Art Association of Randolph County

05/29/2026

Ai Weiwei uses art as protest.

Governments have censored him.
Destroyed his studio.
Detained him.

And he keeps making work anyway.

His installations often ask uncomfortable questions about power, freedom, memory, and who gets to tell history.

Artifact:
After a government demolition crew destroyed his Shanghai studio, Ai hosted a “demolition party.”

05/27/2026

John Trumbull didn’t just paint the American Revolution.

He lived it.

A soldier, aide-de-camp, and artist, Trumbull personally knew many of the figures he later painted—including George Washington.

His famous Declaration of Independence painting helped shape how generations visualize America’s founding.

Artifact:
Trumbull was once imprisoned in London on suspicion of spying during the Revolutionary War.

05/26/2026

Goya watched Spain collapse into violence during the Napoleonic Wars.

And unlike many court painters of his time, he didn’t glorify war.

He showed fear.
Executions.
Chaos.
Human cruelty.

His Disasters of War prints remain some of the most haunting anti-war images ever created.

Artifact:
Later in life, Goya covered the walls of his own home with disturbing “Black Paintings” never meant for public view.

05/25/2026

In honor of Memorial Day:

Before television brought war into people’s homes, Hoosier journalist Ernie Pyle brought something else:

The humanity of ordinary soldiers.

Rather than focusing on generals or military strategy, Pyle wrote about exhaustion, friendship, fear, muddy boots, ci******es, loneliness, and the small moments that made soldiers feel human in impossible circumstances.

His writing connected deeply with readers because it wasn’t about glory.

It was about people.

Pyle traveled with troops across Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific during World War II, often placing himself in extraordinary danger to tell the stories of everyday servicemen.

In 1945, he was killed by Japanese machine gun fire on the island of Ie Shima.

Artifact:
Ernie Pyle won the Pulitzer Prize for his wartime reporting—and today Indiana’s official state museum of journalism bears his name.

This Memorial Day, we remember not only those who served, but the voices who helped the world understand their sacrifice.

05/22/2026

James Castle was profoundly deaf and never formally learned to read, write, or speak.

Using soot mixed with saliva, he created intricate drawings of rural life, handmade books, and mysterious symbols.

He made art quietly, privately, almost entirely outside the traditional art world.

✨ Tiny Artifact:
Castle often created his own tools and surfaces from scraps, envelopes, and packaging.

05/21/2026

Hilma af Klint believed the world wasn’t ready for her paintings.

So she requested they not be widely shown until years after her death.

Today, she’s considered one of the pioneers of abstraction.

The twist?

She painted abstract work before many of the men who became famous for it.

Artifact:
She believed some of her paintings were guided by spiritual messages received during séances.

05/21/2026

Visit the Depot on June 8😀

The inaugural Randolph County Day will take place on Monday, June 8! To commemorate the first-ever county-wide celebration, the CFRC encourages Randolph County residents to participate in a self-guided driving tour that day from 4-6:30 p.m. The driving tour allows community members to learn more about our local nonprofits and how they serve Randolph County!

Participants may pick up a physical passport card at any of the ten nonprofit locations, and each nonprofit location will mark the passport upon arrival. Passport cards are also available at the Community Foundation of Randolph County office.

Participating nonprofits include:
Bee Wings & Fuzzy Things
Randolph County United
Randolph County YMCA
Art Association of Randolph County
Red-tail Land Conservancy
Start with Art
Friends of Ward Township District No. 5 School
Huntsville Community Center
A Community Christmas
Preservation Society of Union City IN-OH

Residents who visit at least six (6) participating nonprofits will receive $2 off a purchase of $10 or more at participating local businesses, including:
Gran's Kitchen
Northblock Coffee Co
Stacy & Taylor's Sweet Treats
Our Pizza House
Stop 'N Sip

Discount disclaimer:
After visiting at least six nonprofits and receiving verification marks, participants may present
their completed passport card for $2 off a purchase of $10 or more at a participating local
business. Passport cards must be surrendered upon redemption
Limited to one (1) transaction at one participating business. Transaction must be completed no
later than Tuesday, June 30, 2026, and the passport card must be surrendered upon redemption.
Participants may pick up a passport card at any participating nonprofit location.

Share your driving journey by tagging — learn more at https://www.randolphcountyfoundation.org/randolph-county-day/.

05/20/2026

Bill Traylor began drawing in his 80s.

Born into slavery, he spent most of his life working as a sharecropper in Alabama.

Then, late in life and nearly homeless, he started making drawings on scraps of cardboard and discarded materials.

The work was bold, strange, rhythmic, and unforgettable.

Artifact:
Many of Traylor’s drawings were created while sitting on sidewalks using found materials and leftover paint.

05/19/2026

Judith Scott was born deaf and with Down syndrome and spent decades institutionalized, largely separated from society.

She didn’t begin making art until her 40s.

Once introduced to fiber materials, she became completely absorbed—wrapping found objects in yarn, fabric, and thread to create mysterious cocoon-like sculptures.

She never explained the works.
She didn’t need to.

Artifact:
Many of the objects hidden inside her sculptures remain unknown to this day.