Claire Baldwin

Claire Baldwin is a Windsor-based visual artist with a focus in fine art photography. She graduated from the University of Windsor in 2021 with a bachelors degree in Visual Arts and Psychology with Thesis. Claire has exhibited her work since 2017 at local galleries, such as ArtSpeak Gallery and the SOCA Gallery. She has also collaborated with local musicians on music videos, promotional photos, and album artwork. Claire’s most recent work has evolved to photo-based collage with an integration of text. She continues to expand her creative interests and pursue further education and professional opportunities in the arts and social sciences.

What is your role with the ACWR team?
I’ve had other roles in the past, but I am currently in charge of creating the weekly Arts Notes newsletter!

What is your favourite part about being involved with ACWR?
ACWR has been such an integral part of the local arts scene for as long as I can remember, so it’s been so interesting for me to get to see how much work goes into running a non-profit of this nature—especially one that was and continues to be so important to advancing and supporting the careers of local artists. I love working with ACWR because all of the employees are so genuinely passionate about art and are extremely experienced in arts administration/using art to strengthen the community. Being involved with ACWR allows me to feel directly involved in aiding in the advancements of the local arts scene, which is really rewarding for me. It’s so wonderful to get to work with such hardworking, kind, and passionate people!

What makes ACWR important to the Windsor region and to local artists?
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about ACWR’s importance is ArtSpeak Gallery. It’s such a great space for artists at any stage of their career to display their work, and the staff are incredibly available and supportive to anyone renting the space. For newer artists in particular, the space and the guidance provided by staff are great resources for jumpstarting a career in the arts. In general, ACWR can always be counted on to provide and organize opportunities for artists in the Windsor region.

Are you an artist? Can you tell us about your work?
I am! I would say that my primary practice is fine art photography, and occasionally concert photography. My style tends to be dark and moody, and I particularly like to shoot at night or in dimly lit settings. I’m inspired by how different the world can feel at night versus in the daylight, so I try to explore that idea in my work. I’m personally a night owl, so I love trying to capture the beauty I see in the darkness that others might not notice. I’ve also more recently been attracted to nighttime liminal spaces and the eerie feeling they invoke. In addition to photography, I also like to work with collage, drawing, and poetry, both on their own and in combination with each other. I think I’m still figuring out what kind of art I want to be making, but experimenting is all part of the process!

What are some ways that you like to show your appreciation for art?
I really love going to galleries around the world—it’s always so exciting for me to get to see the art of the artists I’ve learned about in school. Seeing art is probably my favourite thing to do whenever I’m on a trip, and it’s important to me (and my mental health) to get to a gallery every once and a while. I also like to show my appreciation for my friends and peers who are artists, whether it be by going to their exhibitions, sharing their posts, or commissioning them. The easiest way to show appreciation for art is to talk about it and share it, so that’s what I like to do.

How does art help you in other areas of life?
Art is incredibly therapeutic for me. Making art allows me an emotional release that I sometimes can’t achieve by any other means—it helps me to get to know myself and understand my emotional complexities. On the other hand, consuming art is just as important to me. One of the easiest ways for me to get out of a slump is by feeling inspired, and luckily art is endlessly inspirational! Art is pretty much interwoven into my daily life at this point, and it makes living feel a lot more bright and meaningful.

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