The Grover Center: Museum and Historical Society is pleased to open a new exhibit featuring the art of Roland Hobart. Six newly-framed works are from two different series of Hobart’s work from his time living in Shelbyville, Indiana.

Three of the pieces are from a series of screen prints that feature the astrological signs: Taurus, Capricorn and Pisces (main photo).

The second series is from the 1970 Shelbyville High School prom book featuring the moon and a mythical city in space called “Tranquility City.”

The pieces are part of the permanent collection of the Shelby County Historical Society donated by Brenda Morin in honor of her mother, Doris Butler.

They are on display during open hours Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no admission fee to the museum, located at 52 W. Broadway.

Roland Hobart (1940-2020) was an Austrian artist who was born in Innsbruck. After a difficult childhood growing up in an orphanage, Hobart studied art and specifically murals in Europe.

In 1966 he was given the opportunity to travel to the United States and had a chance meeting with Shelbyville socialite Thelma Fleming. “Tee” Fleming invited Hobart to Shelbyville to live and practice his art.

While working in Shelbyville, he also enjoyed mentoring students in his craft and was very active in the community. Eventually he moved to Indianapolis and then Bloomington, Indiana.

Hobart spent at least three years creating art for the Shelbyville High School Prom. In the spring of 1970, Hobart brought the Space Age to Shelbyville in a prom themed Tranquility City. The commemorative booklet featured each member of the senior class’ name and several screen-printed pages designed by Hobart.

On the cover of Tranquility City is an abstract skyline of geometric shapes and lines (photo). It sits atop a cratered moon, while the planet Earth can be seen floating off in the distance. An interior page also highlights Earth, utilizing the same textured techniques Hobart had adopted for his astrological prints, perhaps as a means of reminding the prom-goers of all they left behind when stepping into his intergalactic utopia. 

Most of Roland Hobart’s art did not survive. Many were simply tossed away as he perfected his screen print skill, and many were made into posters seen as a temporary advertisement.

The art on display at the Grover Center was preserved by Doris McCartney Butler, a sewing teacher and junior class advisor at Shelbyville High School who was known for decorating the school’s proms. As a sponsor, Butler worked with Hobart and the junior and senior classes to create large art installations, painted sets, and commemorative booklets.

Butler’s family understood the value of Hobart’s contribution to Shelbyville and so her daughter, Brenda Morin, donated the pieces to the museum. The donation was facilitated by the community engagement officer of the Blue River Community Foundation, Laura Land.

The art can be viewed in the Warble Gallery during open hours.

For more information about the Grover Center, go to www.grovercenter.org.

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