The Haan Museum of Indiana Art and First Merchants Bank are bringing art to the heart of downtown Lafayette with “Your Indiana,” a public exhibition that transforms the windows of First Merchants’ downtown headquarters into a street-level gallery celebrating Indiana’s art, landscapes and communities.
Located at First Merchants Bank, 250 Main Street in downtown Lafayette, “Your Indiana” features seven works by Indiana artists from The Haan Museum of Indiana Art’s permanent collection. Displayed across the bank’s windows through early 2027, the works depict landscapes, agriculture, industry and everyday scenes that reflect life across the state.
The project is part of The Haan Museum’s "Museums Without Walls" America 250 project, one of Indiana’s cultural contributions commemorating the nation’s semiquincentennial. The initiative is rooted in expanding access to art and cultural heritage by taking works beyond traditional museum walls and placing them directly in the community. The Haan Museum was one of only 12 recipients selected for an America 250 grant award from the Indiana Arts Commission.
The exhibition features works by seven artists with deep connections to Indiana’s artistic heritage: George Herbert Baker, Harry A. Davis, William Forsyth, Richard Buckner Gruelle, Estelle Peel Izor, T.C. Steele and Clifton Wheeler. The featured paintings span generations of Indiana art and offer different perspectives on the places and experiences that have shaped the state.
“Your Indiana” is designed to be more than an exhibition for casual viewing. A QR code incorporated into the display invites the Lafayette community to share a photo or work of art representing their Indiana – their story, perspective or hopes for the place they call home. Submitted images become part of the broader exhibition, extending the project beyond the seven featured artists to include the perspectives of people throughout the community.
When the Haan Museum came to First Merchants leaders with the concept, they immediately embraced it, beginning a partnership that brings museum-quality art to downtown Lafayette.
“Our partnership with The Haan Museum reflects First Merchants’ commitment to investing in the people and organizations that make our communities stronger. By bringing these pieces of art into the heart of downtown Lafayette, we hope to make Indiana art accessible to even more people and create an opportunity for our community to celebrate the places and experiences that connect us.” said Brent Talcott, Market President at First Merchants Bank.
The partnership reflects First Merchants’ broader commitment to supporting arts and cultural organizations throughout central Indiana. The bank was recently recognized with a Corporate Leadership Award from the Indy Arts Council, an award honoring people and organizations helping advance equity and innovation in central Indiana’s arts and culture community.
First Merchants looks to enrich Indiana communities through the “Your Indiana” exhibit, while serving as a vehicle for The Haan Museum to introduce its collection to audiences outside the museum.
“’Your Indiana’ is really about the idea that art belongs to everyone. Bringing these paintings out of the museum and onto Main Street allows people to encounter Indiana art as part of their everyday lives and then invites them to become part of the exhibition by showing us what Indiana looks like through their own eyes.” said Kerrie Bellisario, Executive Director and Chief Curator of The Haan Museum of Indiana Art.
The original paintings featured in the exhibition are part of the permanent collection, located less than a mile away at The Haan Museum of Indiana Art – Indiana’s only museum dedicated to art and culture by Indiana artists, with a collection housed in a 1904 mansion that also includes Indiana furniture, ceramics and cultural objects, as well as an outdoor sculpture garden and nature trail.
Activities for “Your Indiana,” an America 250 project, are made possible in part by the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. This program has also been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support has been provided by Duke Energy Foundation, Tippecanoe County Council, Visit Lafayette/West Lafayette, City of Lafayette and The Arts Federation, along with First Merchants Bank.
