Brown County Art Renaissance Weekend 2006
September 8, 9, 10

For the past 13 years, the annual Art Renaissance Weekend has flourished, growing into a significant event to showcase past and present Brown County art. This year exhibits, sales, tours, a concert, an outdoor art contest, and an art demonstration offer something for every art enthusiast. New artwork is featured at the Waldron Gallery’s annual exhibit of the Small Painting Society and in art galleries throughout the county.

The Brown County Art Guild sponsors the Peaceful Valley Chamber Players on Friday evening, September 8. The concert will take place at the Nashville United Methodist Church at 7:00 p.m. The chamber players will present “Tango Vivo,” featuring Duo Piacere. The Italian word Piacere means “with pleasure” and it is with great pleasure that Donna Lively Clark and Epsen Jensen present the rich and unique repertoire they have developed for viola and guitar. Specializing in the interpretation of Latin music, Duo Piacere will, with enthusiasm and expertise, present an evening of alluring and beautiful tango music from Argentina.

Muriel Moebius Mikelsons, a resident of Brown County, founded the Peaceful Valley Chamber Players in 2000, successfully augmenting Brown County’s fine art tradition with this outstanding musical group that includes Sherry Kloss and Anne Duthie McCafferty.

The performance will be followed by a wine and cheese reception at the Guild. Paintings from their historical permanent collection, as well as works by current Guild members, create a visual feast to augment the organization’s famously delectable hors d’oeuvres.

Indiana Heritage Arts, Inc. put together a three-day oil painting workshop by renowned painter John Michael Carter to be held on September 6–8 at the Brown County Presbyterian Church. The artist will also give a painting demonstration (no admission charge) at the Artists Colony Inn on September 9 at 7:00 p.m. His painting will be auctioned off at the end of the evening.

“Puppies and Pumpkins” is a unique event co-sponsored by the Brown County Art Gallery Foundation and the Brown County Humane Society which will be held at the historic gallery grounds at the corner of Main Street and Artist Drive in Nashville, Indiana, on September 9 and 10 as part of the Art Renaissance Weekend.

The Brown County Art Gallery Artists Association has created a special collection of paintings that will be offered for sale with part of the proceeds going to benefit the humane society.

Animals will be available for adoption in the gallery parking.

Inside the gallery, visitors will also find an exhibit in the Foundation’s permanent collection room, featuring animals in art as depicted by early Brown County artists.

It has now become a tradition for visitors and art aficionados to celebrate Brown County’s unique heritage and to support the county’s art organizations and artists during the Art Renaissance Weekend. September kicks off the surge of tourists who relish the fall splendor and appreciate those who attempt to capture it on canvas. All are welcome. For more information about events, call (812) 988-6185 or e-mail <bcartguild@sbcglobal.net>.

The Great Outdoor Art Contest

by Andrea deTarnowsky

Plein air artists and art lovers of all ages are invited to enjoy the 18th annual Great Outdoor Art Contest at the T.C. Steele Historic Site in Brown County on Saturday, September 9. The event will also mark the beginning of the historic site’s centennial celebration.

Theodore Clement Steele first visited Brown County in the fall of 1906. The following year, 1907, Steele supervised construction of his home, the “House of the Singing Winds,” and began a new life in the hills of Brown County with the companionship of his wife, Selma. Steele’s arrival in Brown County is considered to be the beginning of Brown County as the “Art Colony of the Midwest TM.”

The Great Outdoor Art Contest began as a way to celebrate the September 11, 1847, birth date of the famed Hoosier Group impressionist painter. The event is part of Brown County’s Art Renaissance Weekend, which is designed to showcase the area’s fine arts heritage.

On Thursday evening, September 7, the Friends of T.C. Steele will host a special program on art conservation by Barry Bauman, founder of the nation’s first national conservation laboratory dedicated to providing complimentary conservation services to museums and non-profit organizations.

The Great Outdoor Art Contest will feature artists painting on the site grounds from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. The public is invited to observe the artists at work and enjoy a day of relaxation and fun, with the added attraction of an outdoor afternoon concert from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Admission to the event is free. Artists must be pre-registered.

The Great Outdoor Art Contest provides a unique insight into the methods of T.C. Steele, an artist greatly inspired by his natural surroundings.

Judging begins at 2:00 pm, and awards will be presented at about 3:30 pm.

Tours of Steele’s studio and home will be available throughout the day with a small admission fee. All event and outdoor activities are free of charge. In addition to the art contest, nature lovers can experience the serenity of Steele’s estate by strolling flower gardens, winding trails, lily ponds, and the nature preserve.

The Great Outdoor Art Contest is co-sponsored by the Friends of T.C. Steele, a historic site support group. Event activities are made possible in part by the Bloomington Area Arts Council; the Indiana Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The T.C. Steele State Historic Site is part of the Department of Natural Resources’ Division of State Museums and Historic Sites. The site is located one and one-half miles south of Belmont off State Road 46 between Nashville and Bloomington. For the Saturday of the Great Outdoor Art Contest only, historic site gates will open for artists at 7:00 a.m. Normal site hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. The site is closed on Mondays.

For more information contact Andrea deTarnowsky at
(812) 988-2785.