As part of a memorial installation for art department chair Loren Baker, select pieces of his work will be displayed in the art gallery in time for the on-campus memorial on Saturday, Dec. 14. Baker’s students are turning their grief into beauty by creating a sculpture piece for the gallery exhibit as a tribute to their late professor.
The memorial will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Lansing Auditorium of Crowell Hall, according to a letter from President Barry Corey sent via email to the Biola community on Dec. 5.
Baker’s suicide shook the art department as students and faculty learned of his death shortly before Thanksgiving break. As the semester drew to a close, those who knew the beloved professor began mourning the loss of Baker.
“It has been difficult — very, very difficult — for us. We’ve been grieving deeply and trying to finish out the semester at the same time. It’s impacted all of the faculty and a number of the students very deeply. … It’s very traumatic for our department,” said associate art professor Jonathan Puls.
ART THERAPY
The art department faculty offered students the option to create art projects that could go into the gallery for the tribute that will run through finals week, Puls said. Baker’s 2D design class took up the suggestion and has been working on a sculpture made with gouache paint, which was used often for class projects.
“‘You either love gouache or you hate gouache.’ He quoted that all the time because he loved gouache,” said Jubilee Ward, a freshman art major in Baker’s 2D design class.
The sculpture is made up of little paper pyramids and then painted with gouache, as a way to utilize one of Baker’s favorite mediums and recognize both the 2D and 3D design classes that he taught, Ward said.
Though art is only one way for people to come to grips with Baker’s absence and understand what he meant to them, his students putting to use the knowledge he gave them is fitting, Puls said.
“These are Loren’s last classes. You always hope as a teacher that the seeds that you plant in the classroom will grow and that you will live on somehow through that. In this case, his death makes that process all the more poignant,” Puls explained.
PASSIONATE PROFESSOR
Baker was a rigorous teacher who demonstrated deep care for his students, Puls said. His passion and care were apparent to his students, who appreciated his guidance. Though Ward is only about to complete her first semester at Biola, she said she will miss the one-on-one time she was able to spend with Baker in class and in academic advising.
“I had my meeting with him the last day I saw him, and he was very encouraging, very helpful. I liked him,” Ward said.
Baker also orchestrated junior art major Hannah Efron’s study-abroad trip to Italy for the spring 2014 semester. Efron said she noticed how passionate Baker was about helping people and leading them to discovering beauty during her time working with him.
Baker’s sense of humor shone through when they first began discussing the trip.
“At the end of our conversation he said … ‘One condition.’ And I asked, ‘What?’ And he said, ‘Can I come with you? Can I come in your suitcase?’” Efron remembered.
“He loved travelling and experiencing the world and seeing new things, and he made that really clear to me when he was helping me through the process. So he really pushed it, and I’m really glad he did because now I’ll be in Italy next semester,” Efron said.
Baker led his students by letting the light shine completely on them as he helped them grow and accomplish their goals.
“He led by creating space for other people’s talents to come forward and then he stood back,” said associate art professor Dan Callis, Baker’s long-time friend and colleague.
