THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 31, Number 4 Thursday, February 5, 2015 Creative Force Erika Hanner Takes Over the Reins as Lubeznik Center Director by Kayla Weiss Erika Hanner considers the record-breaking “David Bowie Is” exhibit the high note of her career with Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. When she was a little girl, Erika Hanner became enamored by the art world, exposed to various aspects of it by her parents. As she grew older, that love of art blossomed as well. When it came time to choose a major in college, she couldn’t resist following her heart. “Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I was pretty close to some really impressive art, and my parents always made sure to take me to museums and expose me to the art culture,” Hanner said. “When I got to college, I had no idea what I wanted to major in, because at the time Erika Hanner has been in her position as I didn’t even know that Art History was an actual major. executive director of the Lubeznik Center Continued on Page 2 for the Arts since Dec. 15. THE Page 2 February 5, 2015 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. Erika Hanner worked at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave., for 20 years. Saxton, after eight years as executive director Continued from Page 1 Creative Force with the center, left the post last year to become the “As soon as I found out it was a possibility, though, new president and chief executive offi cer of Legacy you can believe I signed up.” Foundation, Lake County’s leading philanthropic Today, Hanner is the new executive director of partner. Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. Second St., the Hanner arrives at the Lubeznik Center after a only center of its kind in the area that embraces all career triumph overseeing the record-breaking “Da- aspects of the arts. She follows a long line of indel- vid Bowie Is” exhibit at Museum of Contemporary ible creative forces, from Barbara Stodola, to Lelde Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave., where she served Kalmité to Carolyn Saxton, all helping sculpt the as director of convergent programs. She offi cially center into what it is today. began as executive director here Dec. 15. The Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W. Second St., has experienced tremendous growth over the years. THE February 5, 2015 Page 3 got the blahs? dreaming of your sandals? come to glad rags for fun in the sun of summer colors! for sandals? come to glad rags of your got the blahs? dreaming 3 DAYS ONLY! this friday, saturday & sunday February 6, 7 and 8 from 10-4 Erika Hanner hopes her new position affords more time to appreciate what Northwest Indiana has to offer. For Hanner, after graduating from Loyola Uni- versity with a degree in art history, she wasn’t sure what she could or should do and began making in- quiries with others just starting out as well. “I talked to some interns and entry level positions – they seemed so focused and had always known that they wanted to go into museums and be cura- tors or museum heads,” Hanner said. “I felt so be- hind after talking with them, but I guess it also pro- vided me with the proper motivation to dive right into the art world.” Hanner began applying to any art-related job that crossed her path, no matter the description. Her per- sistence paid off. She soon scored an entry-level po- Continued on Page 4 DETAILS: www.gladrags.info 870 e sidewalk rd, chesterton 219-926-5557 Visitors to the Lubeznik Center are greeted by the sculpture “Pinky.” THE Page 4 February 5, 2015 leave on a high note. Creative Force Continued from Page 3 “I felt like it was time to move on,” she said. “I sition at the MCA, which since 1945 has celebrated thought I had done everything that there was to do contemporary art through paintings, photos, sculp- with the MCA. I now had the opportunity to move to tures, video, fi lm and performance. In addition to a different art center, closer to my home in Portage, its gallery space, with a host of new the MCA has a opportunities to 300-seat theater, help another cen- terraced sculp- ter grow, and I ture garden, res- couldn’t be more taurant, gift store thrilled.” and bookstore. Growth, in- Hanner worked deed, has marked for the MCA for the Lubeznik 20 years, in the Center’s journey process earning to where it is to- a Master of Busi- day. Emerging ness Administra- in the mid-1970s as the John G. tion. Her fi nal This piece by Nichole Sheaffer is part of the upcoming “Steamroller Printmaking Projects” exhibit. project turned out Blank Center for to be a defi ning moment: planning and executing the Arts, it fl ourished in the former library on East the David Bowie exhibit from London. The show de- Eighth Street. Decades later, in 2002, the Lubeznik buted at the MCA last September and ran for 15 family, a longtime supporter of the art center, do- weeks. The MCA was the only U.S. venue to host it, nated a new building on West Second Street, the bringing in close to 200,000 people, making it the center’s name changed to Lubeznik Center for the most successful exhibition in the MCA’s history. The Arts. It then expanded and improved its facilities, exhibit also set new records for all Bowie-related resulting in galleries, classrooms, a reception area programs there, many selling out in less than an and a gallery shop. Today, it not only houses new hour, and giving the MCA store its highest sales to exhibits, but also live entertainment, classes and a date. heavy emphasis on community outreach. “The MCA staff really rose to the challenge,” Lubeznik Center offi cials have credited Saxton Hanner said. “For this exhibit, it wasn’t about pull- with leading the center through a major growth pe- ing all of the different pieces riod, helping expand its an- together and trying to fi gure nual reach to 25,000 people. out how to arrange them, be- As executive director, Han- cause everything came to us ner has her hands in a little from London, all ready to go. bit of everything. She works This was about our team scal- closely with the marketing ing up the MCA operation for department and education the magnitude of crowds that director, and oversees all pro- we thought would be drawn. grams, making sure every- “There was so much buzz thing is moving in the right about it,” Hanner continued. direction. “As it turns out, a lot of peo- “It’s really about look- ple really, really like David ing forward in an aggressive Bowie. From the minute the way with the Redevelopment MCA announced the show, Commission and the Uptown the media attention was in- Arts District,” Hanner said. credible. It was so exciting to “There’s so much going on work on that kind of a scale.” with art and commerce in Before the exhibit came Michigan City. I just want to to an end, however, Hanner make sure that the Lubeznik made her departure to take Center is keeping pace and on the position of executive being an integral part of the director at Michigan City’s community.” Lubeznik Center. Having Hanner is working closely been with the MCA 20 years, with staff on two new exhib- “Comics & Code,” the most recent Lubeznik Center exhibit, and having overseen “David explored the contemporary relationships between words and its: “Steamroller Printmak- Bowie Is,” Hanner wanted to images through comic illustration, objects and animation. ing Projects” and “Work Lo- THE February 5, 2015 Page 5 cal: Art Meets Industry.” Both run Feb. 7 through from the Illinois Institute of Technology. The artists April 18. include Jon Hook, Paul Pettigrew, Lee Purcell and The Steamroller Eric Tucker. Printmaking Project Hanner has plans occurred last sum- for the center to ex- mer in downtown pand, taking over full Michigan City. Pro- occupancy of its facil- duced by Walnut Ink ity for extra galler- Projects with a team ies and exhibits. She of printmakers from also looks forward to Syracuse University being involved in the and local artists in center’s various edu- downtown Michigan cational programs of- City, visitors can ex- fered to the commu- perience enormous nity’s students, and in relief prints on mus- planning the annual lin created from 3-by- ARTbash and Lake- 7 foot carved wooden front Art Festival. plates and an indus- Taking time to trial steamroller. Ex- smell the roses, she hibiting artists in- says, will be another Erika Hanner (center, seated with Lubeznik Center Education Director Janet Bloch), clude: Janet Bloch, attends January’s Open Mic event that was part of the monthly First Fridays. plus. Lora Fosberg, Laurel “Having worked in Izard, Suzanne Cohan-Lange and Richard Lange, Chicago while living in Portage, I never really had Julia Neilsen, Andrea Peterson and Mary Uthup- the chance to immerse myself in any kind of leisure puru, Nichole Renee Sheaffer, Michael Bill Smith, time in Northwest Indiana,” she said.