The Hoosier Salon is an annual juried art exhibition that features the work of Indiana artists and provides them with an outlet to market their work. The Hoosier Salon Patron's Association, the nonprofit arts organization that organizes the event, also operates a year-round galleries in New Harmony, Indiana and at one time in Wabash and Carmel, Indiana. These spaces host exhibitions of Salon artists throughout the year, as well as workshops and demonstrations. An artist must have lived in Indiana and must be a member of the Hoosier Salon arts organization to become eligible for the Salon's exhibitions. The Hoosier Salon has exhibited art from many of Indiana's most notable painters, sculptors, cartoonists, and mixed-media artists, including Hoosier Group artists, several members of the Brown County Art Colony, and other artists with ties to Indiana.
The Daughters of Indiana, a group of women who were born in Indiana but resided in the Chicago metropolitan area, hosted the first annual Hoosier Salon in 1925 at the Marshall Field and Company's galleries in Chicago. In 1942 the annual exhibition was relocated to Indianapolis, Indiana, where it has been held at several venues, including the William H. Block Company and the L. S. Ayres and Company department stores, the Indiana State Museum, and the Indiana Historical Society. The Hoosier Salon has survived wars, economic recessions, a fire, venue changes for its annual exhibition, relocation of its offices and gallery spaces, and modifications to its outreach programs. In 2014 the Hoosier Salon celebrated its ninetieth continuous year of annual exhibitions.
Mission
The Hoosier Salon is a statewide nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to "create an appreciation of art by promoting Hoosier artists and their art." The Salon's exhibitions also provide viewers an opportunity to see and appreciate the talents of artists with ties to Indiana. The organization's vision is to foster an appreciation for visual art through activities that "educate, inspire, and enhance the lives of the citizens of our state while promoting the creativity, talent and technique of Indiana artists."
History
Origins in Chicago
The idea for the Hoosier Salon originated in May 1924, when the 160-member Daughters of Indiana, a group of women who were born in Indiana but resided in the Chicago metro area, held a gathering devoted to Hoosier painters. Following this initial meeting, Estella King, chair of the group's arts committee, led the organization's plans for an exhibition featuring high quality artwork from Hoosier artists that would help gain more recognition for them outside of Indiana. The group's goals were to inspire Indiana artists to develop their talents, to showcase artists who depicted Indiana themes in their work, and to provide an opportunity to market their art.
The Hoosier Salon's name and concept come from the nineteenth-century French tradition of annual art exhibitions held in the Grand Palais des Champs- Élysées in Paris, France. Chicago, Illinois, was selected as the site for the first Hoosier Salon because of its large population and its reputation as a midwestern art center. The annual Salon ran in Chicago from 1925 through 1941, when it moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. Since January 1942 the annual exhibition has taken place at various sites around Indianapolis.
Early exhibitions
The first Hoosier Salon ran from March 9 to 19, 1925, at the art galleries of Marshall Field and Company at 28 East Washington Street in Chicago. The Daughters of Indiana, who organized and sponsored the first Salon, were assisted by several other groups, such as the Indiana Society of Chicago and volunteers from Chicago's Earlham College Alumni Association.
The first Hoosier Salon was open to painters who had lived in Indiana for at least a year. Entries for the juried exhibition were submitted from across the United States. The selections featured 253 works of art from 132 artists. Hoosier Group artist T. C. Steele and his wife, Selma, attended the opening of the Salon's first exhibition, which was well received by art critics and the public.