If you’re searching for an exciting way to spend your weekends, look no further than Historic New Harmony’s Second Saturday series. This monthly event, held in the Wabash River town of New Harmony, Indiana, offers an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to connect with southwestern Indiana culture.
On April 8, the Second Saturday series will feature the exhibit of Karl Bodmer paintings in the Lichtenberger Building at 520 Main St. The building normally is only open for tours, but Saturday, it will feature public open hours of 1-4 p.m.
Bodmer was a Swiss painter who accompanied the German explorer Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied on his expedition to North America in the 1830s. Bodmer’s paintings of Native Americans and the American West are widely regarded as some of the most accurate and beautiful depictions of the time. Bodmer and Maximilian visited New Harmony, and the paintings of that trip will be on display.
Leslie Townsend, the University of Southern Indiana’s director of community engagement and Historic New Harmony, says the event series is a grassroots effort for the community.
“I think many of the businesses in the community thrive on having visitation,” she says. “The event series is a great way to package a lot of activities together in one day. It helps in an economic development sense, but also from a community engagement standpoint it’s a great way for people to feel pride in their community and know what’s going on.”
Saturday’s public viewing of Bodmer paintings is just one of many events scheduled for the Second Saturday series. Other activities include live music, artisan markets, guided tours, and more.
