Artist Baxter Knowlton was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but grew up in Mississippi, mostly in Oxford and Jackson. His family moved from Oxford to Jackson when he was 12 years old. He is the son of artist Miriam Wilson Weems. Knowles graduated from St. Andrews Episcopal School in 1992. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University in 1996.
Knowlton moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2002. He was awarded a fellowship grant form the Arkansas Arts Council in 2007.
He uses oils to paint portraits as well as scenery. He has painted portraits of William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Barry Hannah, and Shelby Foote. His paintings were featured on the posters for the Oxford Conference for the Book over several years.