The Seasons of Creation: Celebrating the Changing Moods of Our Planet
Featuring Jill Withrow Baker and John Florence
On view August 13 – October 1, 2026
The Seasons of Creation brings together the work of Jill Withrow Baker and John Florence in a reflective exhibition on the rhythms, beauty, and fragility of the natural world. Winter, spring, summer, and fall shape the pattern of human life, reminding us that we, like all living things, are subject to and dependent upon the changing seasons of the Earth. In a time of climate change and increasing environmental uncertainty, these seasonal shifts also invite deeper attention to adaptation, stewardship, and our spiritual relationship with creation.
Baker is an award-winning painter and longtime art educator whose work has been exhibited throughout Kentucky, Indiana, the United States, Europe, and the Far East. Holding an MFA in Painting from Pratt Institute, she brings a deep history of artistic study, teaching, and practice to work that is rooted in reverence for creation. Her paintings combine collage and oil, layering printed, photographic, and drawn images onto prepared panels before painting over them to preserve and deepen their color. This process becomes both transformation and preservation, reflecting her sense of the natural world as layered, interconnected, fragile, and full of possibility. Through her work, Baker invites viewers into a more attentive relationship with creation, one shaped by wonder, humility, gratitude, and responsibility.
Florence’s watercolor practice began during his college years, first through an interest in wildlife art and later through a deeper study of the medium after attending a painting workshop in North Carolina. After 43 years as a veterinarian in Louisville, he retired in 2024 and now devotes more time to painting. His work often focuses on landscapes and still lifes, capturing the quiet beauty of the natural world and the everyday scenes that invite contemplation. Florence’s artwork is inspired by the beauty of God’s creation– it’s light, movement and color. He believes we are called not only to admire the natural world, but also to faithfully care for it. As a worship pastor, director of music, and resident of a small farm in Corydon, Indiana, Florence brings to his paintings a life shaped by care, observation, faith, and a close relationship with the land.
Through layered materials, watercolor, oil, and expressive imagery, both artists explore the cyclical and unpredictable moods of the planet. Together, their work reflects not only the physical world around us, but also the spiritual journeys that shape how we see, honor, and respond to creation.
This exhibition coincides with the religious observance of the Season of Creation, a time set aside for prayer, reflection, and renewed care for our common home.
Opening Reception: August 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Artist Talk: September 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Gallery Hours:
Sunday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Tuesday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Thursday, 4–7 p.m.
Friday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
On view: August 13 – October 1, 2026
Opening Reception: August 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Artist Talk: September 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Gallery Hours:
Sunday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Tuesday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Thursday, 4–7 p.m.
Friday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.