The 14th annual Crawfordsville Art Walk organized by The Art League of Montgomery will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
To add to the fun and excitement this year, organizers have added an Art League Scavenger Hunt with prizes. Clue cards will be distributed from the Jackson Hewitt Tax Service parking lot at 10 a.m. with prizes being awarded from this location at noon Saturday. Must be present to win.
Visitors will enjoy strolling around the beautiful, historic downtown area to see the amazing artwork created by many local artists. A variety of art media including pottery, sculpture, bead work, photography, mixed media, oil, acrylic, watercolor and even rosemaling (a traditional style of decorative folk painting that originated in Norway in the mid-1700s) will be all be on display.
You will love the beauty of nature in some art and smile at the fantasy spirit of others. Grab a cup of coffee or an energy drink and view the works of art with family and friends. Brochures and maps will be available at Carnegie Museum, Crawfordsville District Public Library, Montgomery County Visitors Bureau, participating downtown businesses and two Wabash College locations — Fine Arts Center and Lilly Library.
A great place to park and start your tour is at the Crawfordsville District Public Library, where members of The Art League of Montgomery County have a display of 90 pieces of art in the Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery. Going north on Washington Street, the Farmers’ Market will be active with our local farm goods and crafts. The Peace Pole, located at Pike Place, was created to promote peace and unity; it was designed and constructed by Wabash College Professor of Art Emeritus and local artist, Doug Calisch.
Stop by A Second City Café to enjoy refreshments and view Will Bernhardt’s photographs from his family’s trip to the wild, wild west. Joy Willett’s whimsical watercolor paintings are featured in the window of In His Time Books and Gifts. Next door, at Creek Jewelers, you will be amazed by Rhonda Roesch’s rosemaling artwork. Stop by newly opened Acai Bowls and More to enjoy a refreshing Acai bowl or smoothie and view photographs taken by Melissa and Robbie Bernhardt. The Bernhardt family share a love of photography, adventure, and traveling.
The windows in the new downtown bike shop, Broken Heart Cycling, feature photographs taken by Liam Bernhardt during his family’s summer trip to eleven states and many of the country’s most popular National Parks.
Head west on Main to see Ellie Dieckmeyer’s lovely Victorian Era paper beads at Merle Norman Cosmetic & Styling Center. Swift Land Consulting features artwork by Kym Bushong; she enjoys creating art in watercolor and graphite. Mary Lou Dawald loves to create art from clay; her wonderful artwork is featured in the windows of Crawfordsville Audiology.
Head north on Washington to Taylor, Minnette, Schneider & Clutter, P.C., where you will find photographs by Nicholas Reese taken while hiking the Appalachian Trail. David Bethard’s photographs of landscapes and nature while traveling across the USA and Canada are featured in the windows at Crossroads Furniture.
Heading east on Main Street, stop by Top Line Athletics to see Jazerik Garman’s vintage style Halloween sculptures. Tri-County Bank and Trust features a special exhibit of artwork by Mary Lou Dawald from Sept. 8 through Dec. 7.
Walking north on Green Street, stop by Shop Small, Shop Homemade to see the huge multi-media creation “The Mother Tree” by Lizzy Cook and Jessica Harris. Heading south on Green Street, stop by the newly opened The Tablespoon and The Market to see Leslie Warren’s lovely watercolor paintings.
Jenna Morello created a second mural to represent Crawfordsville in 2025; elements include Sugar Creek, the state bird (cardinal), the state bug (firefly), and an iconic local house. Across the street at the Green Street Gallery, you will find a treasure trove of works by the talented and award-winning artist Jerry Smith.
Return to Main Street where you can continue your art exploration. You will be treated to an incredible multi-media witch house display made of found objects by Roberta Bowman at Nogginz Haircare Co. Sit and enjoy the “Alley of Seasons” mural created by Jenna Morello in 2021; this work depicts native Indiana wildflowers that change colors along the wall.
A Sprig of Lime features beautiful watercolor paintings by CJ Charles and Karen Patton, and rosemaling by Rhonda Roesch. This is a great place to start your holiday shopping. If you are ready for a coffee break, you can stop in The Joshua Cup featuring paintings by Anna Dickson, and pinstriping artwork by Don Gould. Stop by Sugar Creek Eyecare to see the photographs from Kathy Steele’s recent trip to Vietnam. Brian McCafferty’s incredible stone carvings are featured in the window at Bearded Comics & Collectibles.
You might think that you have seen it all, but there are three more places where you can experience some incredible exhibits.
First, The Carnegie Museum’s 2026 Community Art Show, Memory, features 35 pieces of art by 28 local artists. Each piece of art evokes personal or collective memories of the people or places of Indiana. Featured artists include Michael Austin, Georgie Benge, Kelly (Birdie) Benge, Oaklay Benge, Robbie Bernhardt, Will Bernhardt, Michael Bowman, Shirley Burd, Nina Cunningham, Sarah Enz, Jazerik Garman, Kathy Houghton, Miranda Kenney, Aiala Levy, Alicia MacIsaac, Laura Murphy, Abigail Olmstead, Nysia Orsborn, Karen Patton, Destiny Skaggs, Kathy Steele, Michael Stevenson, Betsy Strain, Kelli Stacey, Correna Gilstrap Vellner, Pearl Weedman, Lucille Weedman, and Lori Wernsman. The museum also highlighting the work of local artist Toni Ridgway-Woodall with a display titled Undone: The Place I Can Think.
Second, First Christian Church at 211 S. Walnut St. features a collection of Dr. Rick Stout’s photographs taken while in The Everglades and Corkscrew Swamp in Southwest Florida, North Carolina, Utah, Iceland, the Austrian and Italian Alps, Columbia, and his own back yard. His main interest is wildlife and landscape photography.
Third, the Wabash College Fine Arts Center features Errant Ecologies: Works by Melissa Haviland, Allison Maria Rodgriguez and Elizabeth Rose. This exhibit runs from Sept. 7 through Nov. 19.
Errant Ecologies brings together the work of Melissa Haviland, Allison Maria Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Rose in an exploration of environmental change, interconnection, and the ways beauty can help us navigate and discuss ecological crisis. Working across print, video, and immersive installation, the exhibition considers how landscapes, species, and materials carry histories of transformation, fragility, and survival.
The Art Walk is sponsored by The Art League of Montgomery County with the goal of supporting artists and encouraging arts and crafts in the community.
The Art League appreciates all the downtown business owners who were willing to participate by offering a space for local artists to display artwork during this time. Organizers also thank the artists for sharing their art and for taking the time to set up the art in the windows.
If you are interested in becoming an Art League member, you can find brochures available at the library or contact betsystrain@gmail.com.
