Lindsey Wilson University Art Exhibit Showcases Strength, Memory and Identity
Natalie Jackson's 'Baroque Beauties' to be featured through April 10 in Lindsey Wilson Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery.
COLUMBIA, Ky. (03/16/2026) — Works that explore timeless beauty by a nationally renowned artist from the Midwest are now on display in the Lindsey Wilson University Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery.
"Baroque Beauties" features 14 images by artist Natalie Jackson of Peoria, Illinois. Her works are on display through April 10.
"Through digital photography and collage, I seek to honor the depth of spirit that endures beyond the fleeting and the fashionable," said Jackson. "These images are not only portraits of subjects, but reflections of strength, memory and identity -- woven with textures and layers that echo the stories we carry. In every frame, I challenge the narratives imposed upon us, redefining how we are seen and, more importantly, how we see ourselves."
Patrons will be able to meet Jackson at a virtual event at 5 p.m. CT Tuesday, March 24, and at 2 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 25, in the W.W. Slider Humanities Center. A reception with refreshments and music will be held following the March 24 reception. All events are free and open to the public.
As an added bonus all who attend the virtual event or reception will have their name entered into a drawing of Jackson's jazz coffee-table book, Straight, No Chaser, which features her photography from scenes of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
"During Women's History Month in March, we have the honor of celebrating and acknowledging the contributions, achievements and sacrifices of women," said Kristyne S. Gilbert, who is curator of the exhibit and co-director of the Begley Gallery. "Natalie Jackson's contributions and dedication to promote the importance of the arts, especially through the lens of women, is demonstrated through dignity, resilience and truth found in the women she has photographed for this collection.
"Ms. Jackson expertly connects with her audiences and seamlessly communicates emotions through her choices of texture and color," she said. "Her work has a message that will resonate with everyone."
A Peoria-based photographer, Jackson's evocative work explores the themes of truth, beauty and pride through visual storytelling. Rooted in an art-rich upbringing, Jackson refined her technical mastery in Atlanta and has since become a powerful voice in contemporary photography.
Her work has been featured throughout the Midwest as well in national venues such as the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Ohio, the Limner Gallery in New York, the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, the Sona Gallery in Chicago and the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Jackson has earned several awards, most recently the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award for the Arts.
Jackson's lens has captured global and local narratives, including the Art AIDS Africa project featured in Black Enterprise, documenting The Jackie Robinson Foundation and The Lost Boys of Sudan project sponsored by Jane Fonda. In 2022, her piece The Juxtaposition of Ebony was presented to Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, by Concerned Citizens of Peoria.
The Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery is located in the Lindsey Wilson University W.W. Slider Humanities Center. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. CT Monday-Friday and by special appointment. For more information, contact Kristyne Gilbert at gilbertk@lindsey.edu 270-384-8007.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 29 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
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“Who Made the Greens,” left, and “Collards and Irises” are two of the pieces of art by artist Natalie Jackson of Peoria, Illinois, in the show “Baroque Beauties.” The show runs through April 10 in the Lindsey Wilson University Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery.
“Lindsey Wilson University Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery Co-Director Kristyne S. Gilbert, hangs a piece of art by artist Natalie Jackson of Peoria, Illinois. Jackson’s “Baroque Beauties” runs through April 10 in the Begley Gallery.