- May 2, 2024
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Joan Baliker says all religions have unifying theme.
One day about 16 years ago, Joan Baliker, of Ormond Beach, was helping her son, well-known Flagler County artist Paul Baliker, in his studio.
“He handed me a bunch of clay and asked, ‘What can you do with this?’” she said recently.
Apparently, she could do a lot. She has been sculpting since that time, and in August, one of her bronze sculptures, called “Peace,” was placed on permanent display in Chess Park in DeLand. Ray Johnson, a benefactor of the Museum of Art in DeLand, organized a fund-raising drive in August to purchase the piece from Baliker and presented it as a gift to the city.
“I never had a sculpting lesson,” she said.
Her art training was at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where she studied commercial art. Later, while traveling the world with her husband, Jim, a colonel in the U.S. Army, she studied art at every location they called home.
In addition to learning art in places throughout Asia and Europe, she also was interested in the religion of the countries.
“I was drawn to the people and customs … their spirituality,” she said.
She said she discovered that on a mystical level, all of the religions of the world were saying the same thing, to follow an inner guide to peace.
Inspired by this, she created “Peace,” and then started making a series of sculptures, called the “kindred spirits,” a collection of spiritual role models, including Gandhi, who sought a life of nonviolence; a whirling dervish of the Islamic faith, who seeks connection with his source; a Buddhist; a shofar blower of Judaism; an American Indian on a vision quest; and Martin Luther King, a Christian, who invited others to become part of the change for peace.
She said she exhibits them together, to help viewers recognize the connection of all people as a family. She wants to inspire people to explore their own paths to peace.
“It’s like my job,” she said.
Baliker became an interfaith minister in 2000.
She has also branched out into painting and writing. Her home and studio are filled with paintings and sculptures of figures such as Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama.
Her books are related to her theories of finding inner peace, and there are some for both children and adults.
She finds it very interesting to see the growth of yoga, tai chi and other oriental practices.
“I think they are looking for peace,” she said. “It makes me happy.”
She said world peace could come when people are peaceful with themselves.
“It’s like throwing a pebble into a brook,” she said. “The ripples flow outward. First we find peace with ourselves, then our families and then the neighborhood.”
Baliker is now 84, and says she can’t believe it when people think their lives are over at the age of 60.
“I’m so busy,” she said.
Her sculpture, “Peace,” first was first shown in DeLand when the city had a Sculpture Walk in 2010. It was later when a group of individuals and companies decided to buy it.
Her art can be seen on her website, joanbaliker.com.
