Exhibition: Right Here: Vin + Hazel Hannell and Their Continued Influence
Dates: July 1–August 30, 2025
Third Friday Reception: Friday, July 18, 2025, 4–7 PM
Historical Presentation by Serena Ard: Thursday, July 24, 5 PM
Chesterton Art Center’s (CAC) summer exhibition “Right Here: Vin + Hazel Hannell and Their Continued Influence” opens on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. “Right Here” celebrates Vin and Hazel Hannell, artists and activists, whose work explores the natural wonders of our Indiana Dunes region. The home and studio they kept in Furnessville was a nexus for a thriving creative community throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s, and that legacy endures to this day.
The exhibition pairs the Hannells’ paintings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics with work by contemporary regional artists who continue to be inspired by the dunes and the work being done to protect and conserve this precious landscape. It is a full-circle moment to place the Hannells’ works in conversation with artists who continue to benefit from their vision and their perseverance.
This exhibition is part of a Porter County-wide series in partnership with Porter County Museum, Westchester Township History Museum, Art Barn School of Art, and Pines Village Retirement Communities celebrating the Hannells and their impact on the art, culture, and history of our region. They pioneered this area as a haven for artists and creatives, helped establish the first Chesterton Art Fair and subsequently the organization that is now known as Chesterton Art Center, and were active in the movement to save the Indiana Dunes and establish the National Park. Their legacy as community-builders and advocates continues to resonate today.
“Right Here” will feature work by the following contemporary regional artists: Jennifer Aitchison, Beale Pottery, Lynn Buckmaster, Bunny Dimke, Corey Hagelberg, Pat Herman, Julia Holmaas, Christine Hubbell, George Kassal, Laura Krentz, Carolyn Lelek, Kerri Mommer, Mary Ann Pals, Kirsten Renehan, Laurie Schirmer-Carpenter, Ginny Takacs, Mark Vander Vinne, Melissa Washburn. Nicole Willbur, and Bonnie Zimmer.
“Creating this exhibition series in collaboration with our county partners has been an amazing experience that I believe mirrors the Hannells’ commitment to our local arts ecosystems and their generosity of spirit,” says CAC Executive Director Hannah Hammond-Hagman, “and our galleries will reflect how they continue to influence our current creative community and the ongoing love of this place.”
A Third Friday Artists’ Reception for “Right Here” will be held on Friday, July 18, 4–7 PM, and CAC will host a Historical Presentation by Serana Ard from the Westchester Township History Museum on Thursday, July 24 at 5 PM. All exhibition events at CAC are free and open to the public. For more information about the Exhibition Series Partnership, please visit www.HannellExhibitSeries.com.
“Right Here” can be viewed during CAC’s normal business hours: Mon–Fri, 11 AM–4 PM + Sat, 11 AM–2 PM. CAC is closed on Sundays. For more information about CAC and CAC exhibitions, please visit www.ChestertonArt.org or call (219) 926-4711.
Hazel Hannell, Our Hillside, Relief Print
Kerri Mommer, Funeral for a Friend, Acrylic on canvas
Vin Hannell, Untitled, Tile mosaic