Locality: An Exhibit about Culture and Place in Evansville and New Harmony

Locality

An Exhibit About Culture and Place in Evansville and New Harmony

Michael Patrick Bailey, Jerry Baum, Stanley Campbell,

Emily Gartner, Jonathan Hamilton, Amy Musia, and Tory Schendel-Vyvoda.

February 28th - April 11th, 2026

BG Projects at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art proudly presents “Locality: An Exhibit about Culture and Place in Evansville and New Harmony,” a group exhibit of work by artists including Michael Patrick Bailey, Jerry Baum, Stanley Campbell, Emily Gartner, Jonathan Hamilton, Amy Musia, and Tory Schendel-Vyvoda.  On view at New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art’s BG Projects, the exhibit will include community-driven work of local artist Jerry Baum (1934-2022,) whose community-driven work is on loan courtesy the University of Southern Indiana Archives and Special Collections. BG Projects will host an opening reception with some artists present on Saturday, February 28th from 3-5 p.m.

This presentation of recent works offers insight into human-made environments, reflecting on how historic buildings and monuments in New Harmony and Evansville serve reference points that shape how people learn about themselves, connect to a shared heritage, and share common ground across time. Touching on themes of urban decay and renewal, “Locality” also examines historic as well as cultural preservation efforts in Evansville and New Harmony. These themes link the artists’ shared focus on materiality by investigating tangible materials of these compositions as well as the visual information present in both revered landmarks and forgotten places. The densely layered urban environment of Evansville is contrasted with the well-preserved landmarks of New Harmony.

The exhibition emphasizes placemaking’s role in building community spirit: a common goal shared among artists in the exhibition. The boundaries of a specific “locality” are subjective by nature, but the term helps construct mutual associations between individuals located in a shared geographic area. These artists work create works reflecting the built environment that resonate with the viewer both physically and culturally. As famed anthropologist Margaret Mead once quipped, “never doubt a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Artist Bios:

Michael Patrick Bailey was born in Indianapolis (IN) and raised in the Miami Valley just south of Dayton (OH). A self-taught painter, his experience as a lifelong sportsman and lover of the outdoors blazed the trail for him to become an award-winning wildlife artist. His wildlife and landscape works are featured in private and public collections around the world and have been shown in New York, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Salem, Cheyenne, Livingston, Honolulu, Wichita, Indianapolis, and beyond.

Jerry Baum (1934-2022) was born in Evansville (IN) and lived there as well as Vincennes (IN). He was a professional illustrator and watercolor artist for over 55 years, and was famous for the community and preservation-minded focus of his artwork. He held shows nationwide and in countries such as Bolivia and Germany, donating the proceeds from much of his work to religious, educational, and humanitarian causes. Baum was one of the founding members of the Watercolor U.S.A. juried exhibition and taught workshops and master classes for the last 45 years in venues around the United States, including out of New Harmony (IN) studio. His work is featured in embassies around the world as well as in the collections of the Evansville Museum, University of Southern Indiana, and University of Evansville.

Stanley Campbell is based in Wadesville (IN). He is an illustrator who specializes in pen and ink drawings. He creates drawings of Posey County historic buildings as well as antique farm tractors and cars, and has hosted many workshops on ink drawing. He is the current Posey County Historian since 2025, a role he has taken up since retiring from nearby Mt. Vernon’s (IN) Alexandrian Public Library August 2024 after seventeen years of service as Head of Community Relations.

Emily Gartner is an artist/designer residing in Evansville (IN) and a University of Southern Indiana alum (1984): she took several elective courses from the university’s Art and Design department with professors Kathryn Waters and Lenny Dowhie. Currently a freelance designer at Emily Gartner Designs, she is well-know for her “Landmarks” series of built-environment inspired work. Gartner has held various art and design roles including Assistant Curator, Textiles at Allentown Art Museum (PA,) Owner of Indianapolis based Art Threads Studio, and Design Consultant with the company West Elm. Work of Gartner’s resides in the University of Southern Indiana’s art collection.

Jonathan Hamilton is an illustrator/photographer residing in Evansville (IN) and a University of Southern Indiana alum (2019).Through his work he photographs liminal urban environments and scenery to evoke a sense of introspection, nostalgia, and melancholy through quiet and isolated compositions. He has been featured in group exhibits with the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, as well as having solo exhibitions at the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library.

Amy Musia is a multifaceted artist of sculpture, mixed media, and watercolors from Texas and residing in Evansville (IN) for over forty years. She is well-known for her site specific installations in Evansville, New Harmony, and elsewhere, with “Bend on the River” being a prominent 1989 example of her work commissioned for Evansville’s 175th anniversary. She is a freelancer at Musia Fine Art.

Tory Schendel-Vyvoda is an artist and curator currently residing in Evansville (IN). Drawn to mixed media in her art, her current body of work, “Collective I,” has been shown across the United States and connects to a current PHD dissertation at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts. She works for the Evansville African American Museum, the Lamasco Microgallery, and the University of Evansville. She earned her bachelor’s from Indiana University and her master’s from Johns Hopkins University. She serves on boards and committees of several nonprofits across the country.