Brown County Art

Click here for information about
Artists of Brown County

Art Galleries

T.C. Steele State Historic Site
"We felt and believed that here in this hill country were evidences of a character in the outdoors that would command of us our best and finest spirit." Selma N. Steele
The House of the Singing Winds

Theodore Clement Steele (1847-1926), noted Indiana artist and member of the Hoosier Group of American regional impressionist painters, was inspired by the picturesque scenes that he encountered in Brown County.

In 1907, Steele and his second wife, Selma Neubacher Steele, purchased 211 acres in Brown County and began construction of their home, which they named The House of the Singing Winds. They built the Large Studio to accommodate Steele's work and landscaped the surrounding hillsides to enhance the beauty of their property. Selma created several acres of gardens around the home.

From 1907-1921 the Steele's wintered in Indianapolis. They established a home in Bloomington when Steele became artist in residence at Indiana University in 1922. Each spring they returned to their Brown County property.

As Steele's reputation grew, an increasing number of visitors were attracted to Brown County to meet the artist and to see his work and estate.

Steele was at the forefront of the state's art movement, and is still one of Indiana's most honored artists. His appreciation of nature, combined with his intelligence and his capacity for concentrated study, raised his works to an extraordinary level. The T.C. Steele State Historic Site, bequeathed to the State of Indiana by Selma Steele at her death in 1945, is a fitting tribute to this Indiana artist.

Guided tours are offered through The House of the Singing Winds and the Large Studio where changing exhibits display paintings done throughout Steele's life. The site includes four hiking trails, the Dewar Log Cabin and the 90 acre Selma Steele Nature Preserve. Mrs. Steele's gardens display a festival of flowers from Spring to Autumn.

The side is located 1 and ½ miles south of Belmont, off of State Road 46, nine miles west of Nashville and 10 miles east of Bloomington.

T.C. Steele State Historic Site
RR # 1, Box 256
Nashville, IN 47448
(812) 988-2785
Hours: Sunday 1-5 p.m.
Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Closed Monday
Closed January 1 to March 15

Brown County Art Gallery & Museum
Main Street, Two blocks east of the Courthouse
812-988-4609
Brown County's first art gallery, established in 1926, offers varied works by current artist members plus consigned old Indiana art. Browse our museum which features beautiful renderings of the founding artists, the renowned wood block prints of Gustave Baumann and the world's premier Henshaw collection. Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 p.m., Sunday, Noon - 5:00 p.m. Free parking and admission

Brown County Art Guild
48 South Van Buren Street
812-988-6185
The finest quality art in historic Brown County with collections by Marie Goth, V.J. Cariani, Carl and Genevieve Graf and other renowned early Brown County artists. The works of 50 of the most celebrated local and regional active artists are also on exhibit at the Guild. Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sunday, Noon-5:00 p.m. January/February weekends or by appointment.

Brown County Craft Gallery
58 East Main Street
812-988-7058
Cooperative gallery featuring fine crafts by area artisans. Open daily 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Spears Gallery
5110 State Road 135 South
812-988-1287
Creating handmade contemporary pottery. Larry Spears' work encompasses a variety of forms, textures, glazes, and firing methods. The work is ever-changing, with each firing creating subtle variations on the pottery. Nestled in a quiet valley, just 10 miles from Nashville. Spears Studio and Gallery is open daily, 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Waldron Gallery of Brown County
41 South Van Buren Street
812-988-1844
"A prize find…" Chicago Tribune. Three uniquely different galleries. Wayne Waldron, Fellow, Royal Society of Arts, London England, is one of the Midwest's most honored artists (over 500 national awards). Small Painting Society - original masterworks. Nationally recognized Fine Art Photography by Peggy Waldron. Open daily. Worth a trip from anywhere!