Alexandra Hood

Art is in the eye of the beholder, especially for 22-year-old Alexandra Hood.

At the Olins Arts Center at Bates College, she coordinates programs that involve art, music, and visual culture. The work finds her scheduling the community figure drawing sessions, creating posters for advertisement, promoting concerts, and scheduling event spaces, among many other duties.

In her other venture of making art her business she said, “My favorite part of being a freelance artist is proving myself by overcoming hurdles and watching my business grow. I have been on the LA Art Walk Committee since 2016 and I do live painting at a variety of arts events, participating wherever I can. I make my creative work widely accessible, which I like to think bridges a gap between a community and supporting local artists.”

Regarding her free time, Hood said, “When I’m not creating artwork for someone else, I’m creating it for myself. I love to sit outside and sketch trees with ballpoint pen for hours during the summer. I’m also involved with L/A Arts and the Union of Maine Visual Artists.”

Hood believes that LA has a unique identity that needs local support to thrive.

“The idea of the arts and art makers being embraced in our economy should be an active conversation. Instead of traveling to Portland or shopping at big box retailers, we should look at what our own community has to offer and help it flourish.”