“A Wizard...arrives precisely when he means to"

Steve Letsinger, Rose-Hulman’s Art Curator, presented the newest addition to Rose’s art collection, entitled “The Wizard of Menlo Park” Friday at an unveiling at 4 p.m. in Moench Hall. The piece was painted by Mike Neary of Terre Haute and features Thomas Edison with a few of Neary’s renderings of Edison’s inventions. The painting is located on the top level of Moench Hall just outside the HSS department, near smaller portraits of Marie Curie and other scientists whose work has been influential in the last century. The 4’ x 6’ painting was commissioned last year by the HSS department’s Elsie Pawley fund and Administrative Services.

Neary spoke briefly at the unveiling about the research involved in the painting. Over the past year, Neary researched various inventions of Edison’s as well as his personality.

“The thing that really struck me is that he was not only a scientist and inventor, but also an astute business man,” exclaimed Neary. One story he told was when Edison tried to sell his first invention, the vote counter, to the U.S. Congress, but they declined. After that, he always researched the market prior to inventing.

The painting features the vote counter along with a talking doll (Edison made the first one), a phonograph, and light that one assumes is coming from an electric light. Neary explained that he tried for the baroque effect of allowing Edison to fade into the background, but used color instead of shadows. The end effect of the painting is that Edison’s head and hands are much more visible than the rest of his body. The painting was to be a complement to Edison and his achievements, Neary said.

“I want to thank Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology [for] being such a supporter of local artists,” said Neary, who is a professor at Indiana State University’s corrections program. “It’s a great support, [a great] institution for offering support.” Neary usually paints figure compositions, such as the Wizard at Menlo Park, but also paints landscapes and the occasional still life. “I always try to have something going on, I don’t always have a commission first.”

Neary says he usually paints first for his own needs, then tries to see if anyone is interested in buying the work. Neary has been painting for around 35 - 40 years.

Rose-Hulman’s collection features hundreds of works, which according to Letsinger include not only paintings, but photographs, sculptures, and ceramics. The last time something was added to the collection was about a year ago, when a painting by Peter Bruning was unveiled above the southern Moench Hall exit. Bruning was also in attendance at the unveiling. “They’re both local artists; both very talented,” complemented Letsinger, adding that Rose makes an attempt to support local artists.

“We thought this was a great way to symbolize the intersection between technology and art,” said Caroline Carvill, Department Head of the HSS department and Professor of American Literature, of the painting. “We thought it was very important to add art works to the collection that center on technology and science. We’re hoping to add more such works in the future.” According to Carvill, this painting is the second in the series. The first was commissioned jointly by the HSS department, the PHOE department, and Administrative Services.

Neary took time to mention a new exhibit that is opening at the Halcyon Contemporary Art Gallery, at 7th and Ohio this Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. Neary said that the gallery is run by local artists. According to the Terre Haute attractions page, the art gallery is for artists in a six county region comprising the Wabash Valley.