Dustin Staggs

NWA Democrat-Gazette

For the Bailey family, art is more than simply a hobby; it’s a legacy. This autumn, five members of the artistic family will join to express their different creative perspectives on life in a group exhibition titled “Visions and Dreams.”

“Visions and Dreams” is a rare group exhibition at the McCoy Gallery, curated by Bryce Brisco, executive director at the Community Creative Center. At the gallery, Brisco said they focus on solo exhibitions and typically do one group exhibition a year, usually connected by a theme — it’s never been by relation, at least since he started in 2021. Brisco said he was intrigued when John Bailey approached him about the idea.

John Bailey, a potter and father of three of the exhibiting artists, has been making pottery since 1989 and has his own company, Wild Goose Pottery. Staging this family show has been a long-held goal of his.

“I’ve been talking about [the exhibit] with a couple of my kids now for years,” Bailey said in his thick southern accent. “I didn’t even really say, ‘Hey, guys, would you like to do this? I called each one of ‘em up and said ‘You’re doing this.’”

Although Bailey joked that he gave his children no alternative, each of them were on board to be part of the exhibit. It’s their very first time having their work shown in a gallery, all of them.

The Bailey family consists of five kids, each with their own artistic medium. This show will include three of Bailey’s children, his daughter-in-law, and his own work.

Rosemary Bailey, 35, is the eldest daughter and a painter. Bailey is a writer at heart and said she frequently expresses her passion for storytelling through visual art, gaining inspiration from dreams and personal experiences.

Rosemary is mostly self-taught with guidance from her father. Her inspiration comes from unusual places, and she said her dad understands her point of view and her voice. He’s able to guide her, aiding her in getting her art to where she wants it to be.

“He’s a really good teacher,” Bailey said. “He’s a good listener, and he’s good at expression.”

Susannah Burleson, 33, is the third in the family and a photographer. She converted her early passion for the craft into a career and currently operates her own firm, Beowulf Media, which operates out of Dallas – Fort Worth.

Growing up, after school Burleson would help her dad in the shop and do pottery before going on to play and do homework.

Burleson’s photography at the exhibit is mostly centered on the American West and was developed out of those early days of experimenting with a Mavica camera given to her by her father.

The eldest son, 30-year-old John Bailey (named after his father), also explores his artistic expression through photography. Because of his more reserved nature, John has always been a little bit more observational, he said.

“I like to watch people and study objects and architecture and try to think about how things were built or how things were made,” Bailey said. He describes his photography style as architectural scape. “I really like to zoom in on details and try to capture things from a not often thought of perspective when it comes to how architecture is viewed.”

Alyssa Duckworth, 31, is an illustrator and the wife of Joshua Bailey, the youngest son. She will be showcasing two different art styles. One uses India ink, which is similar to watercolor painting, and the other is art that she said some consider abstract.

Duckworth considers them less abstract and more an exercise. They’re not what she thinks of as finished pieces. She said the point of the exercise is to be looser and less in control of the art.

From the quiet and contemplative images of John Bailey’s son to his daughter-in-law’s abstract paintings, the exhibit aims to showcase the breadth of creativity within one single family and showcase a dream they all share.

“Visions and Dreams” represents years of shared experiences and a love for each other and artistic expression. The family wants to show that everyone has a source of creativity inside them.

“Everyone has some capacity to do something creative; a lot of it does come down to just believing in yourself and then being willing to play and to fail,” Burleson said. “Do it for the process in and of itself, not worrying about it being perfect or show worthy, but enjoying learning from it and seeing what the medium can do, and putting your own personal spin on it.”

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FAQ

“Visions and Dreams”

WHEN — Exhibition runs through Nov. 23.

WHERE — McCoy Gallery at the Community Creative Center, 505 W. Spring St., Fayetteville

COST — Free to attend. Art work will be available to purchase.

INFO — communitycreativecenter.org