room and we usually have an Open Bar and Live Music.

We provide a very unique experience for our visitors. We don’t want our visitors to feel rushed here, that they have 30 other places to visit in one evening. We want people to stay and appreciate the BAC as a whole.

Also, we are located a bit off of the beaten path. Most of the galleries in Wynwood are within walking distance from each other. I know when I attend Second Saturdays; I don’t want to have to worry about parking my car more than once. Because of our location, I think we miss out on a lot of visitors. So, every Second Friday from 7-10pm we have an Opening Reception for 2 different exhibitions.

On the Last Thursday of every month, 6-8pm we have another event. These range from Lectures and Movie Premieres to Wine Tastings and Artist Workshops. On September 24, we will be having a guest speaker Michelle Villalobos do a workshop for artists on how to use social media and online tools to generate attention and interest, raise their profile, and build their business.

S: I understand you are the curator for an upcoming show at Miami-Dade College (MDC) can you tell me a little about that exhibition?

L: Yes! This is the first time I am working with all of these artists, so I am very excited. All 11 artists involved with this show are artists that have taken residency with the BAC in the last 6 months. We have gotten such great talent in here recently, and everyone is so eager and excited to be here. The show will feature a little bit of everything, painting, sculpture, installation, drawing, photography, and mixed media.

S: Does the Bakehouse often collaborate with different organizations like MDC or is this a first-time event?

L: We like to collaborate with as many organizations as possible. My thought is, the more people we get walking through the doors here, the better. We need different groups to bring in different people. We love bringing in shows from outside of the BAC. We have also been taking BAC out to other locations, like this MDC show. The Bakehouse has been around for 23 years, but a lot of people still don’t know about it.

S: It seems that the local art scene is gaining local attention with events like the Art Walk and global recognition with Art Basel. What do you foresee in the future of Miami’s “Art Scene”?

L: One of the main reasons I moved from NY to Miami, to pursue my career in arts administration, was because the scene was still “fresh”. A recent graduate with only semester long internship worth of experience is not next in line for the Director of Exhibitions position at P.S.1 (Contemporary Art Center).

I decided to move to Miami and grow with the scene, and develop as it develops. In the short time I have been here, I have seen a significant change in the quality and quantity of the work being produced. More and more artists and galleries are getting internationally recognized. You can’t seem to go anywhere without someone talking about “Wynwood”. It is really a fabulous place to be right now.

Check the BAC website for more information.

If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:

• Photo Journal: Lucky You 3 at the BAC 11 November 12
• Nature + Nurture = The Art of Steve Burzynski
• Captain's Blog: Art Walk - January 8
• Photo Journal : Art Basel Day 1 - SIN at the BAC November 29
• Art Basel 2009: The Days Before

Tags: Bakehouse Art Center

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 at 6:45 am and is filed under Art, Counter-Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

NOTE FOR COMMENTS: Do not flame or leave obnoxious comments, THEY WILL NOT BE APPROVED. Constructive criticism should always be welcomed by any artist, but don't be a d-bag, show some class. Thanks. - REVMiami Staff