In this episode Che'lyn has a conversation with her childhood friend, Reginald Baylor. Reginald unpacks his personal/professional journey; spanning over 30 years as a creative, designer and artist. He shares his thoughts and insights regarding art, culture, family, community and what inspires his designs and the underpinnings/complexities of his creative process. He also shares the challenges of his profession and why passion does not always align with sustainability. in the creative arts world.
Reginald Baylor, is a native of Milwaukee, Wis. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he was a sculpture major, but was encouraged to pursue commercial art and art education. Because of his fascination with a philosophy class, he became infatuated with the line and its theories and function. After college, Reginald relocated to Southern California and worked for the Laguna Beach Art Museum and Newport Beach Art Museum. At this point, Reginald had set aside sculpting due to lack of space and resources and began to paint with acrylics. The experiences in the museum setting reinvigorated Reginald's pursuit of the process of fine art. The pivotal point in this path was a California straight-edge, minimalist artist who suggested that Reginald use masking tape as a tool for decisively executing the linear quality in his work. Reginald received representation by a private art dealer, Suzanne Zada of Beverly Hills, CA in 1995, the same year Reginald moved to Chicago, Ill. While living in Chicago, he began a career as an owner operator/independent contractor for Mason Dixon Trucking.
He continuously worked towards mastering his aesthetics, craftsmanship and straight-edge techniques with his acrylic on canvas paintings. In 2007, Reginald was a recipient of a grant that allowed him to stay for one month at an artist residency at Ragdale in Lake Forest, Ill. As a direct result of the residency, he decided to stop driving a truck and pursue a full-time career in fine art, and self represent as Reginald Baylor Studio LLC. (RBS) RBS works are on exhibition in permanent collections at the Milwaukee Art Museum (“On Duty, Not Driving”) and the Museum of Wisconsin Art (“The Distance to and From”), both museums required the pieces between 2013-2014. Corporate collections include: Mandel Group, Pfister Hotel, West Bend Mutual, Zilber Foundation, and Interstate Parking. His work is treasured in many private collections locally and nationally.
The NEXT Museum Thanks to the prestigious Joyce Award, RBS developed the graphic designs for Typeface MKE; a typography based temporary public art installation designed from hundreds of documented conversations with residents in four selected Milwaukee neighborhoods. The Typeface experience led to RBS developing The NEXT Museum; a communication design agency for “Communities that Create” which will enhance and exhibit community-driven projects designed to minimize economic and cultural disparities within Milwaukee and our peer cities.
Contact Reginald Baylor:
Facebook: Reginald Baylor Studio
Instagram: thenextmuseum I
nstagram: reginaldbaylorstudio
Website: https://thenextmuseum.com
Thank you so much listeners for tuning in. Connect with me: [email protected]
