Friday, February 7
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Christel DeHaan ArtSpace
The Athenaeum
401 E. Michigan St.
Fresh off the heels of his first international exhibit in Tokyo, Japan, and the day before his one-night only solo exhibit at Skyline Club – Indianapolis, join Vernon T. Bateman at The Athenaeum ArtSpace’s First Friday opening!
The show, “If Bullets Could Cry: Ammunition For Healing,” features all 27 of the original drawings on 11×14 paper from his book, If Bullets Could Cry, as well as five acrylic paintings on canvas. The special First Friday will extend beyond March 7, although those interested in purchasing the works for paintings for sale are encouraged to be there opening night.
You can inquire into purchasing the paintings here.
Join Vernon T. Bateman who, accompanied by special guests and musical performers, takes us through this work that is rooted in community and created to heal. Meet the artist, hear him speak live, grab a drink at the cashless cash bar, and enjoy live music and complimentary light bites as you explore the gallery.
The opening is on the 2nd floor, just upstairs from Coat Check Coffee.
About the Artist
Vernon T. Bateman is an art-ivist—an artist and an activist—who was first exposed to art by his grandfather, Bill Franklyn. Growing up in Gary, Indiana well after the rust settled in, Franklyn made ends meet through art: he was a painter, poet, a framer, and more.
Bateman engages in many media, particularly acrylic, but most of the images on display are original drawings from his fifth children’s book, If Bullets Could Cry, which spawned his project, Baby22GunSafetyLLC.
Bateman’s first public show that brought out dozens of community members representing a cross-section of our city, including faith leaders, community organizers, and art collectors, was titled “The Eclipse Murals.” The triptych was gifted to The District Theatre. His second solo exhibition at Skyline Club – Indianapolis drew an even larger crowd.
Despite any formal training or a high school diploma, Bateman has delivered lectures at various institutions, including DePauw University, one of the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. His work has been exhibited at Indiana Landmarks, Dream Palace Books and Coffee, and elsewhere. In January 2025, he held his first international exhibit—which featured his children’s book, Hoperah Winfree—in Tokyo, Japan.
No one taught Bateman how to read or write until he was an adult. When he did learn, it wasn‘t in a school but in a prison. Incarcerated for a crime he didn‘t commit at the age of 18, he made children‘s books for his own daughter; it was the only way to parent her after a drunk driver killed her mom. Despite the alleged victim recanting their testimony in 2003 and the family pleading for his exoneration, he wasn’t released until 2023.
Yet the artist of these works is still not free. Despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence, he hasn’t been exonerated. On November 25, 2024, Congressman André Carson wrote a letter “regarding Mr. Vernon T. Bateman” and acknowledged Mr. Bateman’s “ability to work and make positive contributions to our community.”
For more information, email:
- contact@vernonsversions.art
- info@athenaeumindy.org