MoxieTalk with Kirt Jacobs #355: Jill Baker

From the time she learned how to draw at the age of 2, Ms. Baker has dreamt of becoming an artist. Endowed with a strong work ethic & the support of her parents, Alfred Seiders & Rosalee (Wilson) Withrow, she continued to practice art until enrolling in college. Though her friends & counselor advised her that she should pursue her passion & natural talent in painting, she originally majored in psychology. Ultimately, Ms. Baker’s true calling gained predominance, & she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Baylor Univ. in Waco, TX, in 1964. Between obtaining an undergrad. degree & a Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, in 1981, Ms. Baker traveled the world, studying & exhibiting her work in Florence, Italy, & across the United States. In 1977, she was named as a visiting artist to the Republic of South Korea on behalf of the United States Information Services. During her 9 months abroad, Ms. Baker directed fine arts workshops & mounted a major exhibition of her own artwork. Ms. Baker’s prolific career has led to dozens of exhibitions of her work, including 1-woman shows, permanent installations, & participation in group exhibitions. Her work has been shown continuously throughout the U. S. since 1969. In addition to her acclaim as an artist, Ms. Baker has also found success in teaching, serving as an adjunct professor at the Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville, the Univ. of Southern Indiana, & as a visiting professor at the Univ. of Evansville in Evansville, IN. Furthermore, Ms. Baker is a member of the National Artists Equity Association, for which she held the posts of the Reg. Vice Pres. on the National Bd. of AE in Washington, D.C. from 1985 to 1995 & was pres. of the Los Angeles Chapter for 4 years, until 1995. She is additionally associated with the Women’s Caucus for Art, the College Arts Association (CAA), & the New York Artists Equity Assoc. Ms. Baker has authored numerous articles, & her written work has extended into personal publications, such as My Turn, a novel, & Poems of Accord & Satisfaction, a collection of Poetry. In addition, she authored the Elba Journal, a short travel journal that includes a mystery. She currently performs the roles of an artist & the sole proprietor of her eponymous studio, Jill Baker Artist’s Studio, creating a variety of work, spanning illustrations & freelance work to her lauded paintings. Ms. Baker also continues to exhibit her art & manages Winchester Cottage Print, a business she established in 1997. Jill, & her partner & previous guest Lee Pennington reside in Middletown, KY.