Opening Reception
Saturday, July 12, 2–5 p.m.
Putnam County Museum
1105 N. Jackson Street
With shared support from the Greencastle Arts Council and Putnam County Museum, the sixth annual Putnam County Visual Arts Exhibition opens to the public with a reception honoring this year’s participants and award recipients on Saturday, July 12, from 2–5 p.m. at PCM (1105 N. Jackson Street). The award recognition will begin at 3:30 p.m. In addition to first- and second-place prizes, funds raised in support of this event also include a Museum Purchase Prize, which allows for a significant new work to be added annually to the Putnam County Museum’s permanent collection. Co-chaired by Arts Council board members Connie Wagner and Suzanne Hassler in collaboration with PCM director Rachel Lewis, the show will run for 10 weeks through Friday, Sept. 19, after which the ballots for the final prize, the People’s Choice Award, will be counted and that winner announced.
Guest adjudicator for this year’s exhibit will be life-long Indiana resident Donna Shortt, a nationally recognized still life and plein air painter with an eye in particular for Indiana landscape. Her pastels and oil paintings have been honored with numerous awards. Among her recent accomplishments, Shortt achieved Master Circle Status in 2024 in the International Association of Pastel Societies. She is a member of the Hoosier Salon, Indiana Artists Club, Brown County Art Guild, Chicago Pastel Painters, Oil Painters of America, Southside Art League, Indiana Heritage Arts, and Indiana Plein Air Painters, and she has paintings in the permanent collections of the Indiana State Museum, the Richmond Indiana Art Museum, the Historic Oliver P. Morton Home collection, and the City of Carmel, Indiana.
All submissions included in Putnam County’s sixth annual visual arts exhibit are original works created by artists who have lived, worked, studied or were born in Putnam County. Begun in 2020 with just 23 artists in its first year, the current exhibit will include more than 60 pieces by 42 area artists, representing a diversity of talent and creative mediums from 2-D painting, drawing, photography, printmaking and fiber arts, to 3-D sculpture, metal working, jewelry making and ceramics.
“Putnam County is fortunate to be home to so many talented artists. Each year, the exhibit grows in both size and quality—and this year is no exception,” co-chair Connie Wagner noted. “I’m thrilled by both the number of pieces and the variety of media represented in this year’s show.”
“Because the adjudicators and the volunteer members of the selection committee change from year to year, the committee begins its annual review by revisiting its selection criteria,” Hassler continued. “And each year, it has chosen as a group to be as inclusive as possible. As a consequence, we enjoy an additional benefit of seeing the growth of individual artist’s work over time.” “There are many ways to organize a show like this, but if the committee had not been willing to accept an artist’s work early in their career—if they’d chosen instead to be exclusive—we would not have the pleasure now of seeing how much artists’ work has grown,” Hassler added. “It’s a unique approach. It’s a choice. But choosing to be as inclusive as possible gives a fuller picture of who we are as a creative community, and we couldn’t be more grateful to see how both the work and the show has grown.”
The organizers also prioritize inviting artists/clients from Putnam County Comprehensive Services to participate, as well as covering the submission fees for them and matting and framing if needed. This year three artists from PCCM will participate in the countywide exhibit.
Both the opening reception and the exhibit at PCM are free to all. Museum hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Friday and Saturdays from Noon–4 p.m. through Sept. 19. Lewis welcomes everyone to PCM, not just to see the show, but to also be proactive participants in the selection process: “While you’re here, pick up a ballot and be sure to vote for the People’s Choice Award!”