Duneland.com > News & Announcements > New Mural at Westchester Township History Museum

“The Magic of Chesterton” Mural by Jeff Hagen

June 21, 2010

In 2008, New York Times best-selling children’s author and artist Jeff Hagen visited Chesterton to teach and inspire Chesterton Middle School art students.  Jody Nix, a teacher at CMS, received a grant from the Duneland Education Foundation to fund the two-day program.

During his visit, Hagen taught the seventh and eighth graders about watercolor techniques and the book-writing process.  Upon the completion of his visit, Hagen promised to create and present to the community a mural of Chesterton.

“The Magic of Chesterton,” Hagen’s three-piece mural, is currently on display at the Westchester Township History Museum. The mural highlights the area’s past and present features and celebrates the community’s interaction with the natural and commercial landscape.

In addition to Hagen’s mural, the students’ works, created and inspired during Hagen’s visit, are on display at the museum.  The students’ watercolor paintings illustrate Hagen’s story When Fear Looks in Your Window, which is available to read in the exhibit.  Books written, illustrated, and bound by the students are also on display.

Westchester Township History Museum is an educational and cultural service of Westchester Public Library.  The museum, housed in the historic Brown Mansion, 700 W. Porter Ave., Chesterton, IN 46304, is open 1 – 5 p.m. Wednesday – Sunday or by appointment, 983-9715.