Biography

Laura Raborn’s paintings are exhibited in multiple collections in Arkansas, the United States, and the Bahamas. Her work has earned numerous awards and has appeared in publications such as “Women Make Arkansas: Conversations with 50 Creatives” by Erin Wood of Et Alia Press. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Rollins College, Raborn worked in marketing for six years and took evening classes at the Arkansas Arts Center (now Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts). Later, at UA Little Rock, she earned a Master of Art degree while working as a graduate assistant. More recently, she has participated in three prestigious art residencies: the Women’s International Study Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, Virginia; and Breck Create in Breckenridge, Colorado. Raborn has also recently increased her mixed media workshop teaching in various art schools such as the Ah Haa School for the Arts in Telluride, Colorado and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.

“Museum Meditations” Artist Statement

In the making art of art, layers of meaning are presented. The museum scene paintings present a duplicity of action, of process, and of meaning. In creating the paintings, I am the unseen observer watching people look at art. And you, my unseen viewer, are viewing art…of a person viewing art. One can experience a doppelgänger effect as you repeat the action of the painted figure. Shared experiences can help us feel connected. They also can prompt us to question the value of common behaviors. What is this practice of two-dimensional art making that has existed for thousands of years? Why are humans compelled to create flat reflections of reality, of society, and of abstract concepts? And, why does art hang in homes, museums, and businesses? Looking closely at people in museums and galleries encourages me to consider possible answers. With diverse life experiences, unique individual histories, and extreme cultural variety, historical art and contemporary art can provide us with a glimpse of the common threads that define being human. Most importantly, art provides perspectives beyond our own. Like magic, a relationship tends to unfold between the animate and the inanimate. A great work of art can communicate if we stop and listen. Through the “Museum Meditation” paintings, I aim to capture that act of listening and learning.