Over the past year, the sidewalks of Dayton have been changing like the skin of a chameleon. Some days they are the usual gray and dusty paths, but other days they are transformed into a work of art. This magical change has been brought about by the hands of Boy Blue, or Ben Baugham, as his friends know him.
Ben Baugham is a first year Visual Communications student at Sinclair, but his most recent endeavors include his sidewalk chalk masterpieces and his painting and drawing pieces. Like many, Baugham was attracted to Sinclair for its combination of affordable tuition and excellent education. The rising artist was also interested in the networking opportunities that the school offered – keeping up with the artists he already knows and meeting new, talented students and professors. A resident of the Dayton area, Baugham plans to keep the city and Sinclair on his frequent flyer card as he takes his art across the country after graduation.
In the next five years, this talented artist will work to build his professional network towards the East Coast in order to move his business in that region. He hopes to slowly build a strong reputation as an artist within the U.S.
“The most important part of my artistic campaign is being ‘famous’ not to the art world, but to average person,” Baugham states.
A Masters degree and the position of an art director are also on Baugham’s ambitious to-do list.
In the long run, Baugham envisions himself as a notable freelancer, working with big name companies and brands. “Through this dream, I want to be able to create an environment where the term ‘starving artist’ has no meaning, where the creative can be financially and artistically lucrative all the time – The next Renaissance so to speak,” says Baugham.
A final thought from Boy Blue:
“One of the things that bothers me about the spectrum of arts is the way musicians get rich and famous so quickly. I believe that the exact same thing can happen to visual artists if they take a marketing stance to their jobs. Instead of allowing an audience to experience the effects of an artist’s personality mixed with their talent, they hang up canvases on a wall so that people can have a two-way conversation with the piece. Art is (in my opinion) a three way conversation: the artist, the work, and the audience. This trinity of communication leads singers/rappers/performers to fame and fortune – it’s about time the visual arts community follows suit.”
Be sure to check out Boy Blue’s chalk art in action on Nov. 3rd here in Dayton!
For more info on Ben Baugham/Boy Blue:
Instagram: __boy_blue__
Facebook: Boy Blue
Cairn Robinson
Web Developer