The Hairy Man

Since 1721, newspapers in the United States have shared reports of sightings and interactions with beings we call Bigfoot. In Indiana, these sightings have been reported from as close to Indianapolis as the Morgan Monroe State Forest and continue to occur today. The Hairy Man, a historical cryptozoology exhibit was curated by author and Sasquatch expert Christopher Murphy and organized by Tube Factory artspace curator, Shauta Marsh.

The Hairy Man, featured artifacts, stories and evidence of Bigfoot’s existence with a focus on the creature as a part of cultural conversations through the centuries. This included an emphasis on the indigenous people of North America. Murphy, who is regarded as one of the top researchers of the history of Bigfoot, originally assembled this collection that contains a 400-pound, 9-foot-tall iron human skeleton, model of a Bigfoot skull, footprint casts, and more. 

The Hairy Man explores the facets of what Murphy describes as “a cultural phenomenon on the fringes of science.” Some people believe Sasquatch to be mythical, while others see this as an elusive hominid relative of humans and other higher primates. Either way, people have a lengthy history of creating and sharing Sasquatch lore. The exhibit addresses ancient legends from North America and Asia (where it is known as Yeti or the abominable snowman) as well as recent evidence and sightings.

A discussion series featuring Bigfoot experts were brought in: Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, Larry Battson,the Nightstalkers and Marc DeWerth.

This exhibit was made possible by The Efroymson Family Fund.