Art Colony Weekend
The Brown County Art Guild hosts the 2nd annual Brown County Art Colony Weekend September 9 – 11 in collaboration with the Brown County History Center, the T. C. Steele State Historic Site, the Art Alliance of Brown County, and the Brown County Playhouse.
The opening reception is Friday, 5:30 – 7 p. m. at the Brown County History Center featuring art work from the Guild’ s Paint Out participants, refreshments from Artisan Foodworks, a birthday cake for T. C. Steele( 9 / 11 / 1847), and music by the Matt Romy Duo. Admission is $ 10.
Saturday, the 28th Great Outdoor Art Contest will be held 7 a. m. to 4 p. m. at T. C. Steele State Historic Site. Winners will be shown at the Brown County Art Guild September 12 – 30.
Guild members, Peggy Brown and Judith Lewis, are featured at the Guild during Saturday’ s Village Art Walk alongside a special retrospective exhibit of Dale Bessire. Lemoyne Smith and Amanda Webb will provide the music.
Sunday, from 7:30 to 8:30 a. m.,“ Breakfast with the Artists” of the Nashville Villagescape Plein Air Painters happens at the Artist Colony Inn. Admission and full breakfast buffet is $ 20( free to registered Villagescape painters).
The Nashville Villagescape Plein Air Paint Out will be held Sunday, 8:30 a. m. to 2 p. m. Prizes include $ 1,000 for First Place, $ 500 for Second Place, $ 250 for Third Place, and $ 125 for People’ s Choice Award. Entry fee is $ 20 and $ 15 for Brown County Art Guild members.
The Brown County Playhouse will hold a Hungarian Slacks benefit concert on Sunday, 2:30 to 3:30 pm, for the Brown County Art Guild, featuring Guild artist Wyatt LeGrand. Admission is $ 20.
The Villiagescape Awards Ceremony and closing reception will be held Sunday 4 to 5 p. m. at the Brown County Art Guild.•
Art Gallery Celebrates 90 Years
One of the oldest ongoing art galleries is right here in Nashville. In the fall of 1926 the early members of the art colony decided they needed a gallery to exhibit and sell their work.
For over 30 years, the Gallery perked along, welcoming thousands of visitors, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. A change of ownership and a downtown fire forced a move in the 1950s. A new gallery was built on property donated by Adolph Shulz just east of the courthouse on Main Street, where the Brown County Art Gallery resides today.
In 2015, the Gallery Foundation board and artists championed the building’ s refurbishment and 8600 square foot addition.
On September 17, the Gallery will begin a celebration of its 90 years with Collector’ s Showcase 2016:“ Brown County Masters, the Legacy Continues.” Showcase will run until October 30.
Masterpieces of early Brown County art, loaned by collectors will be exhibited alongside work from current members of the Association. One of Indiana’ s most recognized artists, C. W. Mundy, will present a retrospect of his 30 + year career. Opening night reception is Saturday, September 17, at 6 p. m. Food is catered by Hotel Nashville, wine from Brown County Winery, and music by Jon and Zelton Kay. Reservations are $ 55 per person.
On Sunday, September 18, Indiana State Museum Fine Arts Curator Mark Ruschmann will present a program on“ 200 Years of Indiana Art” at 2 p. m. for a $ 5 fee per person.
Wednesday, September 21, is“ Barbeque and Bluegrass” featuring C. W. Mundy and his band for $ 10. Beer and wine is available.
All the events are open to the public. The proceeds from the paid events help fund the exhibit. For more information( 812) 988-4609 or visit < browncountyartgallery. org >. •
Back Roads Studio Tour
In Brown County, Indiana, art isn’ t a hobby. It’ s a way of life. During October, visitors can get a glimpse into that way of life. 14 studios. 22 artisans. The Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour is a free, self-guided driving tour of the present-day“ Art Colony of the Midwest.”
Meet the artists and craftsmen. Watch them create. Spend quality time talking with them and learning their stories. Tour the studios and grounds where they create, and see the inspiration behind the art. Buy handcrafted items directly from the artists who made them.
Since the late 1800s, the scenic hills and valleys of Brown County have attracted a wide variety of artists and artisans. The historic studio and home of one of Brown County’ s first artists, T. C. Steele, is included on the tour.
These artists and craftspeople create everything from paintings to hand-woven rugs; from pottery and jewelry to gourd art and handbound books; from metalwork to handcrafted brooms; from fiber art to calligraphy; from woodworking and photography to stone carving and baskets. And their studios range from rooms inside their homes to impressive stand-alone galleries and workspaces.
The Brown County Studio Tour is an artist-run nonprofit. For almost 20 years, this group of dedicated artists and craftspeople have worked to share the beauty of Brown County and the unique breadth of fine arts and crafts being made here.
The tour is always free. A map and guide is available online at < browncountystudiotour. com >, at the Brown County Visitor Center in downtown Nashville, and at many businesses in Nashville. The route is well-signed, and no reservations are required. Studios are generally open daily October 1 – 31 from 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. There are a few exceptions noted on the map.•