Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT
Hannah Kiefer
Director of Communication
[email protected]
(317) 431-5448

INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 7, 2018) – Indianapolis artist Lois Main Templeton will soon have her own exhibit at the Indiana State Museum, where visitors can learn about her life and see what her artistic process truly looks like.

Templeton’s paintings – as well as journals, sketches and other work – will be on display in the exhibit to show her entire artistic process from start to finish, including works she’s completed in just the last year. Guests in the gallery will also be able to express themselves artistically by participating in a scratch art activity or creating Ekphrastic poetry with word magnets.

“In this experience, visitors will have the opportunity to engage with Templeton’s creative process and react to her art,” said Cathy Ferree, president and CEO of the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. “They’ll be able to see where her inspiration came from and learn how she worked, then respond by creating artwork of their own.”

Templeton’s four decades of work as an artist and art activist helped to revolutionize the art scene in Indianapolis. In 1981 at age 51, Templeton graduated magna cum laude from the Herron School of Art, reinventing herself as a prolific artist. In 1981, she was the first artist to rent a studio in the Faris Building on the near Southside, and soon, the entire building was occupied with a community of artists for the first time. Today, the Faris Building is the location of Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis.

“Lois is a true pioneer in the Indiana contemporary art scene,” said Mark Ruschman, the museum’s senior curator of art and history. “This exhibition celebrates her 90th birthday and highlights her talents as a gifted painter, community arts activist and provides a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of her working process.”

Templeton’s work is abstract and often massive in size. Her early paintings can span six or seven feet, many so large she would need to roll the canvas out onto the floor and crawl over it to complete the piece. She is an avid writer, often incorporating writing from her journals into her artwork. Templeton also authored a children’s book, “Who Makes the Sun Rise?” using her original artwork as illustrations.

Guests will be able to learn all this and more at the exhibit, open March 10 through July 29. The exhibit is included with general museum admission.

FOR MEDIA USE ONLY: 

To arrange an interview with Lois Main Templeton, please contact Hannah Kiefer at 317-234-8146.

Photos of Templeton’s work can be found here: http://bit.ly/2BfKL00

#     #     #

The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites is located in White River State Park in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. It is Indiana’s museum for science, art and culture, offering a place where you can celebrate, investigate, remember, learn and take pride in Indiana’s story in the context of the broader world. Even the building is a showcase of the best Indiana has to offer in architecture, materials and sculpture. Easy and convenient parking is available in the attached underground garage.