Q&A with Ivy Clark, executive director at Newburgh Museum
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In February, the Newburgh Museum launched Newburgh Boomers as its featured exhibit for 2025. The showcase includes 1950s memorabilia from the post-World War II era, the Korean War and the civil rights movement.
The museum also has several events ahead, including this weekend’s antique market at Newburgh Elementary School and a classic car show in May to complement the Newburgh Boomers exhibit. Executive Director Ivy Clark spoke with Inside INdiana Business about the display.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell me about the Newburgh Museum and its purpose.
It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It has been since 2012, and we have 100% volunteer board and staff. That is, until they hired their first executive director, myself, in 2024.
Our main mission is to preserve, exhibit and educate visitors about the history and culture of Newburgh as well as the surrounding area’s unique river town history.
Where did the idea for the Newburgh Boomers exhibit come from?
We’ve been following a timeline. Our 2024 exhibit was about World War II. So we’re picking things up where we left off, and we’re talking about what life was like in post-World War II. What the social life was like especially within this period. We expect it to be a very popular exhibit as a lot of residents of Newburgh who lived here during that time can take a step back into the past and reminisce about their memories of living here during the 1950s.
What’s included in the exhibit?
People will see a lot of advertisements for department stores, soda shops, things like that, that people would go to in their normal, daily lives. We had dentists and doctors. Everything you needed was right here in downtown. And with that, there were other worldly events going on, such as the Korean War, the beginning of the Cold War and Vietnam was beginning during that time as well.
Where did the exhibit items come from?
We have established good connections with other local museums, such as the Evansville Wartime Museum. This year, they loaned us a Korean War uniform along with some other items to go with that exhibit. As for the rest, we encourage and welcome people to come in, share their photos, their memories, whatever they may have relating to that period.
How long will the Newburgh Boomers exhibit run?
It’s going to run until the end of the year, which puts us at December 13th. The second Saturday in December is when we will close.
So the museum closes for a few months between exhibits?
Yes, so we can refresh everything, get all our loans and connections and everything we need during that time.
What days and times can people visit the museum in 2025?
We have new hours. We’re very excited about it. It is now Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. During the week, you can also schedule a tour with us online, or you can call ahead. We do lots of group tours for different organizations and school trips.
How much is admission?
It is free. But we do happily accept donations. With it being a nonprofit, the main thing that we rely on is our memberships, donations and fundraisers.
What else is happening at the museum this year?
We have our monthly speaking series and trivia nights. It’s a fun, educational opportunity. People learn and share about their lives in Newburgh during the era. We’ll have a specific speaking series about the social life in Newburgh, where we want people to come and tell us about what life was like during that time.
You’re celebrating one year as the museum’s executive director. How’s it going?
It’s been wonderful. I started out as an intern back in 2023, and it all took off from there. They opened the job opportunity, and I applied, and here I am now.
I grew up in Newburgh. I went to college at the University of Evansville. When I was little, I fell in love with the downtown architecture here. It was so unique. I memorized every historical plaque by the time I was eight years old. It’s something that captivated me. I was so young and getting exposure at a young age to history.
We have Angel Mounds. We have the Evansville Museum. And I, thankfully, had family members who exposed me to that. It’s important to bring these things to the schools and the rest of the community.
There are so many activities, and it’s bringing these things to light that is important because we have to preserve this history, especially during this era. We have these living histories, and we want to record and collect all of these oral stories so we can preserve them for the next generation.