~by Julia Pearson
The 100th anniversary of the Brown County Art Gallery is being celebrated this year, a milestone that will be commemorated with a special Centennial Tea beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 19.
For 25 years, a Victorian tea held a popular spot on the community calendar as a fundraising event for the Brown County Art Gallery. There were many years when around a 100 people attended. The last tea was held in 2019 and the pandemic interrupted the tradition’s timeline.
Brown County Art Gallery board member Cheryl Eyed, who chaired the tea committee from 2006 until 2019, will do so again. She’ll be working with seasoned committee members Pam Crawford,
Brenda Kelley, and Paula Sexton to plan and bring about the event.
A dress-up occasion, people will step into the Permanent Collection Room of the Brown County Art Gallery at 1 Artist Drive. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the gallery staff: Jeanne Bennett, Kimoy Bennett, and Bern Waldhier. Volunteers helping with check-in, seating, and other roles are Erika Albert, Jan Percifield, Linda Ault Potter, and Carol Roberts.
Guests will be seated and served at a dozen tables set with table linens and floral centerpieces. There will be a new rotation of artwork from the gallery’s permanent collection, hung for the occasion.
Appealing to the palate, the afternoon tea will be catered by Kevin Ault, gallery board member and well-known in Brown County hotels and restaurants. He has been catering this event since 2014. Paying particular attention to the tea served, Cream Earl Grey and Mocha Roca Rooibus loose leaf tea will be donated by Nashville’s Candy Emporium—a favorite beverage since the first time it was offered years ago.
Like in times past, guests will receive special favors to take home as mementoes of the day. There will be door prizes, as well as raffle items. A painting specially done by Jodie Friend will be one of the raffle offerings. Cheryl Eyed will welcome guests and serve as mistress of ceremonies. Following tradition, one of the younger guests will be invited to draw names for the prizes and raffle.
The program will be the one-act play, “Selma and the Painter,” written by Lyn Letsinger-Miller, author of The Artists of Brown County. Actress Jill Tasker will portray Selma Steele, wife of T. C. Steele. Mrs. Steele chronicled the time of the artist colony in her memoir The House of the Singing Winds. The play was also performed during the Brown County Art Gallery’s Collectors Showcase exhibition last fall.
It all began in 1992, when Brown County Art Gallery artists Betty Abbott and Joan Knight held a tea in Abbott’s home. It went so well that they had a tea the following year and asked invitees to bring a guest. They repeated the event again in 1994. In 1995 there were so many women who wanted to be invited that “The Gallery Gals”—a group who did prep and serving for gallery openings and seasonal gatherings—were asked if they would like to help put on a tea at the gallery itself as a fundraiser. Abbott, Knight, and Eyed, along with Kay McLeod, June Bryan, and Pauline Ellis made it happen. The tea committee prepared all the food, set-up, and decorated in the early years. Floral arrangements for the tea tables and gallery were provided by artists, with blooms from their own gardens.
Preparations for the Sunday teas started on Saturday mornings. Spouses helped to carry in boxes of china, set up tables and chairs, and put out decorations for the Victorian theme. They reappeared in the evening to present a pitch-in dinner for the committee and volunteers.
Eyed recalled, “As long as Betty and Joan were with us, we annually served lemon curd tarts with a violet on top.” This involved going out that morning to pick the fresh violets that grew behind the gallery.
In early years, guests were served buffet style. As time went on, volunteers joined in to help serve guests at their tables.
Previous programs included style shows, which were always popular. Jenny Austin, of the former Helmsburg House clothing shop, provided a couple fashion shows; the Psi Iota XI presented a show with fashion pieces from their Bloomington thrift shop. Other programs featured a 100 year history of aprons; and an Indiana chef spoke on healthy eating using local foods.
Proceeds from the teas have been used to make improvements in the gallery, replacing the carpet in the Henshaw Room, shelving in the office, and upgrading restrooms and the kitchen.
The charge is $50 per person and reservations can be made by calling (812) 988-4609.