*Post written by James Wethington, library assistant of the University Archives and Special Collections.

Huffman Bridge, Anderson River – Northeast Spencer County, Indiana. Source: University Archives and Special Collection (Dorothy Elpers-Hitch Collection)

In our next post, we discuss Jerry Baum: an Evansville, Indiana native artist. Inside three of our collections, we house some Baum sketches and they are truly remarkable.

Baum attended Reitz High School and he suffered a devastating injury ending a dream to play professional football; however, it led to his future career in art. While recovering through therapy, “… he studied under teachers from John Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis” (Davis, 1973). Baum is “… a professional watercolor artist for over fifty-five years. He has held shows nationwide and in countries such as Bolivia and Germany, donating the proceeds from much of his work to religious, educational, and humanitarian causes” (University of Evansville, 2012). He holds workshops and classes and sends some of his artwork to various local, national, and international exhibitions throughout his career. Throughout his illustrious art career, Baum has travelled to Zaire (presently the Democratic Republic of the Congo), England, and participated in numerous charities (Black, 1986; Rheins, 1979).

The Garden Shed, 1968. Source: University Archives and Special Collections (Ken McCutchan Collection)

References

Black, V. (1986, March 6). Artist paintings show African life to schoolchildren. The Warrick County Press, pp. 1-2.

Davis, C. H. (1973, April 8). Artist to aid mission: Jerry Baum to keep a vow. Sunday Courier and Press, p. 16-B.

Rheins, C. (1979, September 23). Baum’s ‘Wesley’s England’ art exhibit starts Friday. Sunday Courier and Press, p. 38.

University of Evansville (2012, 3 September). “Jerry Baum: A British experience” opens September 10 in Melvin Peterson gallery. Retrieved from https://www.evansville.edu/news/articleDetail.cfm?articleId=24