PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Florida State University Professor of Painting and Drawing Carrie Ann Baade presents The Heretical Body, a solo exhibition at Gulf Coast State College that examines the body as a site of belief, power and transformation. The exhibition will be on view Feb. 27 through April 3, 2026, at the Amelia Center Gallery.
Bringing together a selection of works grounded in collage and historical painting techniques, The Heretical Body reflects Baade’s ongoing investigation into how images carry meaning across time. Through layered compositions that draw on art history, mythology and contemporary culture, Baade uses fragmentation and reassembly to construct new visual narratives.
In this body of work, collage functions as both method and metaphor. By combining disparate visual languages and cultural references, Baade creates what she describes as sites of syncretism — spaces where belief systems, symbols and histories merge. These compositions challenge fixed interpretations, proposing instead a fluid, evolving understanding of identity and representation.
“The figure becomes a site of transformation,” Baade said. “Through fragmentation, the work opens a space where new meanings can emerge. The ‘heretical’ body is not simply in opposition to tradition, but actively reshapes it, absorbing and reconfiguring its influences.”
Baade’s practice engages historical painting techniques alongside contemporary strategies, creating a dialogue between past and present. Her work often draws from Renaissance and Baroque visual traditions, while incorporating collage, pattern and symbolic imagery to reconsider how narratives are constructed and sustained.
An internationally exhibiting artist, Baade has shown her work at major art fairs, including the LA and SF Art Fairs and Art Capital in Paris, as well as in museums across Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States. Her paintings have been featured in Forbes, Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose and American Art Collector.
Baade has received numerous honors, including the Halo Fellowship Award, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs Individual Artist Fellowship and the Delaware Division of the Arts Award for Established Artist in Painting. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with additional study at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy.
At Florida State University, Baade is known for her commitment to mentoring emerging artists and for integrating historical techniques with contemporary concepts in her teaching. Her work continues to expand the possibilities of narrative painting while encouraging new ways of seeing.
The Heretical Body will be on display in the Amelia Center Gallery (AC 112) at Gulf Coast State College. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, with a gallery talk by Baade. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
For more information, contact Pavel Amromin at pamromin@gulfcoast.edu or 850-872-3886.
