May 30, 2026
Millbrook Art Museum's 'Rust and Renewal' Exhibit Draws Crowds, Critical Praise
A new photography and mixed-media exhibit at the Millbrook Art Museum is pulling in some of the strongest attendance numbers the institution has seen in years.
MILLBROOK, May 30 — The Millbrook Art Museum's latest major exhibit, "Rust and Renewal: Industrial Landscapes of the American Interior," has drawn more than 3,800 visitors in its first three weeks — a pace that museum director Lorraine Chu called "genuinely exciting" and well ahead of projections. The show, which runs through August 17, features the work of eight photographers and three mixed-media artists exploring themes of economic transformation, community resilience, and the strange beauty found in abandoned industrial spaces.
The centerpiece of the exhibit is a 40-foot panoramic photographic installation by Chicago-based artist Dwayne Ferris, depicting a composite landscape assembled from images shot in former manufacturing towns across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Several smaller works in the show were created by artists with direct ties to Millbrook, including a striking series of welded-steel sculptures by local artist Anita Rosales, whose studio is on the city's south side. "Anita's work really anchors the whole show emotionally," Chu said. "She's been making incredible things in this city for 15 years and not nearly enough people know about her."
Plan Your Visit
- Museum hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursdays until 8 p.m.
- Admission: $12 adults, $8 seniors/students, free for members and children under 12
- Artist talk with Dwayne Ferris: June 13, 6:30 p.m., free with admission
