Summer 2014
New Harmony celebrates bicentennial with a series of events in August By Connie Weinzapfel, director of Historic New Harmony
As the director of USI’s Historic New Harmony program, I rarely have the chance to conduct actual scholarly research. I assigned myself that task when I was asked to be the guest editor of the Indiana Historical Society’s Traces magazine, which would feature stories about New Harmony as the town celebrates its bicentennial this year. It was a fascinating adventure to discover a treasure trove of information about the work of the 1914 Centennial Commission. According to the minutes of their first meetings, the celebration was to include “old-time scenes and amusements, parades, oratory, historical readings and concert band music.” It was also decided by the Commission “that the celebration should be one of a very high-class nature, such as would reflect credit upon the community, the state and nation,” according to the official program. New Harmony’s Bicentennial Commission has planned a Capstone Week in August that will include music, fun and celebrations of all kinds
Former president William Howard Taft and other dignitaries ride down Main Street at New Harmony’s Centennial celebration.
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Disputed Likenesses workshops coming to New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art
postcards that will be displayed at the gallery. The postcards will be documented online and then mailed to individuals around the world.
With support from an Arts Institute Fund Collaborative Grant from the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art will host Disputed Likenesses workshops July 26 through September 26 for a Kcymaerxthaere project.
The project has been designed to encourage creative thinking. It will provide students an opportunity to not only participate in a gallery exhibition and public artwork on the regional scale, but also to become part of an international art project. In addition, a Kcymaerxthaere exhibition will be installed in the gallery in celebration of New Harmony’s bicentennial year thanks to the support of the Efroymson Family Fund.
Created by Eames Demetrios, Kcymaerxthaere is a global, multidimensional storytelling project that creates a parallel universe through the use of historical plaques and constructed sites. The name Kcymaerxthaere comes from two cognate words, “Kcymaara” and “Xthaere.” Kcymaara means the true physicality of the planet, and Xthaere refers to a shape with almost infinite dimensions.
An embroidered interpretation of the story of Eliala Mei-Ning by the Women of Penduka.
Students from schools in Vanderburgh and Posey counties will have an opportunity to create Disputed Likenesses in response to the stories of this parallel universe.
Demetrios. “There are a few wrong answers but many, many wonderful and very different right answers. These images give you a feeling—though not a definite one—of what their subjects look like.”
“Disputed Likenesses are representations of the characters, stories and worlds of Kcymaerxthaere, a global work of multidimensional story telling,” said
Participants will receive an activity book based on the stories of Kcymaerxthaere. From here, students will select their favorite representations and interpret them as art on
“Everyone who creates a Disputed Likeness of a character, creature or story from Kcymaerxthaere is helping themselves and communities to live in a richer, more ambiguous space of representation: as the hearers of the stories, we have the pleasure and responsibility of conjuring it up for ourselves,” said Demetrios. The New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art is located at 506 Main Street in New Harmony, Indiana. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 812-682-3156.