Porter County Museum (PoCo Muse), in conjunction with Pines Village Retirement Communities, will sponsor a panel discussion about the acclaimed artists Vin and Hazel Hannell, featuring local residents who knew them personally. The event will be held at Pines Village, 3303 Pines Village Circle, Valparaiso, on Thursday, October 9, at 1 pm. It is free of charge and open to the public.

“This will be the final event in our summer-long tribute to Vin and Hazel Hannell, a collaborative effort by several Porter County art institutions,” said PoCo Muse Executive Director Kevin Matthew Pazour. “We’ve asked members of the local art community who had personal associations with the Hannells to share their stories. Among them are John Cain, Linda Camp, John Habela, Douglas Pierce, Deborah Stipanovich, and Margaret Willis. We invite anyone else who knew the Hannells to join us and share their memories as well. Pines Village is graciously providing light refreshments.”

“The 2025 Hannell collaboration has been a huge success,” added Pazour. “It has strengthened ties among our local museums and revealed a great number of Hannell admirers and art collectors. The PoCo Muse exhibit “Life Work: The Artists Hazel & Vin Hannell” has drawn record crowds. There’s still time to catch its final weeks! It will close on October 26.”