Page 34 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2018

ARTS talented teen
story by Susan Ruddiman photos courtesy of Christopher and Austin Baldwin
hatever Austin Baldwin will be doing years from now, he’s already had a lifetime of experience. The 17-year-old senior at St. Martin High School became known in downtown Ocean Springs last summer as the sidewalk chalk artist for the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (WAMA). He
served as a summer intern at the museum, working with Corey Christy, director of marketing and
development at WAMA.
“I learned about gorilla marketing by doing the chalk drawings,” Austin said. The gorilla marketing that Christy showed Austin is a non-traditional way of promoting an event that is artistic and takes people by surprise. The chalk drawings were inspired by characters from director Wes Anderson movies. In August 2017, for the fourth year, WAMA hosted a “I Produced a
Hip Art Show,” which is a Wes Anderson-theme pop-up show.
“Austin spent the whole summer painting the sidewalks, among other things, and that went over well. We had a great response, and it was
the biggest one we’ve had as far as attendance,” Christy said.
A teacher at St. Martin High School, who’s a close friend of Christy, recommended Austin for the summer internship position. The high school student was such a good fit for WAMA that he went back to work part time at the museum
in January.
While Austin put his artistic
skills to use, he also learned how important it is for nonprofits to work closely with the community.
“I think nonprofits do a better job interacting with the community than for-profits,” he said. “They have to find ways to survive, so I learned how important the financial end
is. There can be a lot of red tape in maintaining those funds.”
“Austin has approached his
time at the museum as a learning experience, and has taken a lot from the job,” Christy said.
Austin’s ability to look below the surface is something his parents have encouraged. “As he and his sister were growing up, we would challenge them, and give them tasks. We tried to present as many educational opportunities and cultural experiences as possible,” said Christopher Baldwin, Austin’s father.
34 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • April 2018
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St. Martin High School Senior Austin Baldwin gets creative
Austin Baldwin depicted The Fantastic Mr. Fox in a sidewalk chalk drawing.