Friday, June 25, 2010
Observance for Jane Blaffer Owen held Friday night
Jane Owen
Contact for more information:
Wendy Knipe Bredhold Media Relations Specialist, News & Information Services 812/461-5259 Owen's life's work was to preserve and revitalize New Harmony. From the moment she saw it in 1941, soon after her marriage to Kenneth Dale Owen (the third-great grandson of Robert Owen) she fell in love with the town. She immediately went to work founding the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation and transforming the long-neglected town into a major cultural center and visitor attraction. In addition to preserving and rehabilitating numerous historic buildings, Owen created an extraordinary array of artwork and gardens as well as the New Harmony Inn and Red Geranium Restaurant. Furthermore, she commissioned widely-acclaimed contemporary buildings from modern-day masters such as Philip Johnson, who designed the Roofless Church. She was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from USI at the first Commencement in 1971. She also received honorary doctorates from Northwood University, Ball State University, Kenyon College, Butler University, and Purdue University. She was awarded the Sachem, Indiana's highest honor, and the Louise DuPont Crowninshield Award, the national preservation movement's highest accolade. She supported USI programs including the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, Historic New Harmony, New Harmony Theatre, Historic Southern Indiana, USI Society for Arts and Humanities, RopeWalk Writers Retreat, and the USI Annual Fund. A funeral service will be held in Houston July 10 and memorial in New Harmony July 25. For more information contact Judy Alsop at the New Harmony Inn: 812/682-4431 ext. 1476. |
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