Museum Exhibits Celebrate USI's 50th Anniversary

The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science is featuring two exhibits celebrating the 50th anniversary of the University of Southern Indiana.

"The Founding of the University of Southern Indiana: An Unparalleled Vision Celebrating 50 years: 1965-2015" is open through January 3, 2016. This retrospect follows USI's beginnings as an extension of Indiana State University's main Terre Haute campus in Evansville through its independence and growth into the vibrant institution it is today. Five decades of selected documents, photographs, artifacts and film are on display.

To further commemorate this milestone event, the Museum will host a brown bag lunch series in conjunction with the USI History Department from noon to 1 p.m. on four Fridays this fall. Each month a USI historian will highlight various aspects of USI's first 50 years. These interactive sessions will offer ample time for questions and answers.

The first in the series will be held in the Museum's Old Gallery on September 4, with Jennifer Greene, USI Reference and Archives librarian and an adjunct member of the History Department.

The October 2 presentation also will be in the Old Gallery and will be given by Andrew Barbero, an adjunct member of the History Department.

November 6 will feature Dr. Thomas Rodgers, lecturer in history. This will take place in the Museum's Crescent Galleries.

The final presentation in the series will be held on December 4 in the Crescent Galleries featuring Dr. Donald Pitzer, professor emeritus of history and director emeritus of the Center for Communal Studies.

Master Teacher Lenny Dowhie and USI Alumni

In addition to the history exhibit, the Museum continues with its year-long series of Master Teacher exhibits. Organized to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the University of Southern Indiana, the series features the work of five distinguished faculty who have led the Art Department through the decades.

The first installation featured Michael Aakhus, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of Art. The current exhibit, open through September 6, features the work of Lenny Dowhie, professor emeritus of art and fourteen of his students: Deborah Ball '05, Gregory A. Byard '04, Katie Chandler '07, John Cummings '08, David Cunninham, Adam Egenolf, Carol Fennell '90, Brock Flamion '07, Matthew Gehring '98, Stephen L. Herron (1951-2003), Nelia Kimbrough, Beth Overfield, Randy Skaggs '99 and Michael Torre.

Dowhie holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana State University and a Bachelor of Art Education degree from Arizona State University. He taught ceramics at USI, and also served as chair of the Art Department. He has earned numerous grants and awards for his work in ceramics and continues to design and produce pieces for collectors throughout the world.

With more than 90 invitational/national exhibits to his credit, Dowhie continues to remain on the cutting edge of ceramics and ceramic processes. His ceramics and drawings are represented in numerous national and international collections, including the Smithsonian Institute of American Art, Renwick Gallery.

Faculty included in upcoming Master Teacher Series will be Katie Waters, from September 13 to October 25; John McNaughton, from November 1 to December 13; and Joan DeJong, from December 20 to January 31.

The Evansville Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to www.emuseum.org.

For more events related to USI's 50th anniversary, go to www.usi.edu/50.