SEPTEMBER 2022
Online Ticket Sales
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
We’ve listened to our visitors and have set up an online system for the purchase of New Harmony tour tickets. Guests can now buy tickets online ahead of time for our group and daily tours. You can make that purchase directly from our website under Historic Tours. Our daily tours end October 31, 2022, so buy your ticket now and come enjoy beautiful New Harmony in its Fall finest. November and December offer weekend tours only. Please click on the link below. Hope to see you soon!
AUGUST 2022
A Reflection on Labyrinths
Del Doughty, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Back when I lived in Huntington, Indiana, I used to ride my bike past the cornfields and up the hill to Our Lady of Victory convent to walk its labyrinth. It was an 11-circuit, brick-lined path laid into the grass, and at the center was a massive, ancient oak. If you looked into a nook on one of the lower branches, you would find a pair of plain, golden rings. Every time I visited, they were there. You might think that someone would take them after a while, but I think that visitors respected that space as sacred and, beyond that, were probably intrigued by the story lurking behind those rings. Would someone someday return there, walk the labyrinth, find the rings they had left long ago and then re-unite with a loved one? I kind of hoped so.
That labyrinth in Huntington remains a favorite. There are others. I loved the labyrinth at Land’s End in San Francisco—I use the past tense here because I was devastated to learn it was vandalized so often during the pandemic that it was dismantled. (I guess not everyone respects a sacred space.) The Land’s End labyrinth was made of loosely set stones on a cliff above the Bay, and it afforded an unforgettable view of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was set so close against the cliff’s edge that should your attention have wondered on the outer circuits, you might have slipped and fallen to your death. As the poets sometimes remind us, beauty and death are often closely linked.
My worst experience in labyrinth-walking came in Washington, D.C. I was visiting town for a conference, and I read that the American Psychological Association had a labyrinth on the rooftop of its headquarters. You had to call ahead to reserve permission, so I did, but then when I arrived at the APA at the appointed time the next day, I approached the security guards in the lobby and asked if I could proceed to the labyrinth. They denied me permission. I had to make a few phone calls to clear up the matter, and eventually I did, but not before I got frustrated with the APA. I guess I didn’t cite my sources correctly! Since then, I’ve reaffirmed my commitment to MLA style.
As you can probably tell, I’m pretty keen on labyrinths and have been for some time. I’m fascinated by those at New Harmony, and in particular, the hedge maze. I made a point of getting out there and walking it the first week I was in town. It was a cool, rainy Saturday, and no one was around, so I had it all to myself. I felt, as I sometimes do when walking the circuits, something like a low-level anxiety or agitation of nerves on the way in. I think that my imagination was excited by trying to take in all of New Harmony’s history and beauty on my first visit, and it was just too much. Standing at the center, I took a few breaths and looked around. There will be time, there will be time, I recalled from a line by T.S. Eliot. With that simple truth in mind, I started back on the way out. Although I’m as eager as ever to learn about this wonderful place, I intend to take it slow, to savor every part of it.
Family Fun Month
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
August is National Family Fun Month! Multiple organizations all over the country are promoting their sites and special features for the entire month including the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families. Did you know Historic New Harmony is a Blue Star Museum? As a Blue Star Museum, we offer free tours to active military and military families who visit our historic site. Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums nationwide. The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID) or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card to get a free spot on one of our tours! So, come and join a tour! To all active service members and veterans, thank you for your service to this country. Your bravery, sacrifice and strength do not go unnoticed, and we will always be indebted to you and your family for all that you have given and continue to give to this country.
JULY 2022
Second Saturday Programming Continues
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
This year seems to be flying by! We’re now halfway through the year (and our New Harmony Second Saturday programing). As our first year participating in Second Saturday, we’ve worked hard on developing a new and exciting program each month.
Beginning in March, we hosted a special Women's History tour focusing on the powerful and wonderful women who shaped New Harmony. Then, in April, we opened up the Maximilian-Bodmer Exhibition in the Lichtenberger Building for the afternoon so all could come and see it without going on tour. In May, we hosted a sold-out weaving workshop with local heritage artisan Peggy Taylor, where guests learned how to weave using historic methods just like the Harmonists. Our most recent Second Saturday program was a conversation with The Frontier Scientist, Thomas Say. He talked about his life and his expedition into the frontier to study and analyze nature.
These exciting programs are not over yet! On August 13, we will open up the Maximilian-Bodmer Exhibition once again from 1 to 4 p.m. In September, we will host another workshop with Peggy Taylor, but this time it will be all about natural dyeing, using plants from our recreated Harmonist Dye Garden at the David Lenz House. Be on the lookout in October, as there will be some haunting things happening that Second Saturday. Then for our final second Saturday of the year, we will be doing an open-hearth cooking demonstration in the Double Log Cabin, so come on by and see what's cooking!
Be sure and follow us on Facebook for all Second Saturday programing updates. For all those who joined us for any of the past events, we thank you. We hope to see you again soon!
Atheneum Maintenance Update
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Work on the Atheneum roof started this week! As work continues, the entire roof, second and third floors will be closed off to the public, including the Clowes Theater and the 1824 town model. Crews will be replacing the tile on the top of the roof after repairing the drains. They will also be repairing water damage that has occurred on some inner walls and ceilings. Tours will still begin at the Atheneum, but the introductory film will be viewed in the Atrium, which was generously funded by the Kent and Laurie Parker Family Foundation. The construction will last a few months but once completed, the repairs will go a long way in the continued preservation of this icon of modern architecture.
JUNE 2022
The Atheneum
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
In March I was contacted by a group of students from Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology in Xi'an, China. Their professor wanted them to have a deeper understanding of famous architects and their buildings. This particular group of students decided to study the Atheneum because, in their words, "it had great culture and was a masterpiece of Richard Meier (we admire him a lot)."
They asked if I would be able to send plans and photos of the Atheneum so they could make a model. I gathered up some of our original plans and sent photos. A few weeks later, I received another email stating they had completed the model. Their teacher praised them on the project. It looked amazing! It was almost an exact replica of the Atheneum. They couldn't create every single detail of the building due to time, but they got most of them. It included all the main elements of the building, and it also had a working cinema and lights inside. It just goes to show how much the Atheneum is revered all over the world.
MAY 2022
A Note from HNH’s Spring Student Worker
Hanna Clark, Historic New Harmony Student Worker
Despite graduating this semester, I have recently changed my career trajectory. I have studied political science and Spanish; however, I have shifted my focus toward statistics. While I have done a variety of tasks for Historic New Harmony, I have mainly focused on survey work—a vital part of statistics. This position has given me a great start to a career I hope to pursue soon, and I am elated that I had the opportunity to learn so much in such little time at a truly valuable historic site in my home state of Indiana.
One of the most valuable skills I have acquired in this time is survey development. I had taken a class on this as part of my political science degree, but nothing can compare to learning about the process through hands-on experience. Going through the process has taught me in a way that I cannot forget the skills. Not only has working on a survey for Historic New Harmony cemented the skills I have learned in class, but it has also taught me a few tricks I could never learn in class. Since I want to focus on the more humanistic side of statistics, this knowledge is going to be invaluable during my career.
An imperative part of developing a survey is figuring out what questions are best to measure the information one wants. This entails editing the survey and removing many questions. As you can tell by reading this, I am wordy. I have struggled with editing things to be concise and communicate only the information necessary, but this internship has helped me acquire this skill. Working with others at Historic New Harmony and the Office of Planning, Research and Assessment has helped me focus on what is imperative. I hope this skill can transfer to other areas of my professional and academic life.
One of the most challenging yet valuable learning processes that I have experienced here is learning how to use Qualtrics, a survey development and distribution software. I had to watch many tutorials and collaborate with Claire to learn how to use the software. Although it took a while to figure out, it is extremely rewarding to have acquired this skill. I love seeing all my hard work pay off by seeing a usable survey.
I have also acquired and perfected some soft skills that will be valuable in any workplace or any career if I decide once again to change my plans. I think the most invaluable of these is collaboration. Aside from working in a restaurant, I have never had a job in which I had to collaborate with others extensively. In developing the survey, I had to heed the advice of others. Since I am new to this, I received many constructive suggestions from the people at Historic New Harmony and the Office of Planning, Research and Assessment.
This leads to another skill I have practiced while working at Historic New Harmony: communication. I am elated I could practice this skill since it is valuable not only in every workplace, but also in every area of life. I worked from home during this experience, so communication was even more important than it usually is. Exchanging clear and concise emails was part of my usual routine.
Overall, I have learned an incredible amount from this internship. Far too much to list here, but the few named skills will help me in my professional journey. I am so grateful for the opportunity to help Historic New Harmony in its mission to create a new exhibit and/or program. Thank you everyone for having me!
More Perfect Places: A Theatrical Celebration of the Past, Present and Future
Tanya Palmer, Associate Professor of Theatre at Indiana University
“More Perfect Places: A Theatrical Celebration of the Past, Present and Future of New Harmony” will offer free performances at Thrall’s Opera House June 10-11, 2022.
More Perfect Places is a play inspired by New Harmony’s utopian history, but it is also an invitation to imagine what the future holds for this unique community. Part social gathering, part formal theater and part outdoor spectacle, More Perfect Places gives voice to well-known historical and contemporary figures such as Robert Owen and Jane Blaffer Owen along with lesser-known figures and writer and historian Charity Dye, pioneering African-American farmer Keziah Rosborough, —through writer and director Seth Bockley’s rich imagination, including the animals, plants and geographic features that make this special place a utopia right here in Indiana. Written and developed with the support of The Center for Rural Engagement, Indiana University’s Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance, the New Harmony Project, Historic New Harmony, the University of Southern Indiana, the Working Men’s Institute and the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation, the creative team behind More Perfect Places is thrilled to bring this celebration of the past, present and future of New Harmony to Thrall’s Opera House this summer for two free performances on June 10 and 11.
More Perfect Places is a collaboration between director and playwright Seth Bockley, video and installation artist Liz Nofziger, theatre scholar Tanya Palmer and arts integration and education specialist Angela Tillges. While many of the stories at the center of More Perfect Places are inspired by history, this event also invites young people from Southern Indiana to articulate both what they would want to preserve about their communities, and what they would like to transform. As the play was being written in 2020 and 2021, Minnesota-based Arts Education expert Angela Tillges built curriculum and conducted workshops with middle schoolers and high schoolers in Mount Vernon and Huntingburg, Indiana, asking them to envision what a utopia in Southern Indiana would look like today. Their ideas and images will make up a part of the experience of More Perfect Places, which will feature a cast of IU Theatre students alongside professional actors from across the Midwest. Paoli, Indiana, based musician and composer Andrew Gerber is creating an original score for the play, and local New Harmony musician Liz Mumford and her band Blue Harmony will join in for a post-show community celebration.
We are still seeking interested youth (ages approximately 10-20) to join us as performers in the show. No prior experience is necessary, you just need to be available during the week of June 6-12. If you are interested, please contact Angela Tillges at angie.tillges@gmail.com. Finally, we need audience members—you and your friends and family are a critical part of the show! Please visit us at www.moreperfectplaces.org to learn more about the performance and to reserve free tickets for the play and post-show video installation and celebration. We look forward to seeing you at Thrall’s Opera House at 7 p.m. on June 10 or 11.
MARCH 2022
Museum Shop Update
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Welcome back to another season with Historic New Harmony! As we start this new season, there are some new items in the museum shop that are definitely worth checking out.
We have some amazing new jewelry from Scout Curated Wears. They specialize in designing modern, multi-use jewelry with a bohemian flare and many of their pieces convert from wrap bracelets to necklaces. All their items are beautifully displayed and packaged to brighten your day or make the perfect gift. As a company founded and led by women, they highly value promoting women and families. They believe all women have the right to reach their full potential. When women have the tools to succeed, everyone benefits. That’s why they pledge to give 10% of net profits to organizations that help support and promote women.
We also have restocked pieces from Bee Tree Pottery. These artisan pieces showcase not only sgraffito and sponged techniques but also slip trail designs. For the younger generation, we have many new animal friend puppets joining us this year as well. Finally, you can find the April edition of Early American Life magazine. New Harmony has an eight-page feature and you can find it on our shelves while supplies last. We hope to see you all in the Atheneum this year either for a program, the museum shop or a tour!
FEBRUARY 2022
HNH Welcomes New Student Worker
Claire Eagle, Interim Assistant Director
In late January, HNH welcomed a new student worker. Hanna Clark is a senior at USI double majoring in political science and world languages and cultures with a focus in Spanish. She will be working on the creation and administering of a survey to better understand the pre-conceived ideas of both the Harmonist religion and modern religion that are held by USI students, New Harmony residents and our annual visitors as a part of the Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative II planning grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
In addition to her position with HNH, Hanna is in her third semester working at the Miller Language Lab on campus. There, she helps low to intermediate level Spanish students with their homework. Hanna loves traveling in her free time, learning about the religion and history of different cultures and, when she has a quiet moment, she also likes to embroider. Especially family pictures.
Hanna hopes her work on this survey will help HNH continue to be one of the cultural facilities that makes Indiana great.
Devout & Disciplined: Harmonists in New Harmony, 1814-1824
Susan Colaricci Sauls, Director, University Art Collections
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them
that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things in common”
King James Bible, Acts 4:32
Devout & Disciplined: Harmonists in New Harmony, 1814-1824, shares the continuing story of religious separatists seeking refuge in America from the strict formation of the German Lutheran Church. After establishing a community in Harmonie, Pennsylvania, the Harmony Society moved to Southern Indiana in search of more land to accommodate a growing community, navigable waters to expand commerce and a climate friendly place to do the work of a vinedresser in a vineyard. Johann George Rapp, the vinedresser from Iptingen, Germany, led the Society both spiritually and administratively. The Harmonists professed a devout faith anticipating the Millennial Reign of Christ at his second coming would be soon; held the fervent conviction that salvation was a gift from God; and firmly believed the bible was the ultimate authority. They lived a devout and disciplined life building their community as they waited for the imminent return of Christ.
This exhibition presents an overview of the Harmony Society’s history, building the town, their experience of communal living, how they sustained commerce, and ultimately their exodus to Economy, Pennsylvania.
We hope you will accept our invitation to visit and explore the richly historic town of New Harmony. Featured here are artifacts from the collections of Historic New Harmony, The Working Men’s Institute, and the University of Southern Indiana’s Archives & Special Collections.
Presented in the exhibition are two pieces of furniture, a “peasant” plank chair and a formal decorated chair from a set of six, from collector Patty Clendennen and her late husband, Bob of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Clendennens are considered experts in Harmonist furniture, pieces from their private collection now belong to Historic New Harmony and are on display in the David Lenz House.
The purchase of the artifacts was made possible by a generous gift from The Lawrence S. and Christa C. Thurman Fund with the USI Foundation earmarked for economist issues, including acquisitions. Lawrence Thurman, a native Hoosier, formerly led the Old Economy Village in Pennsylvania and “had a love for all things Harmonist” according to his wife, Christa.
Also included are unexpected items like Father Rapp’s poem Wabash Song in both the original German and English; Gertrude Rapp’s well-worn bible; and a replication of the advertisement for the sale of the town of New Harmony dated 1824.
A special thank you to the historic interpreters of Historic New Harmony for your contributions to the Interpreter’s Interpretation notations found throughout this exhibition. We are most grateful.
Devout & Disciplined: Harmonists in New Harmony, 1814-1824 will be presented in the McCutchan Exhibition Space located in the Wright Administration Building on the campus of the University of Southern Indiana from February 15 through July 15, 2022, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for Memorial Day and 4th of July.
DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022
A Look Ahead
Leslie Townsend, Director of Community Engagement and Historic New Harmony
As you can see from Claire’s report on our activities and programs in 2021, the Historic New Harmony team was busy and is looking ahead to 2022 which shows no sign of stopping! At the top of our “To Do” list is embarking on a new strategic plan. This will inform our direction, priorities and engagement for the next five years.
We plan to begin work in the winter of 2022 with the goal of implementing it July 1, the start of our new fiscal year. Steven Stump, Assistant Director of USI’s Center for Applied Research, will facilitate the plan and we will seek input from members of our HNH Advisory Board; University faculty, staff and students; and the New Harmony community. It’s no secret that Historic New Harmony is unique. We are many things: a historic site, museum, event organizer, repository of amazing collections, property manager, community resource and the list goes on. We are also an outreach program of a university, and that holds special challenges and opportunities. New Harmony is and has always been a learning laboratory, and we will use USI’s strategic plan, adopted in 2021, as a blueprint to look forward to ways we can make a difference both at the University and in the community.
Historic New Harmony is fortunate to have an active, dedicated and passionate Advisory Board under the direction of Chair Katie Waters. This past fall, we held a brainstorming session and as a result, the Board has activated three new workgroups. The Connections group will explore ways to have a greater association with the University and facilitate and assist in projects with USI students, faculty and staff. The Cultivation group will look at ways to expand our reach with supporters. And finally, the Special Events group will work to plan exciting donor and fundraising activities. These groups and projects will be essential as we plan for the future and will complement and be a part of the new strategic plan.
This coming year also presents us with a major new opportunity which will keep the HNH team very busy! I can’t wait to share details, and more information will be coming, but this could impact us for the next few years and have a lasting effect. Stay tuned!
These are just some of the new things in the works. Of course, the HNH team will continue the work that is our foundation–welcoming the public and sharing our Utopian history through tours, field trips, special events and programs. As we look to 2022, I want to thank you–our supporters, friends, board members, community and dedicated staff.
Here’s to a very happy New Year!
NOVEMBER 2021
Museum Shop Update
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Hot off the presses! This new coloring book was written and illustrated by the talented Marsha Bailey and produced by the Kiwanis Club of New Harmony. Marsha Bailey has been drawing for as long as she can remember, whether it was in Indiana, Michigan or Maryland. Watercolor was her main medium for many years, until 16 years ago when she fell in love with colored pencil. She has branched out into portraits since starting with colored pencil, and it has been rewarding to be able to capture that certain expression of the subject. While she lived in Maryland, she helped start the Matawoman Creek Art Center and was a juried member of the North End Gallery, where she won several awards. She was fortunate to have her Christmas ornaments selected to be on the Blue Room Christmas Tree at the White House three years, and she attended the opening receptions. Being a member of the Hoosier Salon and OVAL has given her opportunities to display her creations. Whenever possible, she has taken art classes with award-winning artists from all over the country. She says, that although winning awards is nice, the most rewarding is when someone truly loves a painting enough to purchase it.
Each of the pages in her book has a drawing of an important aspect of New Harmony along with a short historical fact. This book, along with many other items, such as the finger puppets, candles, pencils, Jacob’s Ladders and cup-and-ball, would make perfect Christmas stocking stuffers!
Christmas in New Harmony
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Every December New Harmony celebrates Christmas in a big way! The first weekend of December hosts Christmas in New Harmony, a spirit filled weekend sure to get you ready for the holiday. The town will be decorated in the Christmas spirit along with a tree lighting, a performance of the Nutcracker, Artisan Vendors throughout the town and even visits from a certain someone to see if you have been naughty or nice!
On Sunday, December 4, the people of New Harmony will open their decorated homes to the public in the second annual Christmas Home tour. This year, Historic New Harmony has the privilege to have one of our very own buildings on that tour. The 1830 Owen House (located on the corner of Tavern & Brewery) will be decorated in the style of the early 19th Century. Tickets for the tour will be available for $20 at the information booth located in Community House #2 during Christmas in New Harmony.
Below is a schedule of the other events for the weekend. We hope to see you here to celebrate the magical time of Christmas!
Friday, December 3
Saturday, December 4
Sunday, December 5
OCTOBER 2021
Museum Shop Update
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
New Harmony, Indiana: Like a River, Not a Lake has flowed its way back onto our shelves after a short hiatus. Written by Jane Blaffer Owen and edited by one of our own talented tour guides Nancy Mangum McCaslin, it also includes Forewords from John Philip Newell and J. Pittman McGehee and Afterwords from Anne Dale Owen and Jane Dale Owen. For nearly seven decades, Jane Blaffer Owen was the driving force behind the restoration and revitalization of the town of New Harmony, Indiana. In this memoir, Jane describes the transformational effect the town had on her life. An oil heiress from Houston, she met and married Kenneth Dale Owen, great-great-grandson of Robert Owen, founder of the second attempt at Utopia in New Harmony. When she visited the town with her new husband in 1941, it was love at first sight, and the story of her life and the life of the town became intertwined. Her engaging account of her journey to preserve and promote this small town on the Wabash provides glimpses into New Harmony’s past and all of its citizens–scientists, educators and naturalists–whose influence spread far beyond the town limits. As well as fascinating stories of the artists, architects and theologians who became part of her life in New Harmony, she says, “My roots could sink deeply and spread.”
This marvelous book can be purchased at the museum shop in the Atheneum from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Come on by and get yourself a copy today!
SEPTEMBER 2021
Lessons During a Pandemic Year, A Utopian Tour Guide Perspective
Heidi Doss, Historic New Harmony Tour Guide
At the beginning of each tour, for more than a year now, I have started with a brief but important statement on Historic New Harmony’s COVID-19 precautions. Masks are required, over your nose, please. Space yourselves out to maintain a safe distance. Drinking fountains are turned off, so bring your own water. Don’t worry, bathrooms and air conditioning are working. Thank goodness. As I made eye contact with each of my guests, masks were pulled up, water was purchased and with the shake of a head or a brief word of confirmation, we all agreed that we would do our best to keep ourselves and others safe.
After this brief touch with the current state of our reality, the tours pretty much continued as usual. There was the occasional reminder to pull up a mask and the need to take turns in small spaces but mostly we all enjoyed some time together, lost in the idealistic worlds of two Utopian Societies, bridging the past with our own present and future.
Reflecting now as we head into another season of masks, New Harmony’s history seems more poignant than ever. Here are some of the lessons shared.
While our present-day society seems more divided than ever, we reflect on living simply, the satisfaction of self-sufficiency, and working together, as a community, with equal opportunity and responsibility for all.
We agree that not everyone is destined for college. Trade schools are a must, and a happy and successful life can be achieved along many different pathways. Learning, after all, is a lifelong process.
Learning by doing makes a lot of sense to all of us and letting our children make and work through their mistakes will help them become resilient adults.
We have discovered, together, that like a labyrinth, our life journeys are winding paths to enlightenment and sometimes you just have to let things go.
Patience and just the right amount of heat is required to make good bread and good people.
Both science and spirituality are important and just maybe they were never meant to be at odds with each other. Just maybe.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel or a Harmonist house for that matter. If it is strong and provides what you need, just go with it!
There is a big difference between doing what you are told and believing in what you are doing.
Like the little community of New Harmony, we as individuals and a society are not completely defined by our past but learn from it to build a better future.
As each of my tours came to an end in this strangest of all years, I know I learned from my guests as much as they learned from me. And as we said goodbye, it was my sincere hope that each of us realized, despite our differences, or maybe because of them, we enjoyed our time together and were better for it.
Museum Shop Update
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Maclure of New Harmony by Leonard Warren has returned to the shelves of the Museum Shop in the Atheneum. This masterfully written book follows the twists and turns of William Maclure's life. Native to Scotland, Maclure became a merchant and made a fortune, just to retire from that profession in his early thirties. While retired, he became fascinated with the study and application of geology. He mostly did fieldwork all over Europe before deciding to travel to the United States. In 1809, he completed the first geological survey of his adopted nation along with publishing a detailed, color geological map. He would become known as the Father of American Geology.
During his travels, Maclure began to sharpen his convictions about social justice. He founded progressive schools to educate the children of the working class of the U.S. In 1824, he joined Robert Owen to help run New Harmony. Unfortunately, due to his failing health, he left New Harmony in 1827 and moved to a more congenial climate in Mexico. He passed away a few years later and was buried in San Ángel, Mexico City. This book dives into the life of this great man and what he meant to the U.S. and New Harmony. Be sure to grab yourself a copy of your own, while supplies last!
AUGUST 2021
Meditation and Prayer in New Harmony
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Meditation and prayer were a fundamental aspect of the Harmonist religion. Their labyrinth was used as a way to meditate on the words of God and to pray. Different from a maze, a labyrinth has only one path. The Harmonists would travel along the Labyrinth stopping at every turn to say another line in their prayer and meditate on the words that were said. After reaching the center they would return the same way they entered while reciting another prayer. Today, New Harmony is home to two public labyrinths, a recreation of the Harmonists original labyrinth and the Cathedral Labyrinth, a replica of the stone labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.
In honor of the legacy of the Harmonists and their dedication to meditation and prayer, we offer several items in our Museum Shop to aid you in your spiritual journey, including beautiful energy bracelets and necklaces, crystals and stones, used to align your inner energy and chakras, to be used as you meditate or pray. So, come on in and check out these beautiful bracelets and all of our other energy/chakra items!
JULY 2021
Restocks at the Atheneum
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
After a busy spring and start to the summer, the Museum Shop is all about restocks this month. Fan favorites including our energy and chakra bracelets and more sizes of our colorful Historic New Harmony t-shirts will be here soon.
For the families, the kids and those young at heart, we will be bringing back the cardinal, the fawn, the great horned owl, the raccoon and the barn owl finger puppets. Joining them will also be some new friends, such as the river otter, the bunny rabbit, the beaver, the black bear and the snake.
After last month’s update about Prince Maxamillian and Karl Bodmer’s expedition, Faces of the Interior quickly sold out. For those interested in the rich history of the Native Peoples of the U.S. and New Harmony, these books will be back in stock soon! Look for these as well as many other new items in the coming weeks. We hope to see you real soon to check out all the new items at the Museum Shop.
JUNE 2021
What's New in the Museum Shop?
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Happy June Everyone! I can't believe that we are halfway through this year.
While most people know about Lewis and Clark and their expedition across America, the expedition of Prince Maxamillian and Karl Bodmer is lesser known but still equally as important. Prince Alexander Philip Maximilian, Prince of Wied, decided to explore the natural history and the native population of America in 1832. He brought along with him an artist by the name of Karl Bodmer to document the journey. They started in Boston and traveled by river, stopping in Economy, PA to meet with George Rapp which prompted the group to visit New Harmony. Maximillian intended to only stay a few days but was struck with an illness that kept him in New Harmony through the winter. While here, he became close friends with Thomas Say and Alexander Lesueur, who took him on excursions around the area showing him the natural history of New Harmony. After they left New Harmony in March of 1833, they traveled through St. Louis and then continued 2500 miles up the Missouri river. They documented flora, fauna and the many native populations they encountered along the way. Some of those native peoples were the Mandan, the Blackfeet and the Minatarre.
Their journals were printed and sold in many languages while Karl Bodmer's art was made into a print set. Karl Bodmer's work remained one of the most valuable and definitive portrayals of the Native peoples of the Plains and the American Frontier for over a century. Both journals and prints became a primary account of virtually lost cultures as only a few years later, the Mandan's and the Blackfeet were decimated by smallpox. Their expedition gave a look into cultures and the American Frontier that none had seen before and how it was before westward expansion began. Historic New Harmony’s collection includes a set of Bodmer’s prints. You may view it, as requested, through our daily tour.
To celebrate that expedition and the collection, we have added several items to our Museum Shop. There is an in-depth and informative book on the Native peoples that Maximillan and Bodmer saw along their journey as well as postcards, magnets and a couple of the prints. So, please stop on by the Museum Shop and check out these wonderful additions! If you have the time, join our daily tour and request to see the extraordinary expedition of Prince Maximillian and Karl Bodmer!
Beautification Grant Update
Dan Mason, Assistant Director of Historic New Harmony
The Efroymson Family Fund Historic New Harmony Beautification Grants are making beautiful things happen! Since this grant program was introduced in November 2020, several projects have been approved, funded and completed. The projects thus far have ranged from landscaping and lighting the "Welcome to New Harmony" sign, expanding holiday lighting and decorations, new plantings and trellis between Black Lodge and the Opera House, a new educational dye garden at the David Lenz House and helping fund the reopening of the public restrooms at Ribeyre Gym for the 2021 season.
From a Historic perspective, one of our favorite projects has been the property at Main and Steam Mill Streets. The highly visible property includes a large section of the vintage Tom Salmon fence that residents and tourists see around many of the historic sites. Tom Salmon formed Thomas W. Salmon and Associates, a landscape architecture and model making firm in New York City. Projects included scale models for New York's Time-Life Building, Metropolitan Opera and Washington's National Zoo, among others. Mr. Salmon relocated to New Harmony, Indiana, in the 1970’s as manager of Kane and Karruth, the firm involved in a multi-million-dollar restoration funded by the Lilly Endowment, Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation and others.
Working with the property owner, the restoration work took place throughout March and April. The efforts are now complete, and all sections of the Salmon fence around town are now shining bright white again. A huge "thank you" again to Jeremy Efroymson and the Efroymson Family Fund for their generous support and such an impactful and creative program.
MAY 2021
Spring at the David Lenz House and Garden
Kent Schuette, New Harmony Business Associates President, Professor Emeritus of the College of Agriculture at Purdue University and New Harmony resident
Spring has arrived in New Harmony at the David Lenz House & Garden, and with it, exciting new developments. Our volunteer base is growing. One such new volunteer is Peggy Taylor, a weaver of some renown, who has, at times, begun the weaving process by first shearing the wool, spinning the thread, dying the yarn and weaving thread into fabric. In addition, she grows the plants to make the natural dyes used to color the yarn.
Peggy recently brought the Raintree Cottage Textile School to New Harmony. She is the person who approached Kent Schuette with the idea of a dye garden and the two are excited to begin this new project. As a result, the border garden on the north side of the garden will be converted and expanded to accommodate a Harmonist dye garden. This effort is being funded by a $500.00 beautification grant from the USI Historic New Harmony Foundation and the Efroymson Family Fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation.
The installation of collection of plants includes: Soapwort, Weld, Indigo, Madder, Chamomile and Cosmos. We have arranged for Pat Compton of Compton’s Flower Patch to grow some of our seeds in her greenhouse, as many are difficult to propagate. Acquiring seeds this year has been no small task! The existing herb garden is being regenerated. We are also renewing and enhancing the remaining border beds with additional flowers identified in Harmonist’s correspondences. They include: Zinnia, Holly Hock, Delphinium, Dianthus, Larkspur, Marigold, Nasturtium, Corn Flower, Lupine, Aster and Fox Glove.
As you may know, New Harmony has many visitors each year and the vast majority are those who especially enjoy the many gardens throughout town. We’ve heard from some that the David Lenz House Garden is a favorite. So, we hope you will visit soon and see for yourselves what the Indiana Chapter of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America has been up to most recently!
HNH Properties Available for Rent Once Again
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Happy May, everyone! Our properties are now open to rentals once again. We have the perfect option for any magical wedding, family event or performance. One of our best rental properties is the Murphy Auditorium. We have had concerts, theater productions, speakers and so much more come through the doors. We even held our Virtual Heritage Artisan Days inside and around the building this year, where we reached over 1,000 school children of all ages from the Tri-state area, teaching them what life was like in New Harmony in the early 1800s. We wanted to make sure that the education of our history and the artisans’ craft was available to all who wanted to see and learn, even if we couldn't have an in-person event this year. Education is at the core of who we are, just like Robert Owen and his followers, when they came to New Harmony all those years ago. If you are interested in renting Murphy Auditorium, or any of our other properties, visit our Historic Sites, Facilities and Town Resource page or contact me at pigoodman@usi.edu.
APRIL 2021
Then and Now on Exhibit at the Atheneum
Claire Eagle, Community Engagement Manager
If you took a tour with us last year, you might have seen Then and Now: Snapshots of Posey County’s Ever-Changing Landscape, on exhibit at Thrall’s Opera House. Originally intended to be our companion exhibit for Crossroads: Change in Rural America, a Smithsonian Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit that we were to host last summer, we kept this exhibit up throughout the season. However, we knew that even though it had been on display through December, not nearly as many visitors had viewed it as we intended. I am happy to share that after some quick updates this spring, we moved Then and Now to the Atheneum. Now more of our wonderful visitors will get to see examples of change not only in New Harmony but the entire county too!
Museum Shop Update
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Happy Spring everyone! Here in the museum shop, we have added some new items that might interest you. As part of the celebration for the Robert Owen 250th, we have created a marvelous print of Robert Owen that can be purchased at the museum shop. Each print is $15. If you are looking for other items to celebrate the occasion, we still have many Robert Owen T-shirts, notecards, stickers, magnets and books related to this year's celebration. So, come on in to the museum shop and pick up your very own and unique Robert Owen print or one of our many other items for yourself.
MARCH 2021
Beautification Grants Still Available!
Dan Mason, Assistant Director of Historic New Harmony
Well, it does seem that spring has made its way to New Harmony again… it’s just a matter of time before daffodils make their appearance and trees begin to bud. As you or your organization make plans for projects this season, we want to remind you of the wonderful beautification grants still available!
At the beginning of the year, Historic New Harmony announced that Jeremy Efroymson and the Efroymson Family Fund had generously made available $10,000 to fund individual $500 grants for beautification projects in the town of New Harmony.
Historic New Harmony is responsible for managing and administering the program, which is open to an individual, business or entity in the town of New Harmony for public-facing projects that add to the beautification, safety or flow of the town.
Since it was first introduced, several projects have been submitted and approved and are currently completed, underway or soon to kick off, such as:
Only one grant will be awarded per project or event, however an individual, business or entity can apply for multiple grants. Examples of beautification projects could be but are not limited to:
For more information, simply visit Historic New Harmony Beautification Grants - University of Southern Indiana (usi.edu)
Tours Begin Today
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
Welcome back to another season here in Utopia! Daily historic tours begin March 16 and continue through October. However, our Maximillian-Bodmer exhibit is currently closed to the public so that some much-needed conservation work can be completed. Due to COVID-19, masks must be worn inside the Atheneum and while on tour. Our tours continue to be limited to 12 persons, so visitors are safely distanced while inside our buildings. We have placed hand sanitizer stations inside the Atheneum for your convenience as well. The safety of our visitors and our employees is our number one priority. Come on in and explore New Harmony and maybe find your own Utopia!
FEBRUARY 2021
HNH Welcomes New Intern
Claire Eagle, Community Engagement Manager 
As planning continues for the Robert Owen 250th Celebration, Historic New Harmony (HNH) welcomed a new intern in January. Veronica Portillo, a junior at USI, is assisting the HNH team in many aspects of planning the 250-day celebration of Robert Owen. A double major in Communication Studies and Health Services, Veronica is spending most of her time researching and creating posts for our social media platforms or assisting in the planning of several of our upcoming Community Days.
Veronica is very active on USI’s campus, volunteering and participating in various clubs and organizations. She hopes to bring ideas to New Harmony that build a stronger sense of community and engagement, as well as contribute to her personal growth and professionalism.
Veronica’s areas of study prove that HNH attracts more than just those interested in history. We welcome interns of all backgrounds, majors and skill levels as we work to nurture New Harmony as a living laboratory for ideas. We are thankful that she is joining us for this important celebration!
Welcome Back!
Paul Goodman, New Harmony Experience Coordinator
I would like to welcome back everyone to another great year with Historic New Harmony! Here at the Atheneum, we are planning to reopen on March 2nd. Our hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays. You’ll notice that we are going to continue to close on Mondays, to ensure the weekends are properly staffed. COVID-19 protocols will still be in place as well. Masks will be required inside the Atheneum and on tours and there will be hand sanitizer stations throughout our spaces.
As you visit us this year, you will be seeing new faces around the building as we are working on hiring additional staff for both the Atheneum and tours. Along with new faces, you’ll see new items on our Museum Shop shelves. The Robert Owen 250th Celebration merchandise will be available and includes stickers, T-shirts, magnets and much more. We also have four new self-guided tour booklets joining our current lineup. There will be two dedicated to the architecture of New Harmony, one on the history of the women that shaped New Harmony and a Spanish version of our very popular New Harmony history booklet. We hope to see you soon!
Maintenance Update
Dan Mason, Assistant Director of Historic New Harmony
You’re about to see a lot of construction around New Harmony!
Over the past several months, the Historic New Harmony team has been working with our University partners and Indiana Landmarks to create a priority list, strategy, and budget to address needed maintenance and preservation at the Historic New Harmony buildings and sites. The goal was to first tackle the “stop the water” projects and replace or repair roofs, siding, box gutters, etc.
We are excited to announce that the strategy has been approved and funded! For now, $635,000 has been made available (monies from fundraising events, past property transactions, University support, etc.) and the bidding process is starting. Many thanks to all of those who have donated to and supported this effort and to Steve Bridges, USI VP of Finance and Administration, and Jim Wolfe and team from Facility Operations and Planning for their hard work and support.
Again, working closely with Indiana Landmarks, the University and Historic New Harmony are currently focused on top priority projects like the Atheneum roof and the John and Roxse Beal House restoration.
The Atheneum roof and decks will be replaced with an innovative rubber, interlocking tile system that will help protect it for years to come. It’s important to note that the new tile system and design has been reviewed with Richard Meier, the original architect, and approved. All efforts will be made to make sure the new system retains the alignment and intent of the architect’s vision for this icon of modern architecture. We are also working to preserve a small section of the original 1979 tile for educational reference.
The John and Roxse Beal House, Federal/Greek Revival style and circa 1829, will be preserved and transformed into a new exhibition space for rotating shows. Note that all efforts will be made to use period materials while balancing with modern materials/techniques to help ensure it’s here for future generations to enjoy too. Pending construction timelines and COVID-19 restrictions, plans are in the works for a Robert Owen exhibition there in late 2021…so fingers crossed and much more to come.
Other sites being addressed with this effort include: the Cooper Shop (Black Lodge Coffee/roof replacement), Murphy Auditorium (box gutter repair), 1830 Owen House (roof replacement and chimney work), Reichert House (roof and window replacement).
The Historic New Harmony team will keep you posted as this exciting work progresses!
DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021
2020 in Review
Claire Eagle, Community Engagement Manager 
This time last year the Historic New Harmony team, fully staffed after nearly two years, were deep in the throes of planning Heritage Artisans Days and Crossroads: Change in Rural America and dreaming of ways that we could improve our wonderful site in 2020.
Unfortunately, by the first weeks of March, we began to realize that Heritage Artisans Days likely wouldn’t be happening this year and that the Crossroads Speakers Series was going to have to be postponed. Then on March 17, like many other universities across the country, the University of Southern Indiana moved their operations remotely, closing campus, the Atheneum and our HNH office. But here’s the thing about our team, we are incredibly resourceful, quick thinking and care deeply about New Harmony. We all began brainstorming ways to continue to support our mission and engage our community while everyone was staying safe at home
Together, the team began creating new content for our social media pages, including the sneak peek of our companion exhibit to Crossroads, Then and Now: Snapshots of Posey County’s Every Changing Landscape and releasing fun content for children like scavenger hunts and a how-to video to make your own sundial. We continued to work behind the scenes on other programs and eventually planned one of our most successful programs to date, the Summer Virtual Community Conversations Series. Finally, we moved our Crossroads Speaker Series virtually as well, welcoming USI faculty, staff and students, and two guest speakers from the Indiana Humanities INSeperable Speakers Bureau.
When we reopened in July, we did so safely, ensuring that our staff, visitors and community would be protected while continuing to welcome visitors to New Harmony and educate them on our remarkable history. While in the office, we continued meetings virtually (although we all seriously missed Christine’s delicious homemade muffins on staff meeting days) and continued to limit the number of staff in the office at a time.
Honestly, what our team, with the help of colleagues at USI and our HNH Advisory Board, accomplished is far too much to list here in a short year-end round-up. Now once again, we are deep in the throes of planning Heritage Artisans Days (virtually of course) and the 250th Anniversary of Robert Owen’s birth. I thank all of YOU, our supporters, for sticking with us as we navigated a crazy year. For more on what we have coming up in 2021, check out Dan’s update and know we might have a few more things up our sleeves.
We wish you a safe, healthy and happy holiday and New Year.
Atheneum Update
Dan Mason, Assistant Director of Historic New Harmony
The Atheneum 40th Anniversary Celebration in October of 2019, resulted in not only pulling together amazing supporters from near and far, but also the raising of much needed restoration funds to preserve this icon of modern architecture. The pandemic obviously impacted our efforts to really tackle the Atheneum preservation in 2020; but we've still made progress, and more is planned for 2021. Working with our key University contacts and Historic New Harmony Advisory Board members, we're proud to present the following highlights:
In 2020, we:
Underway now:
Want to learn more about the Atheneum Welcome Center and its history and features? Watch The New Harmony Atheneum: Welcome Center, Museum and Architectural Icon.
NOVEMBER 2020
Atheneum Museum Shop Showcases Our Community
Paul Goodman, New Harmony Experience Coordinator 
As the air is getting colder and the leaves start to change colors and fall, it is a sign that our tour season is ending. With all that has happened this year, we would like to take this time to thank all the support we have received from the community of New Harmony. Their continuing aid throughout the years has been substantial and benevolent. From being tour guides, promoting the Atheneum and the history of this great town, assisting with projects, creating items to sell in our shop, to being close friends and neighbors, we at the Atheneum would like to showcase them this month. To see some of the support that they have given us over the years, you would need to look no further than our museum shop. In our museum shop there are a variety of books, pottery and other objects that showcase this support. From award-winning books, such as Avant-Garde in the Cornfields, beautiful sgraffito and sponged redware mugs and plates, the memoir of Jane Owen, wonderfully drawn letters and a small piece of rope made by a rope machine, all these wonderful creations showcase the many talents of our community and the people that support us year after year. From all of us here at the Atheneum and Museum Shop, we would like to thank you for all your continued support of Historic New Harmony.
OCTOBER 2020
Avant-Garde in the Cornfields wins editing award
Erin McCracken Merris, Marketing Specialist
Just like the town of New Harmony, the book Avant-Garde in the Cornfields has taken on many revisions and had many contributors adding chapters to its story.
The book’s seven chapters highlight the modern architecture of Philip Johnson’s Roofless Church, Frederick Kiesler’s Grotto, Richard Meier’s Atheneum and Jane Blaffer Owen’s gardens that live in harmony with the buildings and footprint of the original 1800s community.
The authors Ben Nicholson and Michelangelo Sabatino and developmental editor Nancy Magnum McCaslin recently received the International Society for Landscape, Place, & Materials Culture’s (ISLPMC) Allen G. Noble Book Award for best edited book.
“The collection of essays in this book present an in-depth study of New Harmony, Indiana, a unique town in the American Midwest renowned as the site of two successive Utopian settlements during the 19ththe Harmonists and the Owenites. An important reappraisal of postwar American architecture from a rural perspective, it provides provocative ideas about how history is interpreted through design and historic preservation,” the ISLPMC selection committee wrote.
McCaslin works for USI’s Historic New Harmony as a tour guide and she and Sabatino, Dean of the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, sit on the Historic New Harmony Advisory Board.
McCaslin, a native of Houston, Texas, is one of many outsiders that has fallen in love with the town and made it her home.
In 2009, McCaslin traveled to New Harmony with Jane Blaffer Owen to help write Owen’s memoir. Owen’s husband, Kenneth Dale Owen, a great-great grandson of Robert Owen, the Welsh social reformer who bought the town of New Harmony in 1824.
“After the second day of the first visit I made to New Harmony Jane said, ‘I have never seen you so relaxed,’” McCaslin remembers. “By the next visit in the fall she said to me ‘Dear, you really should buy a house here.’”
“I replied, ‘but Mrs. Jane, why would I do that?’”
“Because it will add a decade to your life expectancy,” she said.
McCaslin knew Owen was right, the town of New Harmony was a special place. “The intellectual environment and the rural environment intersect to create this unique microcosm of what you get in a big city,” McCaslin said. “It is not just a small town [with] nothing going on, but a very dynamic place, even though we have lost a few things over the years.”
New Harmony is well known for its history with the Harmonists and Robert Owen and William McClure communities, but it’s not as well known for its commitment to modern architecture, modern landscapes and preservation.
That is precisely what the book takes a deeper look at, in between the cornfields of small rural America lies some incredible one-of-a-kind works of art, architecture and landscape.
A reviewer of the book commented, “A detour to the rural heartland can alter many presumptions about American modern culture. Reformers included Robert Owen, who bought the communitarian settlement of New Harmony, Indiana, in 1825, espousing equal rights for workers, women and former slaves,” Gwendolyn Wright, from Columbia University wrote, “This book looks closely at New Harmony in the post-WWII era, when historic preservation and environmentalism held sway, while protean architects like Philip Johnson and Richard Meier collaborated with their visionary client, Jane Blaffer Owen. Readers too will look at American modernism from a radically new perspective.”
Since published, the book has elevated the architecture and landscape architecture as well as the preservation communities and visibility of New Harmony.
“I think this book is important for New Harmony and for USI in terms of national and international awareness of the broadness of the scope of what is happening in New Harmony, beyond just the historic community,” McCaslin said.
McCaslin credits Owen for her vision and commitment to merging the past, present and future together in the landscape of the community.
“What Jane was doing in the area of preservation was unique in that she knew buildings needed to be restored but they also needed to have a life of their own. They needed to be able to have a use that needed to bring income that could be used for the ongoing maintenance and pay the taxes,” McCaslin said. Owen knew that historic preservation also had to consider modern practicalities. “This kind of viewpoint, when she was doing it, was not the established way of doing things, but now everyone in historical preservation does it this way,” she said.
The book Avant-Garde in the Cornfields can be purchased at the Atheneum Museum Shop.
What’s New in The Museum Shop?
Paul Goodman, New Harmony Experience Coordinator
In celebration of the 41st anniversary of the dedication of the Atheneum on October 10, we would like to showcase the original Richard Meier conceptual Atheneum prints. These exclusive prints are of the original concept designs created by Richard Meier in 1975. With only 125 printed, these are perfect gifts for future or present architects, fans of architecture or even art collectors! Drop by sometime in October and pick one up.
Something New
Richard McCoy, Executive Director at Landmark Columbus Foundation
Every time I visit New Harmony, I experience something new. After having dinner at the Red Geranium with my wife, Tracey, we last week, slowly walked through Tillich Park. It’s a little space with tall evergreens swaying above an ocean of pine needles. Walking through the park and reading each of the quotations carved in the stones was relaxing, thought provoking and meaningful. While the park is more than 50 years old, it still seems fresh and relevant today.
“Man and Nature belong together in their created glory—in their tragedy and salvation,” says one of the stones carved with Tillich’s writings.
We left the park and walked into the clearing that overlooks the little pond behind the New Harmony Inn. The sky was clear and dark over the Wabash River, having been recently drained of the colors of sunset. There is magic in the experience of a well-designed space; this magic allows us to see, feel and experience our surroundings differently. New Harmony is filled with so many of these magical spaces … from the landmarks down to the sidewalks that pass by gardens with little fountains bubbling just out of site.
Our organization in Columbus, Indiana, is all about caring for, celebrating and advancing this kind of heritage: the design spaces that make our community special. There are important reasons to think about how the experiences of design in New Harmony relate to Columbus.
I hope you’ll consider coming to visit Columbus. Let’s find new ways to connect our heritage, share information and “belong together.” Drop me a note if you’re coming to Columbus and I will help point you to some of our special places.
Richard McCoy
Executive Director
Landmark Columbus Foundation
richard@landmarkcolumbus.org
SEPTEMBER 2020
Observations and Open Windows
Kathryn Armstrong, Columbus Area Arts Council Executive Director
Upon arriving to New Harmony, I felt an instant sense of place and tranquility. The magic of New Harmony is powerfully quiet. Spending a week at the James Sanders Scholars Retreat House provided me with time and space, and an opportunity to be still and to connect to something greater. This may seem simple, yet it's complex to be still, to observe and to be open to the New Harmony magnetism that is offered. I set up a makeshift studio in the kitchen and watched the morning light beam off the green lawn through my window that seemed to look into another window. As an arts leader and cultural producer, I rarely get time to reconnect with my studio practice-I am an artist at my core, therefore being in New Harmony was the perfect location to fill up my creative cup. A morning session in the studio, followed by an afternoon walk around a labyrinth or an evening bike ride to the old dam, there’s always something to explore. The generosity of the residents of New Harmony is as equally important as its utopian qualities. The people shape the town, sharing their stories while welcoming you into their lives and into their work. New Harmony invites you to be a part of something bigger, intersecting knowledge, art and science, where for a moment the past is as relevant as the future.
What’s New in the Museum Shop?
Paul Goodman, New Harmony Experience Coordinator
If you haven’t been by the Museum Shop lately, now is definitely the time to check it out! New pieces from Tom Wintczak at Bee Tree Pottery are now available. Tom’s pieces are similar to those the Harmonists would have used, but with a little bit more flair. He puts his heart into every one of his pieces which makes every single one unique. We have more small and medium plates as well as pitchers, but our newest additions are mugs. First is a hand drawn and colored sgraffito mug with unique designs. The second is a mug that has a sponged pattern. Both are beautiful and perfect for a morning coffee or tea on a brisk fall morning. Come and pick up one today!
AUGUST 2020
What’s New in the Museum Shop?
Paul Goodman, New Harmony Experience Coordinator
Hot off the press! Our new walking tour booklets are in and officially for sale at the Museum Shop. Depending on what your interests are, we have a variety of books for sale. Public Art details the abundance of art throughout the town of New Harmony. History gives a brief overview of the nearly thousand-year history of our town. Finally, our Activity Book will help keep the little ones entertained with scavenger hunts, coloring pages and much more while they enjoy New Harmony! Next month, our fourth booklet, Architecture, will be added to the collection. This booklet will describe the marvelous variety of famous and soulful architecture that we are lucky to have here in New Harmony. If you don't have time to take a tour, we recommend purchasing one of these books to really get a sense of the wondrous past, present and future of New Harmony, Indiana. Get yours today!
A Note from HNH’s Summer Intern
Mason Petty, Historic New Harmony Intern
Hello! My name is Mason Petty and I am a senior at the University of Southern Indiana majoring in history. I wanted to share a bit of my experience this summer. Due to the remote work order at USI, I completed my entire internship remotely. My typical day started at 9 a.m. with a check-in meeting with my supervisor, Claire. After that, I got to work updating and organizing the Interpreter’s Manual that is given to each new employee and used as a resource as they learn our history and how to give tours. Claire provided me with books and notes on other resources that I found useful and my workstation was constantly full of these scattered around me. As a history major, research and books are normal for me. All the research papers and assignments I completed at USI prepared me for this manual, and all that experience transferred. Even though this internship was remote, I learned so much and honed my research skills even more through my time with HNH.
JULY 2020
Jim Sanders’ New Harmony Legacy
Connie Weinzapfel, Director Emerita of Historic New Harmony
Jim Sanders has been a fixture in New Harmony since, well, forever. I first met Jim in 1985 when he interviewed me for Director of New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art. He had recently built a “salt-box style” house in New Harmony and had become Director for Historic New Harmony when the University of Southern Indiana took over management. That December he had a Christmas party for all the staff in his home. What a great re-introduction to New Harmony that was. Jim’s house was beautiful, and full of American antiques. He was gracious and fun – the perfect host. Around his neck he wore a tipple cup on a leather band, and as he explained, that was a convenient and ancient way to enjoy a drink while greeting guests. Each person left that night with a bottle of something he called “Cherry Bounce.” Of course, Jim had picked the cherries and made the concoction himself.
Jim and I worked together for the University of Southern Indiana in New Harmony for 10 years, and during that time, I enjoyed many great evenings at his home. Jim was so generous. He loved cooking and entertaining, and he had a great way of bringing people together. It was always casual, but elegant. When Jim moved to work the USI Foundation, he started having very special gatherings at his country home in Posey County, which he had restored and renovated. Everyone from the Indiana State Museum board to The Social Literary Circle of Evansville enjoyed a special meal and tour of Jim’s “Hidden Acres.”
Jim served in leadership for many New Harmony and Posey County organizations, including Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation and Harmonie Associates. He was always mindful of promoting the town in everything he did. Naturally, he was a good friend to Jane Owen, but also to her husband, Kenneth Dale Owen. When Kenneth took on the restoration of the Rapp-Maclure-Owen house, Jim was a consultant on the project and the intermediary between Jane and Kenneth when they didn’t agree on paint colors and wallpapers. He helped Kenneth find and place wonderful antiques that still grace the house.
At Historic New Harmony, Jim brought his love of teaching to create new outreach programs, like Heritage Artisans Days for schoolchildren. He knew fine craftspeople all over the country and attracted many of them to participate in programs or to help with special restoration projects at HNH. He also introduced his national network of antiquarians to New Harmony and USI, many of whom became donors to Historic New Harmony.
Jim Sanders had an eye, and a big heart. I was lucky to have worked with him all those years, and New Harmony will continue to benefit from Jim’s legacy.
What’s New in the Museum Shop?
Paul Goodman, New Harmony Experience Coordinator
New in the museum shop are New Harmony branded items perfect for local and tourists alike. Some of our new items include an insulated New Harmony travel mug with the beautiful labyrinth design, a wonderful Historic New Harmony logo coffee mug, labyrinth face masks and much, much more. These items are exclusive to
our museum shop and cannot be purchased anywhere else. We are reopened and ready to see you! Please be sure to stop in and check out everything new at the Historic New Harmony Museum Shop.
JUNE 2020
HNH Welcomes New Intern
Claire Eagle, Community Engagement Manager
Under unusual circumstances, HNH welcomed a new intern in late May. Mason Petty, a senior at the University of Southern Indiana, will be joining our staff for the summer. Mason is working with Claire to update and organize our interpreter’s manual. This manual is given to each new employee and used as a resource as they learn our history and how to give tours. Mason is currently working remotely, just like the rest of HNH staff, with plans to join us in the office upon the end of our remote work order.
Mason’s interest in history has blossomed in his time at USI. Starting college with no plan to major in history, a few courses during his sophomore year made him realize that the field of history is what he wanted to pursue. We’re happy he found his love and interest, and thankful to him for joining us this summer to complete this very important project!
What's New in the Museum Shop?
Paul Goodman, Experience Coordinator
"An unassuming yet magnetic town in the cornfields of Indiana, Harmony has been home to two iconic Utopian settlements, the Harmonists and the Owenites. However, the Cold War years ushered in a new sort of spiritual "living community," one to which many renowned artists and designers contributed" -Philip Johnson to Richard Meier.
Avant-Garde in the Cornfields: Architecture, Landscape, and Preservation in New Harmony is a masterful book that not only explores the history of New Harmony but also delves into the social, scientific, religious and preservationist forces that continue to make New Harmony relevant in our modern society. Edited by Michelangelo Sabatino and Ben Nicholson, it is truly a wonderful read and the perfect addition to any bookshelf! Available for purchase in the Museum Shop upon our reopening.
