Observe artists capturing the beauty of Brown County in the fall. The Indiana Plein Air Painters will be demonstrating their craft at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site. A different artist will be present every weekend afternoon in October to paint and chat about their work.

Showcasing photographs taken by local residents, the ‘This is How I Live United’ gallery captures how our friends, family, and neighbors Live United by giving, advocating, and volunteering to create a better tomorrow for our community.

United Way of Monroe County and our partners work every day to ensure everyone in our community has the building blocks for a better life — Education, Earnings, and the Essentials. And you are part of this work — whether through donations, volunteering, or lending a helping hand to those in need.

The 30th Annual American Red Cross Book Fair will be held October 3 – 8 at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, Commercial Building West. There will be 100,000 gently used books, CDs, videos, DVDs, cassettes, records, games, puzzles, maps, sheet music, and many other items for sale at very reasonable prices.
Opening day admission is $10, but the rest of the week’s attendance is free. Please call to receive a Book Fair bookmark with dates, times (vary from day to day) and specials listed. All proceeds from the Book Fair benefit Red Cross disaster relief, service to military families, and emergency preparedness services in Monroe and Owen Counties.
Thurs., Oct. 3, 9 am -7 pm OPENING DAY! $10 admission for best selection of books & media.
Friday, Oct. 4: 9 am – 7 pm: No admission charge. 4th annual food drive for Hoosier Hills Food Bank – bring non-perishable food and you’ll receive a “book buck,” good for $1 off book and media purchases.
Saturday, Oct. 5: 9 am – 6 pm : 4th annual food drive for Hoosier Hills Food Bank – bring non-perishable food and you’ll receive a “book buck,” good for $1 off book and media purchases
Sunday, Oct. 6: 9 am – 6 pm: Half-price day & Military Family Appreciation Day – Military families present ID and get free goodie bags for your children!
Monday, Oct. 7: 9 am – 6 pm: $10 bag-it day – we furnish the bag or bring your own of comparable size. You can fit at least two dozen books in a grocery bag – all for ten bucks.
Tuesday, Oct. 8: 9 am – 12 pm Community Day; Books and media left are free. Donations are encouraged.
Contact us at (812) 332-7292 or [email protected] for more information or to volunteer for this event, or visit us on the web at www.redcross.org/in/bloomington.

Some of the most famous and historic collector cars in the country will be on display on the grounds of the West Baden Springs Hotel, a signature hotel of the French Lick Resort. Over 70 cars will be competing for the coveted “Best in Show” crystal trophy. Other activities planned include refreshments and entertainment, a “Kids & Cars” tent and other exciting events. Free admission for children 12 and under. Event program and complimentary shuttle service from French Lick Springs Hotel included with ticket price. Proceeds from the event benefit Kosair Children’s Hospital. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit www.louisvilleconcours.com.

For our autumn feature the Farmer House Museum steps back in time and presents “Psychedelic Art.” In our Workroom Gallery we will exhibit striking examples of the work of major San Francisco rock and roll poster artists of the late 1960’s. The posters will be displayed with information about the artists, promoters and the bands they advertised. We will also take a look back at the student culture of the time. In a back room, we have created a special feature: a dark room with blacklight posters of the era. In the dining room we continue the psychedelic theme with a table setting designed by Peter Max.

Show runs until November. Museum closed Monday. See website for all hours and further details.

The Guild will have extended hours for the month of October. Monday – Saturday, 11 am-6 pm, Sunday, 12-5 pm.

“Oil & Watercolor Paintings by Judith S. Lewis and Rob O’Dell” will be on display in the Upper Loft Gallery at the Brown County Art Guild, October 1-31.
Artists’ Reception: Second Saturday, October 12, 5-8 pm during the Village Art Walk

Please join us for an evening of light refreshments and to purchase your 10$ raffle ticket for a unique opportunity to win a beautiful autumn landscape created by several Guild Member Artists. (raffle winner will be drawn December 14, need not be present to win)

Artist Biographies:
Judith S. Lewis is an oil painter living in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1996, Judith chose to revitalize her interest in painting by taking a portrait workshop at the Indianapolis Art Center. The following year she traveled to New Mexico to study with Master Artist, David Leffel. She was so taken by the dramatic effects of light and shadow in his paintings that she knew this would be the path she would take on her life-long pursuit.
After fine arts became her major focus, Judith began showing her work in juried exhibitions, winning many awards. In 2008, she was honored to receive the Master of Art Award at the Hoosier Salon ceremony in New Harmony. In 2010, she was awarded the prestigious IHA Silver Award. Her work appears in Mark Butterfield’s book, Hoosier Painters of the 21st Century. Judith is also named in Who’s Who in American Women, and Who’s Who in America.
Ms. Lewis has studied with Master Artists at the Indianapolis Art Center, Scottsdale Artist School (Arizona), and Fechin Institute (New Mexico). She has also studied abroad in Italy and Spain.
In addition to one-woman shows, Judith’s work has appeared in several group shows. Many of her works are held in private and public collections.
Judith is represented by Madison Art Gallery (Madison, IN) and the Brown County Art Guild where she has been an artist member since 2001.
A favorite quote:
“What could be more wonderful than the life of a painter? Beyond the usual necessities of life, we live out our days needing nothing more than a box of paints, some brushes, and something to paint on.” – Richard Schmid

Rob O’Dell was born in Decatur, IL. He attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he received his formal training and was introduced to watercolor by Irving Shapiro. He then went on to a Commercial Art career in Chicago before moving into a 150-year-old farmhouse on a farm in Indiana, where he is surrounded by the subject matter of his artwork. He and his wife, Ann, have two daughters and five grandchildren.
He is a member of the Indianapolis Art Center, the Crawfordsville Art League, Indiana Federation of Art Clubs, the Madison Art Club, the Sagamore of the Wabash, the Watercolor Society of Indiana, the Indiana Artists Club, the Hoosier Salon, and Rob has been an artist member of the Brown County Art Guild since 1989.
Rob’s artwork can be found in Private and Corporate Collections world-wide; including, Indiana University, University of Illinois, Purdue University, Indiana State University, Wabash College, University of Evansville,
Rose-Hulman University, MacMurray College, Park-Tudor Academy, Brebeuf High School, Indiana State Museum, Greater Lafayette Art Museum, Sheldon Swope Gallery, St. Meinrad Archabbey, Tri-Kappa Premanent Collection, Indiana Bell; Illinois Bell; WISH-TV; Borg-Warner; A.E. Staley; Archer-Daniels Midland; Yellow Freight; Mayflower Moving, Nipon Corn Starch (Japan), Plough, Inc., Eli Lilly, Stokely Van Camp, Dickey-John, AUL Insurance, National Geographic; Churchill Downs Racetrack; Bank One; Elston Bank; Boehringer Mannheim; Crawfordsville Journal-Review; Indianapolis News; Simon Properties; United Feeds Inc.; Terre Haute First National Bank; First National Bank of Decatur, IL; Citizens National Bank; American Fletcher National Bank; Tri-County Bank, Crawfordsville; Ladoga Library; Roachdale Library; Crawfordsville Library.
When not painting in his restored turn-of-the-century studio in Lagoda, IN, Rob can be found on the golf course or conducting his popular workshops.

Special Exhibition, “Art Interrupted: Advancing American Art and the Politics of Cultural Diplomacy”
Runs September 15-December 15
This exhibition reconstructs a 1946‒47 exhibition titled Advancing American Art, which featured over one hundred examples of stylistically diverse American art from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s. Organized by the State Department as a form of cultural diplomacy, Advancing American Art traveled to venues in Latin America and Europe before political controversy in the United States led to its cancellation. Art Interrupted illuminates a fascinating historical moment when modern art was seen as a powerful tool for furthering democratic ideals around the world.

New in the Galleries: “Photographing Rosie the Riveter”
Runs October 1-January 26
The conscription of men into military service during WW II led to a demand for female workers in the factories supplying munitions and war supplies. Government photography projects, such as the Farm Security Administration (FSA), revamped their operations to support the efforts of the Office of War Information (OWI). This installation features propagandistic images of female assembly-line workers by Andreas Feininger, Alfred T. Palmer, and Howard Liberman. Organized by Maura Campbell-Balkits, a museum intern in the Department of Communications and Culture.

Fall Festivities at Freeman Family Farms runs until October 27. Activities include:

Pumpkin Patch – pick your own pumpkin!
Hay rides! Petting Zoo!
A fun filled mini train with 7 cars made just for the little pumpkin pickers!

Friday, 4 – 7 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 8 pm; Sunday, Noon – 5 pm.

The Mathers Museum of World Cultures presents a new exhibit for the year 2013, “In The Kitchen Around The World”, which will be on display in addition to the already-installed exhibits from 2012. This exhibit will run until November 15, 2013.

“In The Kitchen Around The World”: an exhibit that presents objects used in preparing food and food service from different areas of the world. It breaks down into two categories: what the viewer perceives as familiar, such as plates, cups, and dishes, and what is unfamiliar, such as a Peruvian corn toaster and an Ecuadorian grater. The goal of the exhibit is to look at what other cultures have come up with as solutions to help them in cooking or eating food, allowing the viewer to make comparisons to the solutions that are similar or dissimilar to their own.

Other exhibits include:

“Picturing Archaeology”: Described in their words and illustrated by their images, the research and fieldwork of 13 Indiana University archaeologists is presented in Picturing Archaeology at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures/Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology.

“Rhythms of the World”: a free audioguide tour of musical instruments from around the globe featured in exhibits throughout the museum. The audioguide includes narration and musical clips of the highlighted instruments. This exhibit will run until December 20.

“Thoughts, Things, and Theories…What Is Culture?”
Thoughts, Things, and Theories…What Is Culture? examines the nature of culture through the exploration of cultural traditions surrounding life stages and universal needs.This exhibit will run until December 20.

“From the Big Bang to the World Wide Web: The Origins of Everything”
This exhibit examines history on a large scale, through the exploration of cosmic, biological, and human origins. This exhibit will run until December 20.

“Treasures of the Mathers Museum”
Decades of collecting and curating will be featured in this exhibit, presented in conjunction with the institution’s 50th anniversary. This exhibit will run until December 20.

“Photos in Black and White: Margaret Bourke-White and the Dawn of Apartheid in South Africa”
In 1949, Margaret Bourke-White, one of the most famous photojournalists in America, travelled to South Africa on assignment for Life magazine. Some of her rarely-seen images from that period are featured in Photos in Black and White: Margaret Bourke-White and the Dawn of Apartheid in South Africa at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures. Curated by Alex Lichtenstein, Associate Professor of History at Indiana University, the exhibition offers a comprehensive look at Bourke-White’s photojournalistic portrayal of South Africa in 1949 and 1950. This exhibit will run until December 20.

“Melted Ash: Michiana Wood Fired Pottery”
This exhibit explores the methods used to produce hand-made, wood fired pottery, and features works from northern Indiana and southern Michigan. This exhibit will run until December 20.

Museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 9 am to 4:30 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays, from 1 to 4:30 pm. Check website to see all of the Mathers Museum’s exhibits.

A ghoulish cast of traditional Halloween characters. ..a Juggling Scarecrow, Dancing Skeleton & Ghost, Alien, The Flying Purple People Eater, a Kitchen Witch, Concert Pianist & Dracula…all will amaze you with their trickery while they perform on a charming Halloween set.

Purchase tickets 20 minutes prior to showtime. Showing multiple times per day. See website for more details.