Ruthmere Arts and History Campus

10/07/2026

Want to rep the new Ruthmere logo? We got you covered. Literally.

We have new merch in our Museum Store: t-shirts, hoodies, and mugs. Now, you can dress and sip coffee or tea in Ruthmere style. Shirts and hoodies are available in charcoal or cream in sizes Small-2XL. Mugs are $10, T-shirts are $24, and hoodies are $40 - but don't forget, members get a discount! You can purchase these in-store or at our online gift shop at https://ruthmere.org/Online_Gift_Shop.

Shout out to our Museum Store Manager, Dorothy, who volunteered to be our enthusiastic model 💅

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

Come see us today at the National New York Central Railroad Museum’s 175th Anniversary of Rail Celebration! We have free plants from Ruthmere’s greenhouse conservatory and an informative timeline about the history of rail in Elkhart. The event runs until 4pm!

10/02/2026

It's time. Out with the old, and in with the new - introducing our new logos for the Ruthmere Arts and History Campus!

As we said when we announced our name change, this organization has become so much more than just a single house museum. We are a campus of noteworthy historic buildings that each deserve their own representation. Each symbol selected for our new logo is inspired by an architectural or design feature found in each corresponding location. We invite you to hunt them down when you next come for a visit - can you find the inspiration for these symbols?

New logos, new colors, new us. We're so excited to launch the next chapter of our story. Thank you for all of your continued support!

09/30/2026

For the last Tuesday Tea of 2026, we took the opportunity to celebrate the life of a universally beloved figure - the late, great Dolly Parton. 🩷 Our Tea Team, guests, and even our wonderful harpist, Anna Hagen, donned pink in honor of Dolly, and Anna serenaded us with several harp renditions of her music.

We will always love you, Dolly 🦋

09/29/2026

ANNOUNCING the winner of the 2026 Robert B. Beardsley Piano Competition: Jingbo Zong! 🎹 🎶

Jingbo Zong is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Master of Music in Fortepiano Performance at the University of Michigan. He was also First Prize winner in both the German Youth Piano Star International Piano Competition and the 14th Shanghai International Youth Piano Competition, among other international competition prizes. He will perform at our first 2026 Fall Concert on October 15th!

In second place was Hyerim Cho, also of the University of Michigan. Spencer McKee of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee took third place. Congratulations to all winners and finalists!

Thank you also to our judges, Dr. Youmee Kim (Ohio Wesleyan University), Dr. Daniel Lin (Indiana Wesleyan University), and Dr. Hyeseon Jin (University of North Carolina); and also a huge thank you to our competition sponsor, Doug Beardsley!

09/23/2026

Have you ever visited a museum and wished you could take a closer look at some of the artifacts? Maybe even... hold them? 🫨 (With gloves. Don't get carried away.)

Well, now's your chance. Join us for a look beyond the ropes with "Telling Tales with Objects: Inside the Curator's World." It's a special, behind-the-scenes tour where you get to put on your curator pants (and gloves) and learn what to do with objects in a museum - collecting them, caring for them, exhibiting them, and more.

We are offering this special Ruthmere Experience only THREE more times this year, and the next chance is on Monday, September 28th! Don't wait to sign up at https://ruthmere.networkforgood.com/events/100419-speciality-tour-telling-tales-with-objects-inside-the-curator-s-world

We hope to see you Monday. We'll provide the gloves.

09/21/2026

We have our finalists! 🎶

The Annual Robert B. Beardsley Piano Prize Competition Finals are THIS Saturday - we had a large number of entrants this year, but here are our top 6 competitors who will be competing for the prize! 🎹🏆

- Hyerim Cho (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
- Seonghun Jeong (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
- "Esther" Huijae Lee (Indiana University, Bloomington)
- Spencer McKee (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN)
- Pun Punyasavatsut (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)
- Jingbo Zong (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

Join us for the competition, which begins at noon on 9/26. Tickets are only $5 per person, and you can register here: https://ruthmere.networkforgood.com/events/104424-robert-b-beardsley-piano-prize-competition

This event is always stunning to witness - don't miss out!

09/04/2026

So many of us wear makeup today, but not many know the long history behind it. We should also be grateful that our makeup no longer contains harmful substances like arsenic, lead, and mercury 😬☠️

💄 Watch as Dorothy Tobe, our Volunteer Coordinator and Museum Store Manager, gives a Gallery Talk called "A Lady's Complexion: Makeup in the Victorian Era." She covers makeup's origins in antiquity; its relation to the economy, race, and public health; and some of the biggest myths still believed today.