Salon style: Hoosier Art Salon celebrates its 100th exhibition

Every year, the Hoosier Art Salon brings together the best creative talent working in Indiana.

Pastoral landscapes showcase the best of the state’s natural beauty and Midwestern charm. Portraits and still-life paintings capture stunningly beautiful tiny details. Sculpture, glasswork and more is a testament to the talent coursing through the Hoosier State.

For its centennial year, it was time to recognize 100 years of talent in a splashy way.

“When the Hoosier Salon began, Indiana artists just did not get the recognition they deserved. In some ways, they still don’t today. The battle that began 100 years ago is still going on today,” said Michael Quinn, president of the Hoosier Art Salon. “People need to be educated that art isn’t just the elite, art isn’t just for the wealthy. Art is for everyone.”

The Hoosier Art Salon, Indiana’s venerable juried art exhibition of home-grown artists, is celebrating its 100th iteration this year. More than 140 paintings, drawings, sculptures, glass creations and more are on display in the show, including works by four Johnson County artists — Roy Boswell of Franklin, and Gary Jursik, Dianna Porter and Robert Smith of Greenwood.

To accent the works featured in this year’s Hoosier Salon, the Indiana State Museum has created a companion exhibition examining the past 100 years of the organization, “Stories of the Salon.”

Together, the two shows offer a glimpse into history of Indiana art as well as the exciting work being done now.

“I hope people take away the wide range of artists who are working and have worked in the state of Indiana — and the artists who have affiliation with the state,” said Paula Katz, senior curator of art for the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites.. “There are so many artists who feel such a strong connection to the state, and the diversity of media and styles that are represented.

More than 260 artists applied for the 2024 Hoosier Art Salon exhibition, entering 675 original works. Of those, 122 artists were selected, including 20 first-time Hoosier Art Salon artists. This year’s show opened with a reception on Aug. 22, where about 450 people attended to see the unveiling of diverse mix of art from throughout the state. Organizers gave out $100,000 in prize money — including $10,000 for best of show.

“We had a really good mix of art this year. We were very pleased,” Quinn said.

The Hoosier Art Salon was established in 1925, and since that time, it has become one of the state’s most esteemed and recognized arts organizations. Created by the Daughters of Indiana to increase recognition and opportunities for Indiana artists, the inaugural Hoosier Salon was held at Marshall Field & Company department store in Chicago. More than 250 artworks were featured.

In 1942, the exhibition moved to Indianapolis, and in 1990 it had its first opening at the Indiana State Museum, where it has been ever since except for a stint at the Indiana Historical Society from 2005 to 2010.

“Collecting, researching, showing Indiana artists is a critical part of what we do as an institution. This partnership is an opportunity to make it clear we’re supporting living artists living in the state,” Katz said. “One of the nicest things about the Hoosier Salon is it really runs the spectrum of extremely established artists, full-time artists, and more emerging artists who are showing in the Salon for the first time.”

The long relationship between the Indiana State Museum and the Hoosier Salon spurred the idea to do the “Stories of the Salon” exhibition.

“We knew we wanted to do something special this year. We knew we wanted to honor the centennial with a medley of events that would showcase not only today’s artists, but the work of the past,” Quinn said.

Inside the exhibit, visitors will find “The Art Jury” by Wayman Adams, which won best of show at the Hoosier Art Salon in 1926. The painting features a group of four of the original Hoosier Group artists, including T.C. Steele. One of Steele’s own works is also highlighted, a 1914 painting titled “The Hill Country” that was recently conserved by the Indiana State Museum.

Historic Indiana artists can be found throughout the exhibition. People can see works by Estelle Peel Izor and Frank V. Dudley shown alongside renowned artists of today, including Russell Recchion, who was recently selected to complete the official portrait of Gov. Eric Holcomb.

More than 50 works are included in “Stories of the Salon,” as well as displays giving insight into the artists and the pieces — creating an experiential trip back in time.

“The challenge was we wanted to make sure we were working with artworks that really told a core story, and that it wasn’t simply about the individual artists, that the artworks we picked were relating back to a key story about the Salon,” Katz said.

Both the Hoosier Art Salon exhibition and “Stories of the Salon” will be on display through Oct. 20. The Hoosier Salon will also be doing their own retrospective exhibition at the Brown County Art Gallery starting October.

Organizers hope people who see works from the present and the past recognize the skill and talent flowing through Indiana artists.

“You don’t have to go to New York or L.A. or Chicago to find fine art. There are artists in all mediums in this state who are incredibly talented,” Quinn said. “Some of our artists are featured on a more national level, but many of our artists, their recognition is just in-state. The goal of the Salon is to help them expand to the level they want to.”

IF YOU GO

Hoosier Art Salon exhibition and “Stories of the Salon”

What: The annual exhibition of Indiana artists featuring more than 140 paintings, drawings, sculptures, glass creations and more. With it being the 100th exhibition for the Hoosier Salon, the Indiana State Museum has created a companion show, “Stories of the Salon,” looking back at the past century for the organization.

When: Through Oct. 20

Where: Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis

Information: indianamuseum.org