USI's Historic New Harmony launches a Virtual Community Conversation series

University of Southern Indiana's Historic New Harmony is launching a series of "Virtual Community Conversations" starting at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 11 on a public Zoom video conference.

"Historic New Harmony is excited to launch the 'Virtual Community Conversations' series this Summer," said Dan Mason, Assistant Director of Historic New Harmony. "Not only is New Harmony an endlessly fascinating topic of discussion, but during these rather strange times, we want to help keep the New Harmony community talking, connected, learning and inspired."

The goal of the presentation series is to discuss New Harmony's history and how small towns in Rural America can continue to work to support their residents, businesses, culture and futures.

"To help us with this, we are honored to welcome special guest speakers from right here in New Harmony, the University of Southern Indiana and from around the world. I believe people will really enjoy these sessions," Mason said. 

The first three conversations  are on the following topics:

Thursday, June 11: Who Was Jane Blaffer Owen? 

Jane Blaffer Owen's mark is everywhere in New Harmony and her mission and vision are still felt. Join this discussion for a bit of history about this amazing woman and hear from those who knew her personally. Learn about what drove her, how she made big ideas happen in a small town and the importance of her leadership of New Harmony as we move forward.

Thursday, June 25: New Harmony: How it all began

The magic and attraction of New Harmony is as real today as it was for the first people who settled the area-peaceful, good soil, abundant fish and wildlife, easy transportation and something almost spiritual. Did you know these features existed well before the 1800s with the Native Americans? Join us for a discussion that begins hundreds of years ago through the present day to connect all people who have lived in and visited this "utopian" destination.

Thursday, July 9: New Harmony Sites: A Virtual Tour

Have you ever contemplated a visit to the historic town of New Harmony but just haven't made it yet? Join for a virtual tour of some of our most popular and fascinating sites, with two of our interpreters narrating the experience live and answering questions. New Harmony's history spans hundreds of years and sites include beautifully preserved cabins, Harmonist and Owen-period homes, artifacts and an icon of modern architecture. 

More information on these conversations and registration details can be found at https://www.usi.edu/hnhvirtual.

Historic New Harmony is a unified program of USI Outreach and Engagement and the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. By preserving its utopian legacy, Historic New Harmony inspires innovation and progressive thought through its programs and collections.

For more information about Historic New Harmony, contact Erin McCracken Merris, Marketing Specialist for USI Outreach and Engagement, at emccracken@usi.edu.