Who is Art the Bee?

Written by Reese Lansman. Photo courtesy of Shannon Langas.

If you’ve ever been to SCAD Day or any other official SCAD event, you’ve likely met Art the Bee, SCAD’s mascot. But have you ever wondered about the person behind the costume? Who is Art the Bee?

We recently had the privilege of sitting down with Alex Karavolos, a junior animation major who took on the Art mask last SCAD Day. When asked how one becomes Art, she said, “It’s kind of a running joke for the student ambassador group. It’s like a rite of passage.” As an ambassador, Karavolos— and others in the program— work to recruit prospective SCAD students. Part of that job involves working various paid positions at SCAD Day, including donning the mascot costume.

Karavolos’s first event as Art was entirely unplanned. “Plans fell through, and they were scrambling to find someone. My supervisor said, ‘Hey, do you want to be Art the Bee?’ and I said, ‘Sure.'” As Art, Karavolos mingled with parents and students and did photoshoots with President Wallace and the Bee Sharps, SCAD’s a cappella group. “I probably scared a couple of kids, too,” Karavolos said.

One of her more memorable moments from this weekend was dancing with the Bee Sharps. “I was dancing with President Wallace and her grandson, which was really fun. Her grandson kept running up to me and giving me hugs. It’s funny because I can’t see below me, and I just felt a little teeny tiny body running up against my leg hugging me, and every time I would look down, he would dart away.”

But taking on the role of Art has its challenges. Karavolos described the tremendous heat the person wearing the costume has to endure. “I had to be outside most of the day. We get a ton of breaks, so it’s very manageable, but when you’re actually in the suit, it gets really hot.” Art also gets a “beekeeper” to ensure they arrive at different locations on time and don’t run into anything.

When asked if she would consider being Art again, Karavolos said, “I’d rather not. I mean, it’s pretty fun, and you get a lot of good stories out of it, but I don’t think I could do it again physically. After SCAD Day was over, I went home and immediately took a cold shower and slept for three hours. I was completely wiped. I would love to be the beekeeper, though. Since I’ve been the bee, I kind of know what to do to help the person in the suit.”

But that’s not to say her experience as Art wasn’t rewarding. “The funniest part during SCAD Day when you’re the bee is having students come up to you and crack jokes.”

On the ambassador program, Karavolos said, “I’ve met some really amazing friends through the ambassador program. The students that run it are absolutely incredible. It’s a great way to connect with people and practice my public speaking and networking skills. A huge part of your job is connecting with prospective students. The impact of fostering connections with these kids and having them remember SCAD Day and SCAD because of you is such an important thing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”