Newlund and Robinson Donations
Continuing the Tradition
“ Sweet Legacy,” by Chris Newland.
Newlund and Robinson Donations
~ by Rachel Berenson Perry
When artists in the early 1900s shouldered their rucksacks full of painting gear and hopped on the train from Chicago to Brown County, they were coming for one reason— to paint our charming scenery. Like an invasion from another world, artists with pallets and easels appeared along dusty roads and streambeds.“ It looked like plumb ignorance” to native Felix Brummett, who spied Adolph Shulz dabbing at a canvas in the middle of a cow pasture.
Several of the artists liked it so much that they settled to live year-round in Nashville’ s cabins and cottages, establishing the largest art colony in the Midwest. Their paintings of Brown County in all seasons became a popular commodity and remain treasures to this day.
Artists who lived here became part of the community. They started the Brown County Art Gallery, the Brown County Art Guild, and helped establish the Christian Science Church and the Brown County Public Library. Many of them gave back to towns throughout Indiana, donating their paintings to public schools and libraries. The Seymour( Jackson County) and Brookville( Franklin County) Public Libraries, among others, own enviable collections of early Hoosier Group paintings.
Sought-after early artist Ada Walter Shulz donated her sublime“ Mother from the Hills” to the Brown
46 Our Brown County May / June 2017
“ Winter Warmth,” by Thom Robinson.
County Library long before her paintings brought sixfigure prices. The library also displays paintings by T. C. Steele, William Forsyth, Will Vawter, and L. O. Griffin, among others.
Current artists Chris Newlund and Thom Robinson have each decided to carry on the tradition of donating one of their best works to the library. Newlund’ s“ Sweet Legacy,” depicting a horse-powered sorghum mill, and“ Winter Warmth,” a snow scene at Kelp’ s farm on Greasy Creek Road by Robinson, have been added to the library’ s permanent collection.“ It’ s always been a special painting for me,” Robinson said.“ I was saving it to give to somebody.” Newlund similarly kept back her nostalgic painting.“ I had put it up for sale but then decided to keep it,” she said.“ If I sold it I might never see it again and my family wouldn’ t see it. It’ s so appropriate for the Brown County Library.”
“ It’ s such a gorgeous library,” she continued.“ I feel like a library should physically and visually reflect the character of the people that it serves, and Brown County’ s does just that. I’ m really honored that they accepted the piece. I have a hope that someday a kid will look at the painting and say,‘ Mommy, what are they doing?’ so that legacy won’ t die.”
Though the library has owned this valuable collection of artwork for many years, there was no