Featured Student: Bailey Roman

• Year: Senior
• Major/Minor: Studio Art/Legal Studies
• Quirky Fact: I have a birthmark in the shape of a frowny face.
• Favorite Food/Drink to Get on Campus: Coffee
• Favorite Book/Movie/Podcast/TV Series: Pushing Daisies
• Favorite Campus Event: OMAS Show

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Q&A

Why did you choose Murray State? 

I chose it because the high school I went to said that Murray State had the best painting program, so this was literally the only school I applied to. I thought if I went somewhere more isolated, I could focus on my studies. I’m from Louisville, and there are so many distractions there. I needed to be in a place where I could buckle down and concentrate. 

How did you choose your major? 

I’ve always made art, ever since I can remember.  I’ve made paint colors completely from scratch since seventh grade, so it’s all I’ve ever known really. I thought about pursuing animal conservation law when I first came to Murray State, but the money I would make as an artist was about the same as a conservation officer, so I figured I’d focus on what I knew I was good at and what I’d be happy doing. I also read that, as a conservation officer, I might have to put down animals, and I really didn’t know if I could do that. 

How did you end up choosing a Legal Studies minor to go along with your Studio Art major?

I took an interest in it my sophomore year. I saw a lot of injustices happen within the art world, and it made me very passionate about wanting to help create change in some way. I tried to figure out what I could do that would help other people. I want to do something with intellectual property law so I can help independent artists who have had their work ripped off from third-party companies that work for larger companies. I see a lot of plagiarism everywhere, and that really gets under my skin, so I just want to help out the little guys. 

Who have been your mentors?

I’ve had a lot. Everyone in the art department office has been fantastic. I have a great support system with my professors and the faculty, which has been wonderful and very comforting when I needed help. If I wanted to find an event or activity or way to volunteer and help out with the department, they always have something for me to do. If I have wanted a job or multiple jobs, they had my back. 

Danielle Mužina, one of my painting professors, has been a great mentor. When I was a sophomore, she took me under her wing. I was having such a hard time because I was away from home, I was going through a lot of life changes, and I just needed work to distract me. She let me TA for her, and that gave me the opportunity to teach a few classes for her when she was sick and just learn how to become independent as far as working for someone goes. She also goes above and beyond to teach her students. I know she’s usually working from about four in the morning until ten at night doing stuff for her students, and it’s just amazing. I base my work ethic and the way I do my research for my projects on her example. 

Tell us about some art shows and projects you’ve been a part of. 

I’ve done a lot. I’m a member of the Louisville Artisan Guild, and I’ve been a juried member since I graduated high school. I’ve done a couple showcases in Louisville. I was in the Tim Faulkner Gallery for a couple years. I’ve had work in Murray Art Guild shows from time to time, and I’m going to be applying for another of their shows in the spring. 

My BFA degree show is coming up in early April. The theme of my work for that show is talking about toxic relationships and how preserving them can inevitably just destroy them. With my paintings, I want to create an allegory or a cautionary tale for people who try to hold on to things, whether those things are romantic, platonic, or familial. Sometimes you just have to let go. 

What are other accomplishments relating to your major?

I was juried into a guild when I was seventeen years old, which is a big deal. My work was published in Artebella, an art magazine in Louisville, the summer of my freshman year at Murray State. That year, I was also the historian for OMAS, the Organization of Murray Art Students. I had work in the annual live auction for the department my freshman year, too, which was pretty cool. 

Since the second semester of my sophomore year, I’ve been a TA for painting and drawing. As a junior, I was a student ambassador. Right now, I’m under consideration for the student representative for the Organization of Murray Art Students. In this position, I would sit in on their policy board meetings and give input on behalf of the students. 

I’ve also been in several juried shows and won various awards here at school, including the Smart Art Award, Excellence in Painting, and a few scholarships. 

What are your plans after graduation?

Right now, I’m thinking about getting my qualifications to become a paralegal. I might just be a paralegal or an office secretary for a while until I get enough work experience. Then, I’m going to try to go on and become a specified paralegal and get my advanced certification and maybe do my art on the side. That’s my general plan right now, but I’m open to adapting.

What advice would you give a new student at Murray State?

I would say try not to worry about your failures too much. Don’t think of yourself as someone who has to get everything right every time. Think of yourself as a baseball player. If you swing and miss a couple times, or you only get a couple of minor hits, that’s okay, because you’ll also have plenty of home runs that will get you where you need to go. 

 

“Bailey Roman, like her work, is expressive, bold, and concerned with ensuring the well-being of those around her. She is a strong young woman who, in the face of challenges and hardships, has committed herself to finding concrete ways of making the world a better place. I say this not only because she worked as my studio assistant in the painting area for three years, making sure that spaces were tidy, safe, and fostered a sense of community, but also because, as her academic advisor, I watched firsthand as she excelled at a Legal Studies minor, citing a desire to help other artists and human beings. Bailey is not only one of the most honest and steadfast students I’ve had the pleasure of teaching, but also she inspires those qualities in others, which has been a major asset to my development of the painting community as a new faculty member.”

-Professor Danielle Mužina