The Carnegie Center for Art and History: Contemporary Art, Local History
The Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana, is both a museum of local history and a contemporary art gallery. Named for the philanthropist donor Andrew Carnegie, the Carnegie Center for Art and History houses two permanent historical exhibits and a rotating contemporary art exhibit.
According to facility director Sally Newkirk, the center was originally a Carnegie library, one of more than 2,500 that industrialist Andrew Carnegie built nationally, all at his own expense.
“It just so happens that Indiana has more Carnegie libraries than any other state,” says Newkirk. “But the library outgrew this location in 1969 and moved over to Spring Street.”
The library’s removal made room at the center for historical and other exhibits and the Floyd County Museum took over the building in 1971. Today the center is a department of the New Albany–Floyd County Public Library System.
In addition to revolving exhibits, the center houses two permanent exhibits, “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad” and “Grandpa Makes a Scene: The Yenawine Dioramas.”
The Underground Railroad exhibit is a multimedia tour, where a visitor can witness the plight of fugitive slaves escaping to the North during the Civil War period. Featuring original documents and artifacts, as well as video and audio presentations, the exhibit gives an in-depth description of the hardships faced and the role New Albany played in aiding the escpaed slaves’ journey to freedom.
Also on permanent display are the Yenawine Dioramas, a collection of fully mechanized, hand-carved dioramas depicting turn-of-the-century Georgetown, Indiana. The intricate works of craft are the creation of Merle Yenowine, who wanted to preserve the memory of the simpler time of his boyhood for those generations who would not know the joy of a frontier-type of life. Scenes such as the "One Room Schoolhouse" and "Town Carnival" are ingenious works of mechanical craftsmanship.
HelloJeffersonville Tip: The center features a “hands-on” Family Fun workshops on the second Saturday of every month. Children and adults work together on art projects relating to current exhibits or seasonal holidays. The workshop is free and runs from 10 a.m. to noon. Call ahead to register at 812-944-7336.
Posted on Jun 15, 2011 by John M. Dargo
