Upcoming exhibition at the David Owsley Museum of Art

September 10, 2026
This Fall, the David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) presents Jan Petry's Gift: Outsider and Folk Art in the Museum, a special exhibition on view September 17 through December 18, 2026. 

This exhibition features more than twenty-five works of art from the estate of advertising executive, collector, curator, and artist Jan Petry, Class of ’61. As part of her legacy, Jan donated her art collection to Intuit Art Museum in Chicago and DOMA in Muncie. Jan championed outsider and folk art, broad categories often described in contested and overlapping terms as self-taught, visionary, naïve, popular, or vernacular. She also collected artworks from Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America, as she considered their raw expressive power akin to American folk art. Jan Petry’s gift greatly enriches DOMA’s collection of outsider and folk art with the goal of sparking creativity in students and visitors to her alma mater, Ball State University.

The exhibition is in the Brown Study Room on the museum's main floor. "Turning Art Outside In," a related display upstairs, features a community showcase with an opportunity for visitors to submit images for inclusion.

Mark your calendar for these related events:
  • Thursday, September 24 at 4:00 p.m.: DOMA director Robert La France will lead an overview tour of the exhibition for faculty, staff, and educators.
  • Thursday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m.: Alison Amick, Chief Curator and Senior Director of Special Exhibitions at Intuit Art Museum, will give a public lecture in Recital Hall. A 5:00 p.m. reception and chance to view the exhibition will precede the talk.

Both programs are free and open to the public with no registration required. Visit bsu.edu/doma to learn more about the museum and the exhibition, and contact Dr. La France with questions about how to incorporate this show into a course, event, or program.

A note for planning your visit: in addition to Sundays and Mondays, DOMA will be closed to the public October 10–13 for Ball State's Fall Break and November 25–30 for Thanksgiving Break.
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