Hickman Gallery to feature Charles Franklin Chamberlain in ‘Drawn to France’ exhibit
Posted Friday, August 01, 2025
Adrian College’s Hickman Gallery will feature the travel studies, sketches and paintings of Charles Franklin Chamberlain in an exhibit titled “Drawn to France” from August 8–31. An opening reception is scheduled for August 29, from 5–7 p.m.
The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
Chamberlain was born in 1871 in Washtenaw County, Mich., and was a longtime resident of the Dexter area. He balanced his artistic work with life on a working chicken and honey farm.
Chamberlain studied in Chicago, Detroit, New York and Paris, receiving formal training at the Detroit Academy of Art, the Art Students League of New York, the Académie Julian in Montmartre and the Aman-Jean School. His time abroad, first from 1894 to 1897 and again from 1907 to 1908, immersed him in impressionist influence and the refined techniques of the old masters.
In 1919, he was appointed instructor of architectural drawing at the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. He later retired to Pinckney, where he died in 1947.
“Drawn to France” showcases rarely seen works. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to revisit Chamberlain’s artistic process, his evolving use of form and color, and European influence in his art.
“The works are on loan from collectors across the country, and the artist holds an important place in Michigan’s art history,” said Travis Erxleben, chair of the Adrian College Department of Art and Design and director of Hickman Gallery. “Charles Franklin Chamberlain’s work reveals an artist who saw the world with immense clarity and care. This exhibition invites viewers to step into his sketchbook and walk alongside him through the villages and valleys of France.”
“Drawn to France” explores Chamberlain’s experiences abroad through delicate line drawings, richly colored studies and reflective compositions created during and after his travels.
“Together, the works form a visual diary of an artist profoundly moved by his surroundings, capturing the French countryside and village life,” Erxleben said.
The Hickman Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and also by appointment.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Erxleben at 265-5161, ext. 4374 or email terxleben@adrian.edu.
To learn more about the Hickman Gallery, visit adrian.edu.
[Photo information: Charles Franklin Chamberlain’s Sheep at Sunset, c. 1920s.]
