In January of 1927, J. Ottis Adams died. After a long life of painting, his legacy was honored at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis with a memorial exhibition later that year. One of the over 140 paintings shown was A Bit of the Whitewater. Artists from all over the country gathered together to mourn the loss of an amazing artist. William Forsyth wrote a touching introduction to the show’s pamphlet: “The exhibition catalogued here is composed of his works, done in silence and in love, and is thus a glimpse of the soul of the artist and a part of the beauty he was forever seeking. He is gone and his quest is done.” Edward Adams, J. Ottis Adam’s son, would later donate the painting to Wabash College, where J. Ottis Adams had previously attended.

Memorial Announcement for J. Ottis Adams, including a pom for Adams, 1927, by Hazel M’Gee Bowman of Terre Haute, Indiana. Hear it read below by Tom Blaich.

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