Baron Batch, a former Pittsburgh Steeler and proud Permian Basin native, traded football cleats for a paintbrush. After a successful career in the NFL, he discovered a new passion in art, one that has now brought him back home to inspire others.
His exhibition, Gathering Reverence Moments, is currently installed at The University of Texas Permian Basin’s Nancy Fyfe Cardozier Gallery. Created in 2023, the collection represents just a fraction of the hundreds of works Batch has produced.
“The studio practice of creating paintings and visual imagery, to me, is a process of visual journaling,” Batch said.
He credits much of his success to his parents. His mother instilled the belief that he could achieve anything, while his father emphasized the importance of honoring one’s work.
“Believing I could accomplish anything, I set a goal to reach the highest level of athletics,” Batch said. “After experiencing that, I set another goal to live and work as an artist.”
Today, Batch is a multidimensional artist who explores painting, sculpture, architecture, and more. His passion traces back to childhood, when he played in his mother’s garden and was fascinated by how dirt and water turned into mud.
Now, he hopes his work will serve as inspiration for the next generation of creators. 
“When I was a child growing up in West Texas, I never saw an art exhibition or met anyone who was
an artist,” Batch said. “So, if anything, being back home and showing this group of paintings is for the young aspiring artists.”
Gathering Reverence Moments will be on display through November 7. The Nancy Fyfe Cardozier
Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m.
