Lauren Ashley S. Baker
EDUCATION
2018 | MFA, Studio Art, Florida State University, Tallahassee FL - Focus Area in Photography, Installation,
Video, Performance & Sculpture
2010 | BA, Art, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers FL- Focus Area in Drawing, Sculpture
EXPERIENCE
Art Exhibit Operations Coordinator | Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY | August 2024 - Present
Managed and operated the Gallery at the Nancy Cantor Warehouse in conjunction with all exhibitions and programming. Development of operating procedures, gallery
calendar, budget, and collecting statistical data. Serving on the Steering Committee and MFA Thesis Committee.
Part-Time Instructor | Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY | August 2022 - May 2024
Courses taught in Studio Art Program: Third Year Studio I (Fall 2023), Third Year Studio II (Spring 2024), First Year Studio II (Spring 2023, Spring 2024), First Year Studio I
(Fall 2022, Fall 2023), Observational Drawing I (Fall 2022)
Course taught in Museum Studies Program: Advanced Problems In Museum Studies - Exhibition Project (Fall 2025)
Professor | Summer College, Syracuse University, NY | August 2023, August 2024
Courses Taught: Observational Drawing
Adjunct Professor | Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, FL | October 2022 - December 2022
Courses Taught: Digital Foundations (Fall 2022), Digital Photography (Fall 2022)
Executive Director | 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL | July 2017 - January 2022
Development and management of the strategic plan, budget, grant writing, fundraising, and management of day-to-day operations of the 621 Gallery (501(c)3). Oversight of monthly exhibition installation & de-installation. Successful implementation of monthly gallery events.
Development, maintenance, training, and supervision of University internship staff for Fall, Spring, and Summer. Monthly interface with the Gallery Board of Directors in the budgeting, selection, planning, and production of all exhibits, events and programs in the Gallery and 621 Annex. Leading the Exhibition Committee in the selection, planning, design and management of all art exhibits, including artists contracts, coordinating visiting artists and sales (Exhibition committee selections occur annually). Oversee the planning, development and implementation of all internal and outreach and educational programming, including working with public schools, universities and city, county and state entities. Oversight of PR and Marketing for the 621 Gallery. Sustained partnerships with local businesses, organizations and nonprofits. Correspondence with sustaining donors and members.
Adjunct Professor | Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL | August 2017 - May 2022
Courses Taught: Success Strategies (Fall 2022), Contemporary Art and Design Foundations (Fall 2021), 3D Foundations (Spring 2018, Summer 2018, Summer 2019, Spring
2020, Summer 2020, Spring 2021), Figure Drawing Foundations (Fall 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022), Figure Drawing II (Spring 2020), 2D
Foundations (Spring 2017) Development of course content for teaching online during pandemic (COVID-19) & mentor to incoming teachers in 3D Foundations & Figure
Drawing Foundations
Personal Assistant & Photographer | Royal Palm Antiques & Fenning Private Art Collection, Fort Myers, FL | June 2010 - August 2016
Photographed & cataloged antiques for online sales. Photographed & cataloged private art collection. Assisted with event planning and fundraising for the local arts community.
Personal Assistant & bookkeeper | Aida Interior Design, Fort Myers, FL | June 2010 - August 2016
Office Assistant, bookkeeping and record organization for business. Interior design assistant and photographer.
Founder & Director San Carlos Collective, Fort Myers, FL | June 2010 - December 2011
Founder of Artist Collective. Organized & led 10 artists to participate in Art Basel Miami, Art Now Fair in December of 2011
Gallery Assistant | Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL | August 2006 - May 2010
Gallery assistant, preparator, and docent for FGCU’s Art Gallery & Annex
CURATED EXHIBITIONS
2025 June | Spaghetti Junction
2025 February | Overture: 2025 Faculty Survey
2024 June | Citra’cuse, a group show
2022 January | Washed and Worn, Margaret Hull | Grid vs. Web: The Space Between, Jordyne Vanselow
2021 December | Cybersquatting in the Digital World, Jonathan McFadden & David Wisher
2021 October | Destinations, Perdita Ross
2021 August - Sept | 621 Gallery Annual Members Exhibition
2021 July | Loaded, George Elkanah | Poor Lydia, Lisa McCarthy
2021 June | Art Is Everywhere, a community engagement project | An Introduction to Black Female Millennial Art, Maya Shae
2021 April - May | Gone Wild, Jessica Smoleroff | Mythopoeia: Brittany McDermott, Nathan Mullis, Sarah Norman, Elise Thompson, Connie Zheng
2021 March | Adidas and Bustello, Kate Kinder | Floral Flex Time, Kalee Appleton | Abstract Stitch, Susan Hensel
2021 February | The Face of the King, Leon Hicks
2021 January | My Heart Beats, Neill Prewitt | Disrupted Sequence, Shannon Lindsey
2020 December | My Heart Beats, Neill Prewitt | Disrupted Sequence, Shannon Lindsey
2020 November | See Your Neighbor: Diversity in the Arts, a virtual group exhibition
2020 July | Flattening the Curve, a virtual group exhibition
2020 April | 621 Gallery Member Exhibition, a virtual group exhibition
2020 March | Digi-phragm, Jordan Vinyard | Set It, Then Forget It, Blake Weld
2020 February | Cutting Nature, Lucrezia Bieler | New Naturalism, Nan Liu
2020 January | The Sometimes Observed Life of a Disco Gimp, Tom Hall | El Camino Doloroso, J. Leigh Garcia | Please Exit, The Doors Are Closing, Tantana Kellner
2019 December | Through the Silver Grove I Went Without Breaking a Twig, Inguna Gremzde | Sistema, Sheila Goloborotko
2019 October | Syndication, Amy Smoot | Shape, Glaze Fire: A Community of Clay Creators, Tallahassee Clay Arts
2019 September | Mining The Landscape, Jason Sheridan Brown | Let Me Tell You This, Someone In Some Future Time Will Think Of Us, Annie May Johnston
2019 July | > 7 , Ansley Adams, Jillian-Marie Browning, Lauren Buchness, Angel Carlin, Brittney-Cathey-Adams, Chantel Clausen, Tore Hallas, Matias Herrera, André Terrel Jackson, Amanda Klienhans, Shona McAndrew, Shoog McDaniel, Néstor Daniel Pérez Molière, Sam Noel, Nubian, Zoë Schneider, Andrew Leo Stansbury, and Allison Tunis
2019 July | Men, Vivian Liddell
2019 June | Art Is Everywhere, a community engagement project
2019 May | Silent Spring, Casey May McGuire | American Miniature, Nancy Daly & Kim Llerena
2019 April | Lysis, Andrea Frank | Highway (re)Construction, Steven Benson
2019 March | Year Yellow, Elysia Mann | Glamor & Mimicry, Kathryn Shrive | Vessels, Ananda Balingit-LeFils & Janae Easton
2019 February | Delicatessen, Ry McCullough | Untitled, John Chang | Splash: The Interaction of Color, Joe Roache
2019 January | Responding to Antarctica, Allyson Comstock | Mirco, Macro and In-between, Allyson Comstock | Sanctuary, Meg Pierce | Identity Informed then Performed, Alex Ingle
2018 December | Verisimilitude, Dominic Lippillo, John Morris, Casey McGuire, and Mark Schoon | The World Would Be A Beautiful Place If It Wasn’t For People, Glenn Downing
2018 October | Art of Resistance, curated with Cynthia Hollis
2018 October | The Worm at My Core, April Cluess
2018 September | The Self That Remains, Samantha Burns | Untrustworthy Night, Sarah Marshall | Gold Tin, Dana Robinson
2018 June | A Drop in a Bucket, Brooks Dierdorff | Transcriptions: Indices from the Earth, Kyra Schmidt | Golden Years, Sammantha Marie
2018 May | & Co., Tenee’ Hart & Brittany M. Watkins
2018 April | #LineShapeColor, Patrick Schmidt | Flocked, Kim Radatz
2018 March | Construction Reconstruction, Marianne Chapel | Waking Space, Steve Breaux
2018 February | Portraits in Passing, Ann Kozeliski | El Playon, Lorena Molina | Southern Trees…, Jillian M. Browning
2018 January | Collecting the Narrative, Tiffany Leach & Kathryn Wiggins | BeFoul, Jeff Murphy
2017 December | Working Method Contemporary Collective Exhibition, Aqua, Miami, Fl
2017 November | It Really Is Dreamy, Isn’t It, Ehren Fritz Gerhard & Michelle Ecccles | Ghost Lines, Alma Elaine Shoaf
2017 October | WMC Collective Preview to Art Miami, Working Method Contemporary Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
2017 September | In Memory of A Switchboard Operator, Mark S. Zimmerman | Anamnesis, a group exhibition
CURATED FORUMS
2021 March | ART + ACTIVISM SERIES: Countering Unconscious Bias: Gender and Identity in the Arts. Host: Kiley Brandt. Panelists: Kate Kinder, Kathleen Spehar, Alexander Martin
2021 February | ART + ACTIVISM SERIES: Climate Advocacy. Panelists: Dr. Tyler McCreary, Veronica Morejon, Salome Garcia
2020 October | ART + ACTIVISM SERIES: See Your Neighbor | Diversity in the Arts. Host: Joshua Johnson Panelists: Sharon Norwood, Roc Rochon, Saskiya Fagan, Kiley Brandt, Marcus Nicolas, Amanda Klienhans, Teithia O. Edwards, Artisan P.
2018 January | ART + ACTIVISM SERIES: In Conversation with our Environment. Panelists: Jeff Murphy (Artist) & Holly Parker (Surfrider Foundation Ecological Expert)
SOLO & GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 October | Citrus Flux, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL
2023 March | The Only Color I Had, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
2022 October | The Little Show, The Little Room Gallery, Syracuse, NY
2022 September | (Re)olution, The Gear Factory, Syracuse, NY
2022 September | Faculty Exhibition, TCC Fine Art Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
2018 July | Vanitas Impermanence, Lauren Baker, Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee, FL
2016 September | Between the Ferns, Lisa Co & Lauren Baker, Working Method Contemporary Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
2016 May | Dangerous Woman, SMALLS Gallery, Tallahassee FL
2011 December | San Carlos Collective, group exhibition, Art Now Fair, Catalina Hotel, Miami Fl
2011 October | Preview to Miami, San Carlos Collective, group exhibition, Sydney Bern Davis Art Center, Fort Myers FL
GRANTS, AWARDS & HONORARIES
CNY’s Small Festival Fund Grant 2025 ($5,000)
Tomorrow's Neighborhoods Today, Special Projects Grant ($8,500)
CNY’s Micro Grant 2025 ($1,000)
FATE Conference Attendee, 2021
LEON CARES Grant, 2020 ($2,500)
LEAN Grant, 2020 ($20,000)
Schmidt Vocal Art Foundation Grant, 2020 ($5,000)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Grant, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, ($1000 per year)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Grant, 2022 ($2000)
Council on Culture & Art (COCA) Marketing Grant, 2019, 2020, 2021 ($3000 - $5000 per year)
Council on Culture & Art (COCA) General Program Support Grant, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 ($5,000 - $10,000 per year)
Division of Cultural Affairs Fast Track Grant, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 ($2,500 per year)
City Redevelopment Association (CRA), Small Project Grant ($5000)
Network for Good Grant, 2021 ($500)
Capital City Bank Grant ($250)
Railroad Square Tenant Advisory Council Member 2019, 2020, 2021
VOLUNTEER WORK
Arts Advocate | Monthly Art Events for Syracuse in partnership with CNY Arts | September 2024 - Present
Advisor, data collection, planning and enacting Art Trail, and research to revitalize Third
Thursdays in Syracuse.
Animal Rescue & Foster | Self Directed | September 2024 - Present
Animal Rescue & Foster out of home - currently fostering kittens, but have fostered and rescued many cats, dogs, and wildlife my whole life
President | Friends of Lipe Art Park | June 2024 - Present
Advisor, fundraising and sponsorship acquisition, interface with the Parks Department and the Public Arts Commission
Director | Gear Factory Projects | March 2024 - September 2025
Organization of gallery events and exhibitions, management of gallery volunteers, and
coordination with the building owner
Preparator | Gallery at the Gear | September 2023 - February 2024
Installation and de-installation of exhibitions, assisting with events
Preparator | The Little Room | September 2022 - August 2023
Installation and de-installation of exhibitions, assisting with events
Treasure of the Board of Directors | 621 Gallery, Tallahassee, FL | October 2016 - June 2017
Administers and maintains all the organization's financial records. Assists Executive Director with grant applications. Responsible for collecting fees. Created budget reports at the beginning of each quarter and as requested by the President, Vice-President, and 621 Gallery Executive Director.
President | League of Graduate Artists, FSU Tallahassee, FL | October 2016 - January 2018
Reprogrammed and developed the League of Graduate Artists structure for officer positions and committees, & led monthly LGA meetings. Oversight of management of LGA fundraisers, social events, and Working Method Contemporary Gallery. Organized a group of 8 artists to showcase work during Art Basel Miami at the Aqua Art Fair in December 2017.