New York and Los Angeles have reputations as being great places for artists to thrive. But Louisianans may not realize great art can be found in locations as close as their back yards.Though several years behind major art markets, cities like Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans provide homes for artists trying to make their mark.Jill Mulkey, Baton Rouge native and local artist, has been painting for about 12 years and said the art scene in Baton Rouge has come a long way in the past decade.”You can find an art event around town pretty weekly,” Mulkey said. “[The art scene] seems to be recognized and respected, wanted and noticed.”Mulkey said the art scene has thrived partly because of the efforts of small businesses in the area.”Small business owners have made a big difference for us in Baton Rouge,” Mulkey said. “Art has more and more become a part of everything people do, and it’s such an addition of character and charm to any business.”While the prestige of larger cities might attract aspiring artists, many University students are planning to stay in state because of the positive atmosphere.Alyssa Matthews, Lafayette native and studio art junior, said a city like Baton Rouge is ideal for someone just starting out as a professional artist.”If you move to New York or Chicago there are a lot of resources, but there’s not enough room to move around,” Matthews said. “You have to split the community among all these artists. Baton Rouge is so community based. There’s so much room to grow, and there’s so much community support for whatever’s going to happen. It’s prime time to put your roots down.”The community support Matthews talked about doesn’t only come in the form of packed shows and sold paintings. Organizations also provide financial support for the art community.According to the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge Web site, the council awards approximately $450,000 in grant funds to support art exhibits, theatre productions, dance, music, festivals, literary works, media, folklife and design arts throughout Baton Rouge and the surrounding parishes.Matthews said some of the recent exhibits to visit Baton Rouge are evidence of the legitimacy of the local art scene.”They’ve got Rodin [at the LSU Museum of Art] and Chuck Close photographs at [Louisiana Art and Science Museum],” Matthews said. “Baton Rouge keeps garnering more and more attention from the national art scene, and Prospect.1 in New Orleans brought a lot of attention to Louisiana.”As much progress as Louisiana has made in the art scene, it still has far to go before catching up with other major markets.Rod Parker, interim director of LSU School of Art, said Baton Rouge is almost 30 years behind other major cities.”I came to Baton Rouge after I had been in Austin, Texas, in the ‘80s,” Parker said. “Baton Rouge is now where Austin was in 1981 or 1982.”Parker said cities such as New York and Los Angeles have good art markets, as is expected, but other areas that some people might not think of are equally important.”New Mexico is an incredible thriving market for artists,” Parker said.Parker said as good as Baton Rouge gets, it will always face competition from artists in the Big Easy.”The other big art market is obviously New Orleans,” Parker said. “Baton Rouge stands in relation to New Orleans in the same way that it always has … slightly stiff, slightly provincial, not that connected. But they have the state capitol, so they’re feeling like they have to be something.”Both Mulkey and Matthews said the community of artists in Baton Rouge makes it easier to gain recognition.”Us Baton Rouge artists seem to be working together more and more, and everyone seems to look out for each other and help one another out,” Mulkey said. “Everyone wins that way. I have had very good experiences working with the artists in this town, including photographers and musicians. When we collaborate it always brings more people to the establishment and exposes the community to a larger body of talent.”The community atmosphere isn’t exclusive to Baton Rouge. Lafayette artists express the same enthusiasm for their local art scene.Sarah Senette, art coordinator for Artmosphere, a bistro, bar, music venue and art gallery near downtown Lafayette, said many students and semi-professional artists show at her gallery.”We get a lot of art from those people who don’t necessarily function solely as artists but are looking to break into the art community,” Senette said.She said the same community atmosphere that exists in Baton Rouge is in Lafayette as well.”I’ve been a lot of other places and felt a lot less community and seen a lot less support in terms of turnout and in terms of artists promoting themselves and their friends,” Senette said.For a town of Lafayette’s size, one wouldn’t expect to find a cutting-edge art market, but Senette said the city thrived in that respect.”We have a really great avant-garde art scene,” Senette said. “I can’t think of anywhere else of this size that has what we have. We’re forward minded enough so that you can really show art that isn’t what you’d see every day.”Mulkey said though Baton Rouge has been good to her, she is venturing out more and “ready to conquer the next place.”But Matthews said she plans to stay in the Red Stick for a while.”It’s a good time to be a part of the art scene in Baton Rouge,” Matthews said. “We have a thriving art scene where not a lot has been done, and there’s still a lot of ground to cover.”—-Contact Sarah Aycock at [email protected]