Museum corner August 2022

In the Good Ole Summer Time

By Becky Buher, published in the Times-Mail newspaper Aug. 4, 2022

A locally famous painting, “The Old Swimming Hole,” depicts the joy of swimming on a hot summer day at an abandoned limestone quarry. Probably, this is the time to say, “Don’t do this yourself.” Paint, possibly; swim in the quarry, no.

Albert W. Miller was the artist. The large, eye-catching painting was commissioned by and presented to the Indiana Limestone Company and hung in their corporate office for two decades. Now, thanks to a loan from the city of Bedford, that 1947 painting is currently displayed in the McReynolds Gallery on the second floor of the museum.

In addition to the painting, among the many interesting things to see in the exhibit are historic images at Peerless Quarry, a limestone relief sculpture by Lester Dale Wykoff, items from everyday work in the limestone industry, such as tools, labor union books, etc. There’s a boxed sample of limestone labeled “buff,” a core sample drilled in early 1900 and even a small architectural piece found in Leatherwood Creek.

But who was Albert W. Miller? And why should we be interested in an artist who created a painting some 70 years ago?

Artistic young Albert W. Miller graduated from Bedford High School (BHS) in 1936.  In the BHS yearbook the description with his senior picture states his ambition was “to have a place in the world of art.” He married Ruth Elizabeth Wiley in Bedford in 1937.

Miller had been born in Missouri in 1917.  His parents were Albert W. Miller Sr. and Laura J. Davis Miller. The family moved to Bedford, and the parents lived at 2213 H Street for over 50 years.

In the 1930 census, young Albert had two younger brothers, Robert and William. The boys grew up in Bedford. Their father was a blacksmith at the Bedford Foundry in 1930, later was listed in Bedford City Directories as a City Schools Attendant Officer and Attendance Supervisor. I personally remember the father as the school truant officer.

After Albert graduated from Bedford High School, he received both BAE (Bachelor of Art Education) and BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) degrees from John Herron School of Art, the College of Fine and Applied Art of Indiana University. He studied and lived in Europe as a Guggenheim Scholar followed by three years of graduate work at the University of Illinois where he also taught for five years.

His obituary on Bedford Online said, “Miller’s artwork included non-objective, realistic and abstract styles applied to portraiture, landscape, still life, and figure painting. His mediums included oil, acrylic, watercolor, and collage. During his long career, he operated his own art school in Cincinnati and had gallery representation in New York and throughout the country.” 

Miller once said, “Organizing living space was much like organizing the elements of a painting.” His obituary continued, “Miller designed office buildings, a medical arts building, and more than a dozen homes, including his contemporary home in Missouri which was designed to fit into a 120-foot limestone cliff in the Ozarks. Miller’s designs were also used by NASA for the nation’s first satellite, by the U.S. Navy for portions of the first Nautilus submarines, and by Volkswagon in their advertising campaign in the United States. Miller also served as a partner in Motivation Dynamics, a Chicago advertising firm.”

Another Miller painting, once included in Bedford High School’s art collection, was donated to the museum by Bedford North Lawrence schools a few years ago. It had been damaged and the Ladies of the Round Table organization came to its rescue and provided for its restoration. Sherry Battista of Indianapolis restored it, and it is now displayed in the museum meeting room.

Miller’s death at age 91 in 2009 ended a commercial and fine arts career spanning more than five decades. I think we could agree he did accomplish his ambition “to have a place in the world of art.”

While at the museum, take a look at the two Oolitic Dollens Elementary School quilts that retired kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Carol Mifflin, created as part of her students’ educational journey. Both are displayed in the first-floor gallery. The 2000-01 quilt features each student’s silhouette and handwriting. The other quilt is a bit earlier and features the 1995-96 Oolitic kindergarten class. Each block features a student’s handprint and handwriting.