Bascom’s Resident Artist

Written By: Billy Love | Issue: July - 2022

The Bascom’s Resident Artist program invites influential artists from across the country to live, work, and engage with the Plateau communities, creating mutually beneficial relationships for artists and the visual arts center. Over the past decade, The Bascom has welcomed more than 40 visiting artists, encompassing a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and focus areas from ceramics to photography, sculpture, and interdisciplinary studies. Though these talented individuals act in their role as resident artists with The Bascom for limited periods of time, their impact is long lasting, and essential to The Bascom’s mission to inspire and empower individuals and communities through seeing, thinking, and doing. This summer, The Bascom welcomes a new resident artist, 2022 Education Fellowship recipient Sayla Hawk Roman. A Highlands native, Sayla is a rising junior at Columbia University studying the visual arts and art history. Sayla is working towards a career in museum curation and is enthusias-tic to work with The Bascom this summer to learn more about museum education, curriculum development, and the inner workings of an art center. Her role will include developing summer education curriculum that will result in a portfolio of classes she can take with her in the next phase of her journey as an arts professional.No stranger to Bascom programs, Sayla shares her experience as a Bascom participant during her youth in Highlands:“I have benefitted from the teaching of the Bascom staff greatly since I first began to attend after-school and summer programs at The Bascom 14 years ago. The Bascom’s programing has aided me in my artistic pursuits, passions, and was key player in my decision to become a Visual Arts and Art History major. The Bascom has nurtured the passions of many local children like me in Highlands and the surrounding areas. Overflowing with passion and gratitude, I hope to be able to spread the joy of art to others in my future career.”Members of surrounding communities and visitors will have the opportunity to experience Sayla Roman’s educational programs June through August this summer. These include Bascom youth summer camps and workshops, and exhibitions created with youth for exhibition in the Bascom Education Gallery. Her projects will also involve partnerships with the Literacy and Learning Center, Macon County Public Library Epic Teens, and Cashiers Senior Center. Please join all of us in welcoming the talented Sayla Hawk Roman to The Bascom!

by Billy Love, The Bascom