South Bend Museum of Art

10/29/2026

Save the date: First Friday is November 6, 5 to 8 pm.

We’re celebrating Mixed Media: Artists Experiment! in the Warner Gallery. The show brings together more than 90 regional and national artists from SBMA’s permanent collection, working in collage, photomontage and assemblage alongside traditional media.

Also on view: IMPRINT: Printmaking Community in the Community Gallery.

Free and open to all. https://www.facebook.com/share/1CLrmDfFfX/

10/28/2026

Thank you to every SBMA member! 💛

For nearly 80 years, members have helped make the South Bend Museum of Art a place where everyone is welcome, free of charge.

Membership comes with real perks:

◆ 20% off studio classes
◆ Free admission at 526 museums across the U.S. and Canada (Household level and up)
◆ Invitations to member events and exhibition openings
◆ Behind-the-scenes specialty exhibition tours (Premiere level)

And there’s so much ahead. Last week we opened the Robert C. Shields American Series, and SBMA is heading into an exciting new chapter.

Whether you’re a longtime member or just discovering us, a gift to the museum helps make all of this possible:

◆ 15+ exhibitions in our galleries each year
◆ Care for more than 1,200 works in our permanent collection
◆ Art education for 1,600+ local students
◆ 950+ studio class enrollments a year
◆ Free admission for every visitor

Become a member or make a gift at southbendart.org

10/26/2026

Late Fall classes start one week from today.

Sunday is the potter’s wheel. Monday is clay. Tuesday is the darkroom. Wednesday is the loom. Thursday is drawing and jewelry. Saturday is painting, plus classes for kids and teens.

Six weeks, November 2 to December 13, in a working studio with an artist who teaches the medium they work in. Most classes need no experience. Members save 20%.

Registration is open through November 8. https://www.ultracamp.com/info/upcomingSessions.aspx?idCamp=1217&campCode=174

10/24/2026

Jason Lahr: Source Code opens today in the Art League Gallery.

Lahr’s five new large-scale paintings use oil and acrylic alongside Photoshop, Illustrator, and computer-cut vinyl stencils to explore working-class American masculinity from Gen X onward. The exhibition also includes his visual notes, tests, and source material, displayed alongside the paintings for the first time.

On view October 24, 2026 through January 3, 2027.
First Friday Reception: Friday, December 4, 5 to 8 pm.
https://southbendart.org/jason-lahr-source-code/

10/22/2026

𝑴𝒊𝒙𝒆𝒅 𝑴𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂: 𝑨𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕! opens tomorrow in the Warner Gallery.

Part of the Robert C. Shields American Series, the exhibition draws from SBMA’s permanent collection to show work by more than 90 regional and nationally recognized artists who experiment with materials and processes, from collage and photomontage to assemblage.

Join us for the First Friday Reception on Friday, November 6, from 5 to 8 pm.

On view October 23, 2026 through January 3, 2027.
https://southbendart.org/robert-c-shields-american-series-mixed-media-artists-experiment/

Pictured: Phyllis Bramson, Foolish Reasons to Be Happy (for DT), 2018.

First Friday Reception | November 6, 5–8 pm “A pair of socks is no less suitable to make a painting with than wood, nails, turpentine, oil, and fabric.” –Robert Rauschenberg, 1959 Mixed Media presents an expanded view of SBMA’s permanent collection, highlighting works by over 90 regionally...

10/20/2026

Every piece in these photos was made by Lisa Slomka. This Late Fall, you can learn from her.

Discovering Clay is six weeks of hands-on handbuilding projects with Lisa in our ceramics studio. It’s built for beginners and anyone who’s wondered what it’s like to work with clay.

■ Monday nights, 6 to 9 pm
■ Six weeks, starting November 2
■ Ages 15+, clay included
■ $152 members / $190 non-members

Not a clay person? Late Fall classes start November 2 across all of our studios: ceramics, painting, drawing, darkroom photography, weaving and jewelry, plus Saturday classes for kids and teens. Most need no experience, and members save 20%.

Registration for all Late Fall classes closes November 8.

Register: https://www.ultracamp.com/info/upcomingSessions.aspx?idCamp=1217&campCode=174

Browse the full catalog:https://southbendart.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/SBMA_LateFall2026_ClassCatalog_v1.pdf

10/19/2026

Calling young artists in grades 7 to 12.

Submissions are open for the 2027 Scholastic Art Awards. SBMA is the regional affiliate for Northwest Indiana and Lower Southwest Michigan, serving 19 counties.

Students ages 13 to 18 can earn Honorable Mention, Silver Key, Gold Key and the American Vision Award, and the regional exhibition hangs at SBMA February 5 to April 11, 2027.

Submission deadline: December 13.

Teachers and parents, please pass this along. Details at https://southbendart.org/scholastic-art-awards-2026/

10/15/2026

Bring a leaf. Bring your keys. Bring a plastic dinosaur.

In Intro to Experimental Darkroom, you’ll set objects right on photo paper and expose them to light to make photograms. You’ll build your own pinhole camera and paint with darkroom chemistry to make chemigrams.

You don’t need any darkroom or photography experience.

Taught by Hannah Toepp. Tuesdays, 6 to 9 pm, Late Fall session (Nov 2 to Dec 13).
$156 members / $195 non-members. Claim your seat at https://www.ultracamp.com/info/upcomingSessions.aspx?idCamp=1217&campCode=174

10/14/2026

The South Bend Museum of Art is pleased to share that Kolton Sizer has been promoted to Deputy Director of Mission & Operations.

Kolton joined the museum as Curator of Education & Public Programming. Under his leadership, the education department has expanded to include year-round studio classes for adults and children, summer camps, and public programs serving the wider community.

In his new position, Kolton will oversee the museum’s daily operations and institutional planning. He will work alongside Executive Director Lisa M. Shaffer and staff across all departments to coordinate priorities, strengthen internal systems, and support the museum’s exhibitions, educational programs, and community partnerships. He will also lead efforts in staff development and facilities planning as the museum prepares for its upcoming facility transition.

We congratulate Kolton on this well-deserved appointment and look forward to his continued leadership.

10/13/2026

Teaching, patience, and joy. This past weekend’s Stained Glass Suncatcher workshop with Nancy Jackson had all three.

A paper pattern, a stack of textured glass, a soldering iron, and four hours. By the end of the afternoon, everyone was holding something they made up to the light.

That’s what a class here is too: good teaching, time to get it right, and something to show for it. Late fall enrollment is open in every studio. Grab your seat early.

https://www.ultracamp.com/info/upcomingSessions.aspx?idCamp=1217&campCode=174