Laken Bridges
Laken Bridges (who uses the pronoun they) studied art and discovered their true calling was teaching art.
“I had an interest in art from an early age. I have always been a hands-on type of person. I went into art in college, because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I thought art would be fairly easy since I was already artsy. Turns out art degrees are rigorous. They demand understanding not only of things like composition, form, color and art history, but an understanding of chemistry and health and safety practices. They often require interdisciplinary research. And the skill-building and refining is constant. But I stuck with it because I like a challenge. After I received my BFA from East Tennessee State University, I went on to Clemson for my MFA. I was convinced that I wanted to get a tenure-track position teaching college art. However, after I spent about five years as a full-time adjunct instructor, working at multiple schools simultaneously, something had to give. I took the opportunity to redirect and have found working in arts education outside of higher education to be the better fit.
“A personal highlight is seeing a student’s face light up with surprise and delight when they first touch clay or pull their first print from the press. The excitement is contagious. Getting a series of high fives from lgbtqia+ high school students when they stepped from their school bus and registered the rainbow pin on my lanyard. I can relate to the rural isolation some of them may be feeling. I didn’t have much access to the arts as a teen and definitely did not have much positive representation of people who looked like or identified like me. So, while it has never been a goal, I am glad to learn for some of them I have been representation that I never had,” Bridges says.
Bridges is director of higher education and Art Lab administrator at William King Museum of Art, Abingdon, Virginia and joined the museum in 2018 when the former Washington County office building on the campus was being re-imagined as a studio art facility. Bridges led the renovation project that included consultation on the facility’s design, conducting equipment research and selection and overseeing the room layout and installation.
“This involved a ton of consultation and research for developing both teaching studios and studio rentals that would meet the needs of a variety of processes. It involved building relationships with artists and educators. It involved research and procuring equipment. I was working with other departments to develop programming, contributing narratives to our grant writer, helping with tours, researching tools and equipment, even clearing out the old county building before the renovation, then moving furniture and equipment in when the building was complete. Always wearing many hats, and as career changes go, I was self-teaching regularly, often on the fly. I missed up, I learned, I tried again. Folks were gracious and encouraging,” they says.
Today, Art Lab seeks to be a regional hub for both studio art and digital art classes as well as a workspace for artists to use equipment and tools for creative endeavors. The facility is equipped with mixed media, printmaking and clay studios; a darkroom; and digital lab. Bridges oversees these facilities, selects resident artists and manages the studio rentals for 11 artists. Art Lab’s goal is to not only provide a space where art can be made but to foster a place where community can thrive.
Bridges coordinates the museum’s educational programs for teens, college students and adults. Among the varied offerings are studio art classes, art lectures, teen summer camps, teacher in-service offerings and classes for the College for Older Adults. Bridges also oversees aspects of the museum’s partnerships with Emory & Henry College and Virginia Highlands Community College.
Bridges’ next goal is to further develop tours and enrichment activities for high schools and next year dive into programming development for animal art to complement the Worrell Collection of Animal Art that WKMA will be receiving upon completion of the museum’s new wing.
“Everyone benefits from studying and making art. You don’t have to be good at art to make it. (Good is a relative term, anyway). The benefits of making art come most in that process of making. Not only is art-making important for creative expression, mental and emotional well-being, and building confidence, it also sharpens cognitive abilities, strengthens hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills and can literally change the way we perceive the world around us.
“Art can be decorative, yes, but art is not just window-dressing; it’s compelling. The nature of artmaking and being an artist is thinking outside the box, thinking critically. This applies to the act of creating, itself, but it also applies to lifestyle, making a living, and finding the balance between our art and non-art responsibilities. Art is hard work.
“Artists are change-makers. Artists mix and mingle across social and cultural lines; they see the world from a unique perspective; they can make connections between seemingly unrelated things. Pretty much everything we use or interact with on a daily basis has been developed or in some way influenced by a creative person. We are all creative people — we may not all be skilled painters or ceramicists — but we are all creative people. And in a world that is increasingly divided and isolated, it’s essential not only to acknowledge but to emphasize, celebrate and embrace how creativity can connect us.
“I am honored to be both nominated and awarded. There are many impressive names with humbling accomplishments listed in the years before me,” Bridges says.
Bridges holds an MFA in Visual Arts from Clemson University and taught undergraduate art at East Tennessee State University and Appalachian State University before joining William King Museum. Outside of the museum, Bridges is a mixed media artist with interests in printmaking, drawing, collage, sculpture and writing. Bridges is a former member of the Johnson City Public Art Committee and has been a juror for numerous art exhibits and competitions. They are also a member of the Bristol-based performance troupe, Black Shawl Cabaret, which promotes body positivity, creative expression and community-building.
