Bill Baker Spotlight
Bill Baker
Written by Sage Szucs, June, 2026
Bill Baker has been painting for seventy years, having started when he was in early elementary school. As he got older, he chose to go to Newark High School since it was the only school in the area at the time that had his two sports: tennis and swimming. It was there that he met an art teacher that pushed his creativity beyond his original interests.
“My art teacher was an exceptional lady named Leah Russell, and she got me really encouraged into trying [things] outside what I was used to, which was drawing hot rod cars and things like that. I got the Licking County Arts Award for my senior year, and that's a scholarship that I'm starting to give back now at Newark High. I tried to do it last year [for the class of 2026], but we couldn't get the ball rolling–couldn't get the fine things worked out–but I'll be starting it this year, at least, for other art students.”
After high school, Bill went to Kent State University to major in architecture, although it did not end up being his true calling since he later transferred to Columbus College of Art and Design to pursue the fine arts. Later, he joined the Navy and began touring the world; this travel in addition to the nature and people around him is what inspires many of his paintings. Some of his popular subjects include cardinals because of how common they were where he grew up in Martins Ferry, lighthouses because of his travels, and even some bees that are inspired by beekeepers that he knows. Money is never a thought throughout the process, though, as Bill says, “I paint what I like. I don't care about selling; it just happens [that] they sell.”
A proud member of Licking County Arts Association, Bill is thankful for the opportunity that they have given him and the community by providing a place to show and sell artwork. He believes that without a good venue and ability to share your work, many artists actually feel dejected and pull away from their art form.
“I probably painted and had twenty-five, maybe even thirty [paintings]–which is typical of every artist, probably–just sitting around stacked up in a closet or a basement. If you don't have a venue to sell it, you don't show it; you kind of lose inspiration. That's kind of why it fell to the wayside, and I got into coaching volleyball. But then [LCAA] opened up down at The Works, which was good. This has been phenomenal in the arcade…so it just gives you a purpose [to keep] going.”
In addition to a venue, he knows his community well and understands that in order to sell his art, he must work to make it accessible for everyone. His ultimate goal is to share his work rather than to make a good profit off of it.
“It may sound kind of corny, but I paint for families. I don't charge much over a hundred bucks for something I do, just because I want families to have them.” He shared a philosophy of his that he got from a coworker at LCAA, “There's a reason there's no Jaguar dealer here in Licking County. We got Fords and Chevys, and that's kind of the way I look at it.”
Ultimately, Bill encourages the community of Licking County to acknowledge and support the arts and artists because of the benefits they provide to the community.
“There's so much emphasis on sports. I played a lot of sports, and my kids did, and my grandkids do… I think [kids] need other outlets besides running up and down the field, and so that's why I try to concentrate with them on the arts. I encourage them when they get to middle school–they have options, they can take electives–I say, ‘Make sure one of them is art…’ I just think the arts in general are important to make well-rounded people. I mean, sports in Licking County are so important. Every high school features ‘Athlete of the Week’ in the newspaper, but you don't see ‘Artist of the Week,’ or you don't see ‘Musician of the Week.’ So I'm not saying Licking County is backwards, but it's very solidified in narrow thinking. Beyond athletes, we need musicians, we need artists–whether it's ceramics or whatever it is–and they need to have their interest applauded.”