USI’s Historic New Harmony is proud to present Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard on display at the Atheneum Visitors Center. The engaging, traveling exhibit on maverick northern Kentucky artist and writer Harlan Hubbard (1900-88) is on display now through July 12, with a closing talk and book signing at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 12. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard paints a vivid portrait of Hubbard and his wife, Anna, who are revered for the example they set for those who wish to create a simple life that embraces ecological consciousness and connection to place. While some may have heard of the Hubbards’ shantyboat journey on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, or their search for a quiet life at their home of Payne Hollow, few know the entire story.
Hubbard published two books about his countercultural life: Shantyboat (1953) and Payne Hollow: Life on the Fringe of Society (1974). Some of his journals and other writings were published posthumously. Known best as a writer and early environmentalist, Hubbard considered himself an artist above all. His artistic practice encompassed watercolor, oil, acrylic, pencil sketches and woodcut printmaking. He focused on pastoral subjects, notably those found in the rural landscapes around Kentuckiana and the Ohio River.
Harlan and Anna Hubbard’s practice of simple and sustainable living has resonated with many people, including poet, writer, environmentalist and farmer Wendell Berry. In 1997, Berry published the biography, Harlan Hubbard: Life and Work, which introduced the Hubbards’ story to a wider audience. Over a decade later, curator Jessica K. Whitehead learned about Harlan Hubbard as a student at Hanover College in Indiana, which has 31 paintings donated by the artist in its archives. Her fascination with his life and work led her to curate multiple exhibits about the Hubbards and to write the introduction to The Watercolors of Harlan Hubbard (2021). In February 2025, Whitehead released a new biography, Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard, that uses published and unpublished journals, letters, manuscripts and artwork to offer new insights about his character and legacy.
The traveling exhibit coming to New Harmony shares the essential narrative of Jessica K. Whitehead’s biography alongside images of Hubbard’s artwork and historic photographs. Driftwood is sponsored by Payne Hollow on the Ohio and designed by Brooks Vessels of the Filson Historical Society. The Atheneum is the latest stop on its tour, which is booked through 2026. The exhibit will next travel to the Lucille Caudill Fine Arts and Design Library at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, in late July. It will also be displayed in 2025 at the Janice Mason Art Museum in Cadiz, Kentucky.
“I’m thrilled Historic New Harmony can display Driftwood: The Life of Harlan Hubbard at the Atheneum Visitors Center this summer,” says Diane Sanders, Assistant Director of Historic New Harmony. “There are numerous connections between New Harmony’s history and Harlan and Anna Hubbard’s story as they attempted to create their own version of utopia featuring simple living, environmental sustainability and the arts. We’re especially excited to host the exhibit inside the Atheneum, featuring views of New Harmony’s historic sites and the bank of the Wabash River, which will provide visitors with a relevant context for exploring the content of the exhibit.”
