By Logan DeBerry
Local artist, interfaith minister, and former hospice volunteer, Joan Baliker, has donated her highly-regarded, bronze sculpture, Peace, to Halifax Health – Hospice. Joan Baliker is a 90 year-old, Ormond Beach resident with a long-standing passion for interpreting and communicating powerful messages through art. Her sculpture, Peace, is a life-sized, self-sculpture of a little Lutheran girl meditating that demonstrates an intersection of faiths.
“I believe every religion is saying the same thing at base level,” said Joan Baliker. After studying a vast array of religions, Joan grew to honor all spiritual paths and worked to incorporate the sentiment in a collection of sculptures known as Peace Seekers. The sculpture being donated to Halifax Health – Hospice was the first of the series and speaks to the demand for increased communication and connection around the world. It is Joan’s belief that art can heal as the laborious act of building a sculpture is better described as a translation without words.
Joan Baliker has exhibited her works at art shows around the country to help observers find some understanding of the common ground of humanity. For years, Peace has elicited emotional responses from viewers of all backgrounds and experiences. “It is my hope that just viewing Peace will help us find some measure of hope for the future,” said Joan Baliker. Visitors and patients walking through the Halifax Health – Hospice’s outdoor garden will be able to interpret the imagery and reflect upon its nameplate’s inscription, “Peace Begins Within”.
“We are honored to be installing an incredible work of art like Peace at the Halifax Health – Hospice Ormond Beach Care Center,” said Kathryn Nagib, Foundation Manager at Halifax Health. “Joan Baliker’s demonstration of quiet meditation will enrich the lives of many by serving as both a conversation and reflection piece for patients and their loved ones.” In the future, Halifax Health is looking to further enhance facilities with additional artworks.
To learn more about Halifax Health Foundation, visit us online at halifaxhealth.org/services-treatments/our-services/foundation/
About Joan Baliker
Joan Baliker studied fashion illustration and design at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Illinois before becoming an interior decorator in 1950. After marrying a military officer, Baliker began traveling around the world, connecting with individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs. At 70 years old, Joan Baliker became an interfaith minister the same year she first exhibited her bronze sculptures. She houses most of her works at Baliker Gallery in the Hammock, owned by her son, Paul Baliker. You can connect with Joan Baliker online on Instagram at @joanbaliker.
About Halifax Health
Recognized as one of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ in the United States by IBM Watson Health™, Halifax Health serves Volusia and Flagler counties, providing a continuum of healthcare services through a network of organizations including a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, an urgent care, psychiatric services, a cancer treatment center with five outreach locations, the area’s largest hospice, a center for inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, primary care walk-in clinics, a clinic specializing in women’s health, a pediatric care community clinic, three children’s medical practices, a home healthcare agency, and an exclusive provider organization. Halifax Health offers the area’s only Level II Trauma Center, Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center, Center for Transplant Services, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Emergency Department, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services, complete Neurosurgical Services, OB Emergency Department and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for babies born earlier than 28 weeks. For more information, visit halifaxhealth.org.
Comments