FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Six paintings by the late Evans Woollen III, the leading Midwest architect who designed the Musical Arts Center at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, are now on display in the lobby of one of his signature creations.
Dubbed the dean of Indiana architects, Woollen was noted for his use of bold materials and edgy, modern designs.
The abstract works were donated by Woollen’s son Ian Woollen and Ian’s wife, Susan Swaney, a Jacobs School alumna and former faculty member currently on faculty at the IU Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance.
“The Jacobs School of Music is thrilled to have been gifted six paintings by Evans Woollen, the architect who designed the Musical Arts Center,” said Timothy Stebbins, Ted Jones Executive Director of Production. “With guidance from Kathryn Chattin from University Collections, these beautiful works can now be viewed hanging in the MAC lobby. They are a great addition to the dynamic of the theater, and they give a real sense of connection to the creator of our amazing building.”
An example of the brutalist architecture style, the Musical Arts Center, widely known as the MAC, was completed in 1972 and is the Jacobs School of Music’s largest performance hall. It boasts the second-largest theatrical stage area in the country, surpassed only by the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
“We donated Evans’ paintings because he designed the MAC, and it seemed like a good home for them,” said Ian.
As part of his MAC design, Woollen commissioned two large banners from renowned multimedia artist George Earl Ortman, which hang from the ceiling in the hall's lobby. Like Woollen, Ortman worked in the geometric abstraction style, and his banners closely complement the paintings.
Woollen (1927-2016) introduced the modern and brutalist architecture styles to his hometown of Indianapolis, where he established his own architecture firm in 1955. Some of his most celebrated projects were built there, including Clowes Memorial Hall, the Minton-Capehart Federal Building and major additions to the Indianapolis Central Library and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Among his professors at Yale University were architect Louis Kahn and artist Josef Albers, and the influence of both teachers can be seen in Woollen’s buildings and artwork.
After he retired, Woollen turned most of his creative energy to his lifelong interest in painting.
