South Bend’s Rich Artistic Legacy: 1841 – Present
March 23 – June 16, 2013
This exhibition offers reflections on the fine arts history of the area, and showcases important artists, people, and institutions that have contributed to the rich artistic heritage of South Bend and the surrounding area.
Historical artists such as George Ames Aldrich, L. Clarence Ball, Sara Kolb Danner, Alexis Jean Fournier, Luigi Gregori, Glen Cooper Henshaw and T.C. Steele as well as local artists, Edward Basker, James Borden, Harry Coffman, Edward Herrmann, Leon Makielski, Harriet Monteith, Dean Porter, and Harold Zisla, among others, are included.
The exhibition, based on the Museum’s collections, mirrors the development of South Bend and the local visual arts, offering a perspective on our community history. The collection grew out of a community-based organization founded in 1947, the South Bend Art Association, (now the South Bend Museum of Art) and was enriched by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Morris which includes paintings by members of “The Hoosier Group:” William Forsythe, Clifton Wheeler, T.C. Steele, Karl Bradner and George Jo Mess.
The region’s academic institutions attracted fine arts faculty that contributed to the local legacy, while industries such as Studebaker employed commercial artists/designers who developed reputations as fine artists, adding a unique dimension.
Makers and Champions celebrates the release this fall of a seminal book on this cultural contribution to our community. The project is a collaboration between the SBMA, Indiana University South Bend, Wolfson Press, and L.E.A.R.N. (Lifetime Education And Research Network) aimed at documenting the fine arts legacy of our area for future generations.
Images: from left: Untitled (self portriat) Harold Zisla; Howard Park Skating Rink, Edward Herrmann; South Bend, Robert Indiana
