KELCI BAKER

MISSISSIPPI DELTA, 2022 - 2023

Hailing originally from small town Richmond, Indiana, Kelci Baker found comfort and inspiration in literature and art. An undergraduate of Ball State University, she now is pursuing a master's degree in Library and Information Sciences with a focus on museum studies. Passionate about African American storytelling, she has worked in her home region to share the African American journey through interviews, interactive media and podcasts. Working collaboratively with local organizations, her work has made an impact in making sure the underprivileged get their voices heard. A recent transplant to the Mississippi Delta region, she now lives in New Orleans, Louisiana where culture and self expression can be found around every corner. Her focus on community, artistic expression, and inequity issues are the driving forces behind what she does.

“In any occupation I have, one of my personal goals is always to create something meaningful and impactful that represents myself and my work ethic on the job. Inspiration comes in many forms and from the first few weeks working for Artists At Work, I knew what sort of legacy I wanted to leave behind with my goals.

My first goal was to create some sort of manual or guide for the Fellows that would join the program after me. Since AAW is such a new and unique program, there weren't many Fellows to gather knowledge from about the ins and outs of the job. Waiting until I got more experience, I formatted and composed a Fellows manual for future use.

But I wanted to do more.

AAW offers time to be unique and creative, while also being massively supportive in big ideas to shape our own section of the program. My group was spread around 4 different states and although Zoom is a great tool to communicate with others, I needed the face-to-face interaction. In the Summer of 2022, AAW funded a trip for me to go to each town and meet the Artists, Culture Hubs, and Social Impacts. For 10 days I took time to visit these communities, learn more about the Artists' projects, and see the passion in their work first hand.

I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to go on that trip, and it truly made a difference in how I, and AAW, connects with the Artists in my cohort.“