Musings • September 2025

Now Available! PoCo Muse Magazine Issue No. 10

“When Hazel turned 100 ... [she] wanted us to have her last work of art. So, sight unseen, we bought it.”

Issue No. 10 of PoCo Muse Magazine features an interview with Douglas Pierce about his friendship with Hazel Hannell (1895-2002), who painted for just shy of 100 years, spanning three centuries.

In the spirit of her endurance, the topics of this wide-ranging issue span nearly four centuries and reflect the broad range of our storytelling. We revisit a national moment of unrest during the 1960s and a local response from university student activists. Next, we learn about Gilbert Ashville Pierce, a nineteenth-century man for all seasons. And finally, we explore the Bailly family legacy from the perspective of their possessions.

Image above: This 1998 watercolor is one of the final paintings created by Hazel when she was 102 years old. It was acquired by Cynthia and Douglas Pierce when they were told Hazel wanted them to have her “last work of art.”

Read PoCo Muse Magazine Issue No. 10

P.S.—We will be closed to the public on Saturday, September 6, during the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival.

WHAT TO DO

History on Tap: 1981 Popcorn Festival

Wednesday, September 3, 6p

Washington Street Tap Room; 11 Washington Street, Valparaiso, IN 46383

No RSVP Required

Museum Closed for Valparaiso Popcorn Festival

Saturday, September 6

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue

Courthouse Square Walking Tour

Saturday, September 13, 2-3p

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue

This event is free and open to the public, but participants are required to check in at the PoCo Muse front desk prior to the start time.

Guided Tours of Life Work & Vin’s Farm Scenes

Saturday, September 13, 20 & 27 at 2p

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue

No RSVP Required

VIEW THE CURRENT ISSUE OF MUSE NEWS

WHAT TO SEE

Life Work: The Artists Hazel & Vin Hannell

Through October 26, 2025

Life Work traces the artistic journeys of Hazel and Vin Hannell, from early life to their move to Porter County’s Furnessville and beyond. Known for their passion, generosity, and versatility across media—sculpture, drawing, painting, printmaking, and pottery—the Hannells became iconic regional artists of the mid-twentieth century.

This exhibition is part of a year-long community collaboration celebrating their legacy, with events hosted by the Art Barn School of Art, Chesterton Art Center, Pines Village Retirement Communities, and the Westchester Township History Museum.

Eunice Slagle & Montague/Urschel Galleries

Vin’s Farm Scenes

Through October 26, 2025

In the decade after he moved to Porter County in 1930, Vin Hannell documented the local barnyards and farm animals with imaginative and dramatic effect. The modernist sensibility he learned in Chicago was still fresh during this period, and his unique perspective helps transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Robert Cain Gallery

Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor

The Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor was displayed on the courthouse square from 1943 until 1973 in commemoration of the Valparaiso citizens who contributed to the war effort during World War II. It was installed in the PoCo Muse in December 2022.

MORE TO EXPLORE

Muse News: July through September 2025

Stay up-to-date with all that’s happening at the PoCo Muse by checking out our most recent newsletter, Muse News.

PoCo Muse Magazine: Issue No. 10

The digital version PoCo Muse Magazine is free to read for everyone. In this wide-ranging issue, we revisit a national moment of unrest during the 1960s and a local response from university student activists, learn about Gilbert Ashville Pierce, a nineteenth-century man for all seasons, and finally, explore the Bailly family legacy from the perspective of their possessions.

Looking Back: September 1925

Each day on social media, the PoCo Muse looks back by featuring century-old historical excerpts selected from the Evening Messenger and Valparaiso Daily Vidette newspapers.

At the Intersection of Art & History

The 25-minute video slideshow called "At the Intersection of Art & History" presents highlights from our permanent art collection and spotlights a few common themes found in the artworks.

“Untitled (floral arrangement),” watercolor by Hazel Hannell, 1998, on loan from Cynthia and Douglas Pierce; two promotional images from the Valparaiso Popcorn Festivals of 1981 and 2025; Executive Director Kevin Matthew Pazour gives a tour of the courthouse square in 2024; “Untitled (pineapple still life),” watercolor by Hazel Hannell, 1931, on loan from The Village Gallery at Pines Village; “Untitled (sleeping cat),” watercolor by Vin Hannell, 1933, on loan from John Cain; two unidentified men sitting on the courthouse square with a view of the Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor in the background, circa 1968.