Jan.-March 2013

FREE Jan.– March 2013 Three Communities, Three Cultural Districts!

The Austrian Atelier Adding Light

Monika Herzig DO NOT USE Jazz Asset Barb Brooke Davis

INSIDE COVER Addicted to Fabric

The Harlequin Theatre Also: Photographer Geoff Thompson Bloomington Clay Studio Canstruction Architectural Competition RoundABOUT Art Co-op The Pittman Inn Richard Bell at the IUAM “Winter Bluebird”

by Michele Pollock

Art News • Artists Directory • Calendar

We’re DO NOT USE INSIDE COVER

Zaharakos (Zuh-HARE-uh-koes) is unlike any other ice cream parlor in the nation. Experience the world of soda fountains, mechanical music and iconic items from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

329 Washington Street Columbus, IN 812-378-1900 www.zaharakos.com M-F 8am-8pm • S-S 9am-8pm Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Sodas & Sundaes Breakfast, Banquet Facilities, Museum & Country Store

South Central

INDIANA ART TRAIL

ArtsRoad46

L

ocated among the colorful hills of Southern Indiana is a 40-mile stretch of scenic highway that connects three distinctly different communities, each known for its rich arts heritage. As of 2013 all three are recognized by the state as Indiana Cultural Districts. There are only two more districts in the entire state of Indiana.

Along Indiana’s twisted trail, State Road 46, traveling from East to West, Columbus, Nashville, and Bloomington offer some of the most inspiring art, architecture, museums, galleries, wineries, small farms, and natural beauty in the Midwest. There is perhaps no other place to experience three cultural destinations that are so completely different along such a short expanse of road.

T

Bloomington

his quintessential college town at the foot of the Southern Indiana Uplands has quite a reputation as a destination for artists and art enthusiasts. From museums to galleries, wineries to the largest farmers’ market in the state, Bloomington proudly marches to the beat of its own drum and, in the process, provides residents and visitors alike with an endless list of culturally-enriching activities and events.

Bloomington’s thriving arts scene is directly correlated to the presence of the flagship campus of Indiana University and the overwhelming influence and resources afforded by its students, faculty, staff and facilities.

Nashville and Brown County F

or more than a century, Brown County has been a haven for artists of every medium from all over the United States. Its natural beauty, seclusion, local charm and hospitality have won the hearts and loyalty of many.

In the early 1900s, Theodore Clement “T.C.” Steele, an Indiana artist, “discovered” Brown County.

Steele invited his friends and fellow artists to visit and the word of this special place soon spread. Brown County quickly became The Art Colony of the Midwest.

Nearly 200 working artists and craftsmen seek inspiration from the tranquil hills of Brown County today.

Visitors and locals agree it is the place for arts, nature, and adventure.

C

Columbus

olumbus, Indiana is a small town with a modern twist.

Forget everything you think you know about the Midwest.

Columbus is home to the largest collection of modern architecture outside of New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Columbus has been called “a veritable museum of modern architecture” by Smithsonian magazine. Six postmodern buildings in Columbus have been named National Historic Landmarks. This city is one of Indiana’s treasures.

From two Dale Chihuly glass sculptures to a 20-foot tall Henry Moore statue, the public art creates added visual interest throughout the city.

Cindy Steele, publisher A Singing Pines Projects, Inc. publication also bringing you Our Brown County copyright 2013

Four Quarterly Issues Winter: January/February/March Spring: April/May/June Summer: July/August/September Fall: October/November/December

P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435 812-988-8807 • INtoArt@bluemarble.net on-line at www.INtoArtMagazine.com

Thanks to Mom for making it happen!

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5 Barb Brooke Davis

by Karen E. Farley 9 The Austrian Atelier

by Laura Gleason 10 Monika Herzig, Jazz Asset

by Lee Edgren 12 The Harlequin Theatre

by Nicole Wiltrout 14 Bloomington Clay Studio

by Tom Rhea 16 Geoff Thompson, Photographer

by Lee Edgren COVER BY MICHELE POLLOCK “Winter Bluebird,” mixed media

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INto ART P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435

Art Guild of Hope.............................. 19 B3 Gallery............................................. 11 Dr. Lisa Baker, DDS............................ 19 Bistro 310 Restaurant....................... 29 Bloomingfoods................................... 23 Bloomington Gallery Walk............. 44 Brick Lodge.......................................... 43 Brown County Art Gallery.............. 13 Brown County Art Guild.....................7 Brown County Craft Gallery........... 21 Brown County Visitors Center..........7 Brown County Winery...................... 21

4 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

34-35 EVENTS CALENDAR 36-39 ARTISTS DIRECTORY

By Hand Gallery................................. 23 Cathy’s Corner..................................... 17 Columbus Learning Center............ 29 Country Mouse Weaving................ 13 Darlene’s Restaurant......................... 43 Ferrer Gallery....................................... 17 Goods for Cooks................................. 11 Homestead Weaving........................ 17 Hoosier Artist...................................... 21 Hotel Nashville................................... 43 IU Art Museum................................... 19 Michael’s Massage............................. 23

18 Richard Bell at IUAM

by Tom Rhea 20 Canstruction Competition

by Nicole Wiltrout 24 RoundABOUT Art Co-op

by Karen E. Farley 26 Grunwald Gallery of Art

by Tom Rhea 30 The Pittman Inn, Making Room

by Julia Pearson ART NEWS 32 Fusion: Roarin’ ‘20s Style submitted by Geri Handley 40 Nashville’s Cultural District submitted by Tom Tuley 41 The Columbus Cultural District submitted by Arthur Smith 42 News from BEAD submitted by Miah Michaelsen

Muddy Boots Cafe............................. 15 New Leaf/Amy Greely Jewelry.........7 North House........................................ 43 Pine Room Tavern.............................. 15 So. Indiana Center for Arts SIC...... 25 Spears Pottery.................................... 33 Stillframes Photography,Imaging25 Vance Music Center.......................... 23 Laurie Wright Studio + Framing... 25 Yarns Unlimited.................................. 25 Zaharakos................................................2

Barb Brooke Davis Addicted to Fabric

Barb at her studio in Ferrer Gallery. photos by Karen E. Farley

~by Karen E. Farley

W

hen textile artist Barb Brooke Davis sits at her Elna sewing machine to begin a project, she knows she can count on every stitch to be a perfect one. “I bought it at L.S. Ayres in Indianapolis in January of 1975, and I still use it all the time,” she says. “The first thing I made on it was a baby quilt for my daughter, Elizabeth.”

As a child, Barb learned the sewing basics at 4H. Her first project was an apron she proudly keeps in her studio. Her first attempt with wool was a blue skirt she made for herself. She remembers always

Only two out of sixty-seven pizazzy pumpkin pillows are left from this year’s crop.

Continued on 6

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 5

BARB DAVIS continued from 5 sewing something at home. She made several plaid wool shirts for her dad. “Matching plaids is a challenge and hard,” she explains.

“But, wool is very forgiving and easy to work with.”

After high school, Barb attended Ball State University. She has a B.S. degree and later studied textile art at the Indianapolis Art League. She has also studied mixed media collage with Dixie Ferrer in Nashville.

In 1980, Barb moved to Brown County with her daughter.

They opened The Fabric Addict, a gallery and shop in downtown Nashville. The gallery featured fiber art and other fabric products.

After several years, she sold the shop and became involved in other retail, wholesale, and antique ventures.

Through a mutual friend, she met—and later married—Joe Davis, retired biology teacher and basketball coach in Nashville.

Though she continued to spend time in retail, she began working on her own fabric creations at home. She started with stockings and pillows, and when space became an issue, she rented studios in town.

Then, in 2007, Barb moved in to her current space at the Ferrer Gallery. “It’s the perfect place for me and I love the people around me,” she smiles.

After many years in retail, Barb now spends her time with her stash of old fabrics and dyes.

Barb designs hand-dyed vintage textile art. Her love of collecting vintage textiles and dyeing fabric has made her a fabric addict. She creates one-of-a-kind home and fashion accessories from her collection of old wool and vintage embellishments.

Between trips to antique malls and thrift shops, Davis stops at garage sales to search for old wool clothing and blankets. Several

6 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

customers and friends often stop by and drop off fabric and blankets.

Barb is quick to share her secret for the perfect creation with wool. “It is in the trimming, steaming and shaping of the fabric, “she explains. “I enjoy each step of the process and the journey along the way,” she says.

She begins by felting the wool. Felting is an age-old craft where the fibers become agitated and then de-agitated, making the wool shrink. After cutting up the pieces of fabric, she puts them in hot water with dye in her washing machine. The heat and agitation shrink it and mat it together. The dye changes the color and the result is overdyed felt.

Among her original collectible items are pumpkin pillows. She starts in January and each pillow takes about four hours to create after the fabric is felted. Davis works all year long to keep up with the demand. “I made sixty-seven pumpkin pillows this year and have two left,” she laughs. “One of my collectors told me she has at least forty of them.”

Other items available are seasonal felted pins, purses, table runners and wall hangings. Her wall hangings and Christmas stockings have been commissioned by local and regional collectors. This year, she had a special request for a designer label Christmas tree pillow. Note cards depicting her art are also available at the gallery.

Barb is a seasoned traveler. The Davis’s have visited forty-seven states and plan to visit the forty-eighth next summer. “The only places we haven’t travelled to are Delaware, Rhode Island, and Alaska,” she says.

She looks for buttons and vintage wool on every trip. “I have gallons of buttons. It is always the thrill of the hunt for me.”

But the greatest thrill for Barb Brooke Davis is the many friends she has made over the past thirty-three years living in Brown County. “I couldn’t have done all this without the many friends I’ve acquired

along the way,” she says. “Dick and Dixie Ferrer are two of those important people.”

Barb is a member of Art Alliance Brown County and the Brown County Craft Guild. She participates in the Bloomington Spinners and Weavers fiber art show held each November in Bloomington.

Visitors can stop by the studio and see her fine art and antique pin cushion display. Barb is in her studio most days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ferrer Gallery, located in the Village Green Building, second level at 61 W Main Street. She can be reached at (812) 360-0478, or email her at <jobardavis@yahoo.com>. 

The Art and Soul of Nashville

Brown County

Art Guild

• SINCE 1954 •

Featuring

The Marie Goth Collection and works by 50 Contemporary Member Artists visit www.BrownCountyArtGuild.org for our seasonal hours 48 South Van Buren Street in the historic Minor House PO Box 324 • Nashville, IN 47448 • (812) 988-6185

Plan your escape today at BrownCounty.com.

AMY GREELY STUDIO

AmyGreely.com | 812-988-1058 Available at New Leaf & Ferrer Gallery in Nashville

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 7

BVB-017-IntoArt-Ad-3.5x4.5-09.14-FNL.indd 1

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~by Laura Gleason

W

ith the holiday season over and spring a distant dream, many people are looking for ways to brighten up the dark winter season. For Bloomington resident Klaus Haagen, the answer has always been candles. That’s why he left his career as a corporate mechanical engineer and opened his business, the Austrian Atelier, making environmentally-friendly candles that are now sold across the nation.

A mechanical engineer by trade, Haagen moved to the U.S. in 1998. “I worked for a corporation in Atlanta for six years and a friend of mine left the company and started his own; they imported candles from Austria. He asked me if I’d like to join, to do the logistics,” he said.

In his new job, Haagen spent three weeks at the candle factory in Austria. “I like to do hands-on things, so I worked a couple hours a day on the production floor,” he said.

The notion of making his own, handmade candles began to capture his imagination.

“Somehow I got sick of working for corporations. I spent a lot of hours at the company, and then I thought, if I spend so many hours, I can do it on my own,” he said.

In 2006, Haagen, his wife Amy Pardieck, and their two daughters relocated to Bloomington to be closer to Pardieck’s family in Seymour.

Haagen set up a studio in the basement of Above: Klaus Haagen pouring into a candle mold at his home studio. Below: some finished candles. photos by Cindy Steele

their new home and began to design candles under the name the Austrian Atelier; atelier is the French word for a fine arts studio. He also sells retail under the name GeoCandles.

In some ways, the decision to become a candle maker was not unprecedented.

Haagen grew up in a country where winter is a very long, dark season and candles have become an important part of the culture.

“In Austria, in the winter it gets light at 10 in the morning and dark at 4 in the evening.

You leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark, so people will light candles in the morning and in the evening. For me, candles have a completely different meaning

8 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

The Austrian Atelier Adding Light

photo courtesy of Mia Beach <www.mia-beach.com>

than they do for a lot of other people here. For me, they enhance your spirit, they’re uplifting,” he said.

Haagen’s mechanical engineering background is useful in his new line of work. When he worked for corporations, he was paid to find ways of making operations faster and more economical. “It’s the same here, only on a much smaller scale,” he said.

Designing the candles involves a lot of trial and error. “I make my molds and everything by myself. I cut it out, I play around with different materials to see how it works out,” he said. Each variable—including the candle’s size, color, and what wick is used—requires fine-tuning and experimentation.

Environmental sustainability is one of Haagen’s top priorities. The certified-organic palm wax he uses as a base comes from a farm where the trees are allowed to continue to grow from year to year, unlike some operations where virgin forest is continually burned down after the first harvest.

“It’s important to me to know that they don’t misuse the environment,” Haagen said of his supplier in Malaysia.

Palm wax burns cleanly. He demonstrates this at trade shows by letting a candle burn under a piece of glass; it doesn’t leave a black smudge like a paraffin candle would. He avoids the use of scents so they won’t trigger people with allergies.

Although Haagen has some local customers—he designed a line of Hannukah candles for Congregation Beth Shalom in late fall—most of his business comes from the trade shows he attends around the country.

Over time his candles have been picked up by a number of major art gallery gift shops, including the Boston Museum of Fine Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, and the Smithsonian gift shops. He also gets orders from shops both nationally and abroad, and from individuals who want a few of his candles for their dinner tables at home.

Klaus has begun looking for a larger workspace as his business has picked up. He employs one part-time person and would like to hire more people. He envisions attaching a retail space to a studio and adding an area to teach people about the history of candles.

But regardless of what happens in the future, Haagen has already found his experiment to be a success. He’s making a profit, reinvesting it in the company, working for himself, and bringing the cheer of unique, environmentally-sound candles to his community and beyond.

“I get really nice calls, people say, ‘I never saw candles like this, they’re really great, they’re such a nice gift.’ It’s rewarding,” he said.

For more information, visit <www.geocandles.com> or call 800-340-9505. 

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 9

Monika Herzig Jazz Asset

photo by Geoff Thompson

~by Lee Edgren

T

he instinct for the full creative life, the bubbling up of innovative projects, and the sheer joy of playing, define the professional life of jazz pianist, composer, and author Monika Herzig.

While the ability to collaborate is an indispensable skill for any musician, she does it with a particularly quirky and light-hearted brilliance. She’s collaborated with former Indiana poet laureate Norbert Krapf, with tap dancer Allana Radecki, with the life-sized Adzooks Puppets, and with the seven other writers who contributed to her landmark book on David Baker, the creator of the jazz studies program at Indiana University.

Highly aware of the obstacles faced by women in jazz, she has an annual March collaboration at Bear’s Place in Bloomington that features only women musicians. And Herzig and vocalist Heather Ramsey have co-created a summer songwriting camp for girls from nine to sixteen.

She has turned what she once thought were the ultimate jazz liabilities (“I was a woman. I was white. And I was from someplace else,”) into the asset of ultimate freedom. “I have no obligation to follow any path, because there is no path.” For Herzig, the collaborations and the music are rooted in the necessity to be creative. “Jazz is unpopular, poetry is unpopular—so why would you do it? It’s all about the ideas and the creativity, new ways of putting things together…ways of adding dimensions.”

Facing down the dragon of liabilities and turning them to assets contributed to her already strong efusal to back down or to quit. “Not

10 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

giving up, no matter what,” seems to be in her DNA. She knew she wanted to take piano lessons when she was six or seven. Instead of a piano, her parents bought her a Melodica—a keyed instrument played by blowing into it—with the promise that if she stuck with it, she could have what she wanted. “I hated it, but I stuck with it.”

It took about two years for Monika to get her piano.

From the beginning she has exhibited the willingness to take risks, which is the ultimate underlying creative impulse in jazz.

“Jazz musicians have to learn how to do that,” she notes, referring to a study of musicians undergoing brain scans as they improvised. They apparently had learned to turn off the part of the brain that inhibits creativity, allowing greater freedom to the part of the brain that takes risks.

“The thing I like about jazz is that it is one of the few music styles that lives from the process of doing it.

It’s all about the process of people coming together. While there are things that stay constant and in place, there is always an element that shifts and changes. How it will come

”Jazz is unpopular, poetry is unpopular—so why would you do it? It’s all about the ideas and the creativity, new ways of putting things together…ways of adding dimensions. ” out this time depends on who you are playing with and where you are. And the dynamic is changed by the size and type of the audience.”

Herzig is fascinated by the similarity of jazz group dynamics to those of any creative group project.

“People need to be at a certain level—the higher the level the better,” she notes, adding that while you’ll only be as good as your weakest link, it is also true that the weakest link gets strengthened by playing with better players. “Musicians also need to know the basic rules of the jazz game. They need to know how to start, how to lead, how to form part of the background, how to listen, and how to build.”

“Everybody has to go in with that basic mindset of listening to each other. One steps in, one steps out. The leader and the supportive roles change. You can’t just hog the space and talk all the time.”

It was through her collaboration with Krapf that she met David Baker. Her book, David Baker, A Legacy in Music, was a five-year-long project that was finally published in 2011 by IU Press. And she and Baker, her mentor and friend, are now looking at the history of jam sessions including their social structure, the repertoire(s), and the challenges they present. She now longs “to stage a week somewhere close to New York and invite my ‘dream people’ to come play—a week of jam sessions—no rehearsals.”

“Playing, performing, and writing are such an important part of my life. It’s so important I have to do it. If I don’t do it, I won’t be happy anymore. That keeps it flowing no matter how hard it is.”

Herzig is married to musician Peter Kienle and is the mother of two beautiful girls, Melody (13) and Jasmin (11). She has a Ph.D. in music education and teaches in the Arts Administration program at Indiana University. The Monika Herzig Trio can usually be heard every Saturday at Rick’s Café Boatyard in Indianapolis.

She records for Owl Studios. More, including her performance schedule can be found at <www. monikaherzig.com>. 

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 11

The Harlequin Theatre ~by Nicole Wiltrout

A

few months ago, you really couldn’t blame someone for walking into the Harlequin Theatre and asking for a size seven sneaker. After all, the community theater is located in a former shoe store inside FairOaks Mall in Columbus.

But look around, and it is clear that this place has been transformed into a hub of artistic dreams, inspired by the vision of founders Robert Hay-Smith and Chanda Welsh.

While they each have a deep background in music and live theater, this duo got their start together staging productions around the region over the last decade, most often affiliated with a community theater group called the Mill Race Players.

“Scheduling was always our biggest challenge. It’s so difficult to find a stage and work around the times it would be available for rehearsals and performances.

Sometimes we even rehearsed in my basement,” Hay-Smith explained

12 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

And so the dream to develop a permanent home for live theater in Columbus began.

“I was always looking for a space downtown. Many suggested that we take on the Crump Theatre, but the large, 600-seat facility was not the type of intimate theater we wanted to create,” Hay-Smith said.

“In the theater business, it’s very difficult to break even. Downtown rent prices were prohibitive.”

But Hay-Smith and Welsh did not give up. Hay-Smith made one final visit to Kim Showalter, the general manager at FairOaks Mall, who showed him the vacant shoe store during that visit.

“I’m so used to hearing no. But we walked around one more time, and she said, ‘What about this?’”

Hay-Smith said.

From there, Hay-Smith and Welsh quickly went about making the space into a genuine theatrical experience. They staged “The Night I Died at the Palace Theatre” in April of this past year, just after acquiring the space.

“It was a big empty shoe store.

There were still decals on the walls for our first performance and awful green walls. We borrowed everything we could—a stage, lights, everything,” Welsh said. “But the audience loved it and wanted more. So we started to build a season and the theater itself.”

After that first show wrapped, Hay-Smith built a stage and risers, while Welsh designed a color scheme and painted. Down came the shoe store signs, replaced by black and purple walls, chairs, risers and a stage. Professional lighting and sound complete the experience.

Building the 114-seat theatre from scratch has allowed them to create maximum flexibility in its layout.

“Flexibility was really important as we designed it. We host jazz shows, comedy nights, and all kinds of theatrical performances. The way we’ve built the space out, we can do cabaret style seating or more traditional seating. The stage was

courtesy photos Managing Director Chanda Welsh and Robert Hay-Smith, owner and Artistic Director of the Harlequin Theatre, discuss actor blocking for the inaugural production.

built in a modular design, so that can take on all kinds of shapes as well,” Welsh explained. “The important thing is we want to keep the audience close and intimate.”

They filled the summer schedule with a one-man show called “Buffalo Bill in Song,” hosted some unique jazz performances and a comedy night, and in the fall staged the “Dixie Swim Club,” which was a five-women show that had several sell-out performances.

Offering a wide variety of experiences is important to HaySmith and Welsh.

“We want people to wonder, ‘what’s on at the Harlequin this weekend?’” Hay-Smith said.

During the first two weekends in March, that will include a staging of “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani. Casting took place in December for the 19 roles in the show, which will be filled by local residents in a volunteer capacity.

On March 21, the married duo of Richard Smith and Julie Adams will bring their musical act to the Harlequin for one night.

Smith is largely considered the #1 finger-style guitarist in America right now.

But beyond these concerts and plays, HaySmith and Welsh have an even larger vision for the Harlequin.

“One of the cornerstones that we built this theater on was that it would be a place where people and artisans can try out their craft.

We want the Harlequin to be a vehicle where new actors, playwrights, and directors can explore what they love,” Welsh said.

“I know what it’s like to need a space to do something you want to do,” Hay-Smith added.

The two hope to host acting, playwright, and song writing workshops, as well as adopt an educational mission to reach out to youth interested in the arts.

“As the arts leave our schools, it becomes more important for community-based arts groups to take that on. We’ll need to foster that here in a bilateral way, with both an educational series and by continuing what we do for adult professionals,” Welsh explained.

“This place seems to inspire certain people who come in here. We want to tap into that,” Hay-Smith said.

It just proves inspiration can come be found anywhere, even where stacks of shoe boxes once stood. 

Country Mouse Weaving Studio Established in 1926, Brown County’s original art gallery offers for sale artwork by contemporary artists and consigned early Indiana art. Selections from the Permanent Collections are also on display.

Open Year-Round Monday – Saturday 10 am–5 pm · Sunday Noon–5 pm

306 E. Main St · Nashville, IN 47448 · 812-988-4609 www.browncountyartgallery.org

Joan Haab Hand Woven Chenille Designer Garments

7965 Rinnie Seitz Road • Nashville, IN • (812) 988-7920

Open Weds., Thurs., Fri. and by appt. • countrymouseweavery@gmail.com

Also available at Brown County Craft Gallery and Spears Gallery in Nashville

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 13

Bloomington Clay Studio

~by Tom Rhea

D

an Evans has had a variety of backgrounds in training and in professional experience, both inside and outside of university programs. Educated in horticulture, Evans worked as a nurseryman in Montana. After living in Bloomington for eight years, he still makes a living as a contractor and a landlord. But a real passion was kindled and sustained throughout his careers when he found the opportunity to work in clay. His love for clay led him to pursue an MFA at a SUNY school in tiny Alfred, New York (a bond he shares with IU ceramics professor Malcolm Mobutu Smith, who attended a

14 INto ART â&#x20AC;˘ Jan.â&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 2013

photos by Kyle Spears

few years before Evans). Love of clay led him to teach ceramics for a year at Vincennes. There he learned a valuable lesson that has helped redirect his professional energies: a love of clay is not the same thing as a love for academic arts programs.

Feeling uncomfortable with trying to teach art in an academic setting, Evans quit the university, but oddly, found that he loved the experience of teaching continuing education courses. By the time he reached Bloomington, he set out to find a structure for introducing clients of all levels to the joys of working in clay. He established the first Bloomington Clay Studio in his home workshop on East 446, with classes and open studio membership. The enterprise grew large enough to eventually outgrow the residence, so this summer Evans opened the Clay Studio in a new venue at the corner of Fourth Street and Rogers on the near-west side.

In June, the Clay Studio took over the historic Fell building from a beauty supply company.

Evans restored the building to a more industrial look (it originally was a Dussenberg showroom) by ripping out drop-ceilings and doing much rewiring. He has slowly been enclosing spaces for individual artists to rent as studio space. In addition to his own studio, he rents to a jeweler and to Kim Ransdell who inventories letterpress pieces from The Collective Press. This November, Evans also was able to provide an impromptu gallery space for an annual, itinerant group show, “Devotion,” organized by Jeremy Sweet, assistant gallery director at the Grunwald Gallery of Art. Evans hopes to make the show a permanent feature of his calendar year.

The main space of the Studio is devoted to clay, with multiple spaces for throwing on wheels, slab construction, glazing, and firing.

The Studio offers set, multiple-week courses for adults and children, and various levels of membership access to the studio for independent activity. Full membership allows Continued on 32

Muddy Boots

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June–Nov.: 7am–Midnight • Dec.–May: 7am–10 pm Sun.: 8am–8pm

Scrumptious Entrees • Vegetarian Selections Handmade Desserts • Specialty Coffee Drinks Breakfast Served All Day

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Promoting good service, a friendly atmosphere, and satisfied patrons

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Friday: Dinner Music Sunday: Jazz Saturday: Anything Goes

812-988-0236 • www.PineRoomTavern.net Lunch: Tues.–Sat. 11 to 4 • Dinner: Tues.–Sun. 4 to 10 Late Night Sat. 10 pm to Midnight

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 15

“His photography has really touched me. I look at his photographs to brighten a day or to dig a bit deeper in my blues. He is a true artist.”

—Carolyn Griffen, writer

Geoff Thompson photographer

~by Lee Edgren

G

eoff Thompson’s grandfather gave him a brownie camera for his 12th birthday. After that there were years when he was into photography, and years when he put it aside. During an “on” phase about seven years ago, he started sharing some of his work on Facebook.

People were drawn to his photographs, and one of his fans talked him into opening a gallery. “I was skeptical because I thought it might take the fun out of it.” But It didn’t.

A Londoner by birth, Thompson is eclectic in his work and in his being.

He’s got a quirky British humor, an apparent reserve that covers a lot of warmth, a certain indignation about some aspects of the modern world, a love of old cars, a passion for rock and roll, and an appetite for all forms of beauty.

Thompson’s lived as an ex-pat for 40 years, the last 27 of them in the states. During that first 13 years, work for a British corporation sent him “all over Europe, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and South Africa….It was an amazing experience.” Ironically, he was doing little with photography during that time.

16 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

Now, much of his time is spent photographing the natural world.

He is an almost daily visitor to the Brown County State Park and he loves to travel to the various national parks. He’s recently spent time in Death Valley, and plans an extensive trip next year to Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon.

“It’s hard to explain places like Death Valley, where it is completely silent, nothing moving. There’s some kind of serenity in the beauty. The sky was pitch dark and incredibly full of stars. I’m drawn to the peacefulness. And then, too, the history of the earth is right there in front of you.”

Following Death Valley, he went to Las Vegas, to photograph modern architecture, enjoying the contrast between the two places.

Next year, it’s back to England and to more national parks. “Although I grew up in London, I’ve never been to Southwest England, and it’s one of the most beautiful places on earth….I have never photographed England at all.”

He’s currently at work on a portfolio of local characters, with the idea of doing a book on Continued on 28

Homestead

Weaving Studio Quality Handwovens

by Chris Gustin

Visit us on the Studio Tours

Southeastern Brown County 6285 Hamilton Creek Road Open 11 to 5 most days

(812) 988-8622

www.homesteadweaver.com

Estate Jewelry Antiques Paintingg

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812-988-4091• cathyscornerbc@gmail.com Also buying estate and vintage jewelry gold and silver (will travel).

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 17

Richard Bell at IUAM “Uz vs. Them”

Prospectus.22, 1992–2009. Acrylic, digital photographs, and barbed wire on canvas; 3 panels 96 × 180 in. overall The James C. Sourris Collection, Brisbane Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts

~by Tom Rhea

Q

The Peckin’ Order, 2007. Acrylic on canvas 60 x 60 in.

Private collection, Brisbane Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts

18 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

uick, name a famous Australian visual artist, living or dead. If no salient figure springs to mind, you may empathize with descriptions by the late Robert Hughes, in his book The Fatal Shore, of the massive cultural inferiority felt by generations of Australians in favor of a dominant British culture. If instead, you visualized beautiful ancient Aboriginal petroglyphs or dot paintings, this is an irony compounded by centuries of official government hostility toward Aboriginal language and society that bordered on cultural genocide.

If you would like to acquaint yourself with the work of a contemporary Australian artist who has vexed and infuriated the art establishment for thirty years, the IU Art Museum will be the last venue for an important traveling show by Richard Bell, “Uz vs. Them.” Since he happens to be an aborigine artist, Bell embodies and explores some of the vicious contradictions that inhere in the contemporary Australian art world.

Raised in a tent with his mother and brother while his father searched for migrant labor, Bell remembers Continued on 27

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Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 19

Canstruction Competition with a Mission ~by Nicole Wiltrout

I

t’s typical to see vendors in the middle of walkways at a mall. Shoppers browse stands that sell hair accessories, handbags, or makeup. But 10foot stacks of canned goods arranged to create massive works of art is definitely not what one might expect to see at a mall.

And yet at FairOaks Mall in Columbus each February, that’s just what a visitor might see. It’s part of “Canstruction,” a nation-wide architectural competition with a mission to end hunger by benefiting food banks locally.

Teams begin the process weeks in advance, coming up with a design and a plan for how their vision will be constructed with canned goods. The makeup of teams is very flexible. It is often organizations, businesses, school groups, or even families. This year, eight teams will be participating, which includes three teams new to the competition this year.

20 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

“With all the various elements of the project, it is not a bad idea to recruit persons with a few specific skill sets. Some teams have engineers or architects that only work with them for a few weeks during the design phase of the project,” Joyce Lucke said. Lucke has co-chaired the event since it began in Columbus five years ago. During the actual building day, only five team members are permitted in the designated construction space at each time.

These volunteers are also responsible for collecting all the canned goods to create their works of art. Most pieces require thousands of cans to fill the 10 foot by 10 foot space.

“Each year, we try to increase our donation goal by choosing a design that will consist of a large number of cans, is easily recognizable to the public, and is structurally challenging,” said Christy Pruitt, a member of the Starving Artists team that has competed since Canstruction came to Columbus four years ago. In the past, her team has created the Taj Mahal, a Cummins-powered mining haul truck, a giant Mt. Dew can, and a piece of red velvet cake.

“Teams come up with a title for their structure and a short blurb, which is a statement on ending hunger. That blurb usually plays off Continued on 22

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CANSTRUCTION continued from 20 of the title in phrasing and puns.

But the theme and design of a team’s structure is up to each team,” Lucke said.

This year, the building day will be held on February 16 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The public is welcome and encouraged to watch these structures come to life. Each piece will then be on display until February 24.

And while the structures are temporary, the cans benefit the community for weeks to come. In Columbus, all the canned goods used in the competition are donated to Love Chapel and the Salvation Army, two of the largest food banks in the area. More than 1,500 families rely on hungerrelief services each month in Bartholomew County.

“Ultimately, I got involved to make a difference within the community of Columbus. However, it’s also a fun and rewarding experience to work with a team of close friends to build large structures made completely out of cans,” Pruitt said.

22 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

First Christian Church is the primary sponsor of the Starving Artists. Companies and community organizations are encouraged to get involved in this way. Groups and individuals are also asked to help teams by hosting food drives for can collection purposes.

To collect even more food donations, visitors to the mall can vote for their favorites by placing a can in a collection area near each sculpture or by donating $1 per vote at

the event’s website, <www.paragonme. net/columbuscan>. The structure that earns the most votes, either by donations or online, will earn the People’s Choice Award.

“The goal is to recognize the talent, design and work the teams put into their structure, but ultimately, to collect a greater amount of ‘immediate use’ resources for the local food pantries,” Lucke said.

Other awards that teams are eligible for include Best Use of Labels, Best Meal (based on how well the cans used would create a healthy meal), Structural Ingenuity, Juror’s Favorite, and an Honorable Mention.

Photos of the award winners’ structures are then forwarded on to the international competition for consideration in their award system process, which is announced in June.

And beyond awards, the competition has donated more than 15 million pounds of food across more than 200 participating cities since the competition began in 1992.

In the past five years more than 75,000 pounds of food has been collected and donated at the local level.

In a town that prides itself on architectural achievements and creativity, perhaps it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a pile of creamed corn in a mall hallway could become a true work of art. 

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812-988-4447 www.michaels-massage.com Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 23

RoundABOUT Art Co-op ~by Karen E. Farley

photos by Karen E. Farley

Susie Gregory

F

or several years, Jerry Wischmeier photographer and printmaker Bob Anderson envisioned an art district in downtown Columbus. With the revitalization of downtown and the recent distinction of cultural district by the Indiana Arts Commission, his dream may soon become a reality.

In November of 2012, a group of local artists held their inaugural exhibit in a yoga studio on Fifth Street.

Anderson and several artists organized the RoundABOUT Art Co-op and put together the first exhibit of many for Columbus and surrounding counties.

“Over the years, local artists asked me if we are ever going to have an art league again,” Anderson says.

Anderson refers to ArtColumbus, the defunct art organization in Columbus. Art leagues provide venues for artists and offer classes and education to the community.

RoundABOUT Art is not considered an art league, but a cooperative of artists who show their work and give the

24 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

public a chance to buy quality art which supports the local economy.

Last year, Laurie Wright, artist and coowner of Laurie Wright Framing and Fine Art and Anderson held a sack lunch for artists and discussed the possibility of starting an art cooperative in Columbus.

For Anderson and others, the time for an arts district in Columbus, is now.

RoundABOUT Art’s mission is to promote the work of local emerging and professional visual artists and increase community awareness. It also encourages artists to share their ideas and stories.

“As an artist, you tend to not communicate with each other as much and mainly stay in the studio,” Anderson says. “With this group, it is nice to be able to get together and just talk to each other and share what is going on in the art community.”

While their current exhibit is being held at 422 ½ Fifth Street at the 5th Street Yoga Karen Fox Newell

studio in Columbus, the group is currently looking for a space of their own.

Members continue to discuss several possibilities for a space that will feature local artists and promote the sale of their work.

There are currently eighteen members of the co-op, nine of them being board members.

Alma Wiley Alma Wiley, founder of Dancers Studio on Washington Street, is one of the key players in the success of the group. (Her artwork is also on display at the exhibit.)

“Karen Newell and I got this group together because we wanted to put art in the community,” Wiley says. “My feeling is let’s make a presence and start selling art.”

With Wiley’s experience in running an organization, the next step was easy.

After months of research on starting a co-op, the group sent out a survey to artists and became Continued on 29

Southern Indiana

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Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 25

Grunwald Gallery of Art SoFA Revisited: Alumni from the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts

G

“FishBombBoat #3” by Stacy Elko, cane, kozo, henna, shellac.

allery Director Betsy Stirratt has designed a new exhibit that she hopes will become a regular feature on the January calendar of the Grunwald Galley of Art. She asked each of the nine studio departments at the School of Fine Arts to nominate three of their own recent graduates (within the last 15 years) to be considered for inclusion in an alumni show. After a careful review of all candidates and their recent output, and taking into account the cost factors associated with shipping large pieces from far-flung graduates all across the country, the resulting exhibit “SoFA Revisited: Alumni from the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts” will open on Friday, January 11, 2013 with a reception in the Gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. This will be preceded by a panel discussion with select participants at 4 p.m., also in the Gallery.

The chosen alumni include MFAs and two BFAs, selected on the basis of continued production of an outstanding body of work supported by a significant exhibition record and teaching appointments as faculty at distinguished universities. The geographical distances involved in bringing in artists and works of art forced some critical choices and made this a notinexpensive show. Exhibiting artists include: Carrie Dickason (BFA Textiles, 1999), Jordan Tate (MFA Photography 2007), Derek Parker (MFA Sculpture 2009), Arthur Hash (MFA Metals and Jewelry 2005), Stacy Elko (MFA Printmaking 2005), Anne Drew Potter (MFA Ceramics 2008), Ying Fang Shen (MFA Digital Art 2009), Sngram Majumdar (MFA Painting 2001), and Matt Griffin (BFA Graphic Design 2007).

26 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

~by Tom Rhea The artists here have largely stayed within their original areas, but sometimes those areas were very broadly defined to begin with. Ed Bernstein’s printmaking department, for instance, has long included a variety of materials and 3-D elements as well as 2-D. So Stacy Elko’s impressive nautical constructions (“FishBombBoat #3) fall easily within range of her precedents. As a cost-saving maneuver, Derek Parker will bring nothing with him to Bloomington.

Instead he will fabricate his entire installation project out of materials he can find and repurpose from IU Surplus.

The January schedule for the Grunwald Gallery has traditionally been reserved for exhibits involving IU-related subjects, such as faculty shows, and retirement shows, so this alumni-themed show fits nicely into that category. “We’d like this show to continue on as something we do every two to three years,” Stirratt said, perhaps in rotation with the biennial faculty exhibit. In its search for the various definitions of an IU studio style, the exhibit may serve as a self-advertisement for the program at large. “I guess you could say that IU has been known as a more traditional school in many ways,” Stirratt said. “Each of the alumni have been solidly grounded in their media, but have also in some way moved significantly beyond the traditional forms.”

The “SoFA Revisited” alumni show will remain on exhibit until February 8. For updates, information and a full semester calendar, visit <www. indiana.edu/~grunwald>. 

BELL continued from 18 the family hoping to collect enough cast-off corrugated iron sheets to build a more permanent shelter. Exposure to the government agencies assigned to manage and contain the Aborigine population, including a stint in a children’s dormitory, fueled his anger toward racial policies that were agonizingly slow to change. His early career in activism included work with the New South Wales Aboriginal Legal Service in Sydney.

By the time he reached the age of thirty-four, he needed a break. He began working with his brother making knock-off Aboriginal souvenirs for the tourist trade—his first stint at making art. A friend of his soon recommended that he take his art-making more seriously. Bell realized that by bringing his activism into his art, he might have access to a much broader and more prestigious platform than any he’d occupied before, but still his skepticism remained. “To be honest, I thought art was bullsh**, a con job,” Bell said. “However, I did get to meet lots of great people over the next five or six years. …I was fortunate enough to witness the ‘magic’ of art.”

While referencing patterns of traditional Aboriginal art in his work, Bell was entirely cognizant of trends in the western avant-garde. His works explicitly reference the work of Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock and (subtly), Jasper

Wewereherefirst, 2007. Acrylic on canvas, 2 parts 96 x 144 in.

Private collection, Brisbane Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts

Johns, as well as using blunt sloganeering such as that employed by John Baldessari. Bell was walking a fine line between some deadly paradoxes. If his art succeeded on formal terms, he risked turning its activist content into kitsch.

In addition, he could never break himself of a provocative and confrontational streak that has earned him animus throughout his career. For instance, when asked to act as sole judge for a juried art exhibit, he wrote the names of all the submitted artists down on slips of paper and chose his “winners” at random from the pile. Such was his comment on recognition, awards, fame, and the bias of art critics.

“He frequently tries to be outrageous,” said curator Diane Pelrine. “He came into art as a means to further his activism.” She finds this impulse natural, especially in the context of her study of art in other traditional cultures. “My background is in African art where so much of its purpose is to affect the community, to bring about a positive result for the community,” she said.

The body that organized and curated the Bell show, the American Federation of Arts in New York, was also the group that assisted Pelrine when the IU Art Museum sent selected items on tour from the Raymond and Laura Wielgus collection of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Through them, Pelrine heard about the proposals for the Bell show and was able to secure IU as a venue for the last leg of the show’s tour. While the show is scheduled to open in the Special Exhibitions Gallery on March 2, 2013, events surrounding the exhibit, including a possible visit from the artist, are still yet to be determined. Bell was able to spend a week in Lexington, Kentucky last spring, giving lectures and working with students, when the exhibit appeared at the University of Kentucky. The show will be on display until May 12. 

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 27

GEOFF THOMPSON continued from 16 contemporary life in Brown County—cars, characters, and all.

He does portraits on commission, but not studio work. “I like to take people out into a natural setting, and I enjoy trying to capture what makes someone tick.” He’s done publicity photos for some bands and the CD cover for Frank Jones album. He’s been told that his photo will be used on the cover of a soon-to-be published book on Indiana Basketball.

Although he now uses digital camera almost exclusively, in his early days he worked primarily in black and white.

During that time he lived near an English college that allowed him access to the darkroom. “I enjoyed the transition to digital. I love to bring out the colors that are really there. My preference is bright and natural, and cameras don’t always translate what the eye sees.”

He has studied a lot of Ansel Adams’s work and the images

by National Geographic photographers. “I study a lot of other photographer’s work and try to figure out why their

28 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

photograph is better.” He enjoys photographic discussions with local professional photographer Fred Sisson, who is, Thompson says, “incredibly generous” in sharing his knowledge. Geoff passes his own knowledge and experience to a young student photographer through the mentoring program at Brown County High School. “We are all after that elusively perfect photograph.”

In 2005, Thompson’s oldest son, Alexander, was accidentally killed in Virginia, just before his scheduled deployment to Iraq. Overwhelmed by grief, Thompson struggled through three relatively unproductive years. One morning he awakened knowing that his photography could be a means of honoring his son’s memory.

Although the loss is ever present, the despair lifted. In some way, he feels his son is often present as he works. He remains close to his other two children, Alistair and Dominique, and his two grandchildren.

“I really enjoy what I do. Photography gives me the satisfaction of being able to complete a whole process by myself. The finished product is just part of it. I enjoy the journey from beginning to end and I enjoy doing it myself. I’ve never had that satisfaction in any other job. It’s the creative process that I enjoy.”

Geoff Thompson’s work can be seen at his gallery, Geoff Thompson Photography, which is located 50‘ south of East Main in Nashville and on-line at <www.geoffthompsonimages.com>.

He also often posts to his Facebook page. 

ROUNDABOUT continued from 25 incorporated in 2012.Though not a 501(c)(3) organization, they operate as a nonprofit under Indiana law. The members-owners share equally in the control of the cooperative. The group keeps ten percent of the sales for expenses and the other ninety percent goes to the artist.

RoundABOUT Art Co-op divides responsibilities among its members. Each member plays an important role in the selection of art on display and the locations for exhibits. Requirements for membership include a $50 annual fee and submission of a work to be juried by board members. A secret ballot insures anonymity for the group.

Jerry Wischmeier is one of the two photographers in the group. He feels it is important to present quality work at the exhibits. He also wants to make sure the community is aware of all of the professional artists in town.

Another artist whose work is currently on display is David Green, mixed media artist including oils on canvas and weathered barnwood and charcoal on paper. Green is excited to be a part of this group and looks forward to teaching classes in the future.

Karen Fox Newell, Columbus artist and the group’s vice president/secretary is also a vital part of this organization. Newell is passionate about giving opportunities to local artists through the exhibits.

Her work can also be seen in pediatric dentist Julie Steinmetz’s office.

Other artists whose work is currently on display include Susie Gregory, Linda Peterson, Hollis Haltom Melillo, Larry Vinson, Judy Chapman, Bob Burris, Lana Atkinson, and Lucy Cole. Though the main focus is to establish a gallery, the group plans to look for public places to hang art and encourage the community to support local artists.

“Creativity is so important in our lives,” Fox Newell says. “This is an opportunity for our artists to get together, be supported, and provide visual arts for the community.”

The current exhibit runs through the end of January during the 5th Street Yoga studio’s business hours.

For more information about becoming a member of RoundABOUT Art Co-op or information on future exhibits contact Alma Wiley at (812) 579-6442 or Karen Fox Newell at (812) 343-6394. 

A casual place, a social place, a place to come to relax, talk & eat 310 fourth street • columbus 812.418.8212 • www.Bistro310.com

Columbus Learning Center

Check out our website for current exhibits and hours www.educationcoalition.com 4555 Central Avenue • Columbus, Indiana For information (812) 314-8507

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 29

The Pittman Inn Making Room

photos from the Brown County Historical Society archives

~by Julia Pearson

T

.C. Steele is known as the “father of Brown County’s art colony.”

The same germ of inspiration that infected Steele attracted others to Brown County. In June 1907, Adolph Shulz and a friend were hiking from Martinsville through southern Indiana when they discovered that the Sanitorium in Nashville had been converted to a hotel by Bill and Mandy Pittman. The building was first constructed in 1890 by Perry Hannah, who specialized in the current popular treatments with the use of mineral water.

Shulz found the cheerful hospitality and good food of the Pittmans, coupled with clean beds, as the ideal lodging. When hearing from Bill Pittman that T.C. Steele was building a residence, Shulz immediately hiked to the new home site being built by “artist Steele” ten miles away near Belmont. The following spring, Shulz brought his artist wife, Ada Walter Shulz and their son Walter, to the Pittman Inn for the first of many summers until they established a permanent home in Nashville.

In 1909, Gustave Baumann arrived from Chicago and was the first artist after Steele to actually make Brown County home. A studio was established on the first floor of the Odd Fellows building on the

30 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

northwest corner of Jefferson and West Main Street, but he stayed at the Pittman Inn or Alice Ferguson’s boarding house till 1916.

The new railway in Brown County and the Pittman Inn led to at least twenty-five artists painting in or near Nashville. Bill Pittman kept prices within reach of the artists’ pockets.

He operated the inn as a 25-room hotel. It had six bathrooms—four for the men and two for the women guests. Word spread quickly through Chicago art circles until fifty to sixty artists were summering in Nashville.

Sending their work for exhibitions in Indianapolis and Chicago once or twice a year, they became known

as the “Brown County Group,” and home for many was the Pittman Inn. Bill and Mandy Pittman were among Brown County’s early art patrons. Mandy was a native of Brown County, with both of her parents being direct descendents of old pioneer families. Bill was a native of Monroe County in Ohio, the oldest of four children to Absalom and Sarah Pittman. In 1868 he came to Brown County, living on a farm about six miles east of Nashville. He and Amanda Kirts were married on May 9, 1878 and eventually had five children. Bill became interested in politics and in 1899 was nominated and elected to the position of clerk of the Brown County Circuit Court. He served in the position for eight years and three months.

After eight years of successful operation, Bill Pittman sold this hotel to Bill Musselman. It was operated then under the name of the Musselman Hotel for several years. After 1914, the hotel was sold to Perry Hanna, who wanted

to restore the original use of a sanitorium. He wished to put a tub for bathing in mineral water in each room. The Town Board would not allow him to pipe water from the Town Square artesian well, and the well that Hanna drilled for this purpose went dry. In 1925 R.S. Moser bought and totally remodeled the property, renaming it the Maple Inn. The Mosers operated it until 1947, when it was purchased by Paul Adams. In 1948 it again changed hands when it was sold to Myron Rees. For twelve years, Rees and his wife were successful innkeepers. The hotel was then sold to the Christian Church on March 12, 1960, who demolished the building to use the property as a parking lot.

Bill and Mandy Pittman moved to the southeast corner of Main and Van Buren Street, present location of the Nashville House, and opened the Pittman Inn in that location. He was innkeeper in the second location for a little more than eight years.

In both locations, was the famous “Front and Back” sign-portrait of Bill Pittman. Local legend reports that a door panel was painted when the artists in residence were kidding Bill about his lack of a sign. They posed Bill on a stool on the front porch and used one of the front doors of the hotels as the canvas. Seven artists painted Bill Pittman’s likeness.

The seven artists who were living at the Pittman Inn at the time, turned Bill around and painted his back on the other side of the door. Fred Hetherington, one of the artists who was a part of the HetheringtonBerner Works of Indianapolis, had the door sawed in half. He took it to Indianapolis and had glass put on each side, plus a heavy iron frame around the door panel. Back in Nashville, the sign was hung in front of the Inn in both its locations.

Bill Pittman died May 13, 1923. Mandy Pittman died November 5, 1924. They are peacefully resting side-by-side in the Henderson Cemetery. The “Front and Back” painting was given to the Brown County Art Gallery by the Pittmans’ daughter, Mrs. Pearl Fushelberger. 

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 31

photo by Kyle Spears

CLAY STUDIO continued from 15 24/7 access with a studio key for a member to work anytime at their convenience.

The new venture at the Fell building has enjoyed many levels of support from the City of Bloomington. As encouragement for him to occupy the building with a new art enterprise, Miah Michelson let Evans

know she would be able to include the Clay Studio in the city’s BEAD arts district. The Studio is also included as a destination for First Friday tours and the quarterly Gallery Walks. Evans was able to purchase a used pugmill (a vacuum unit to de-aerate the clay) at a discount from a friend leaving town, after receiving an equipment grant from the city for the purchase.

New classes begin in January at the Bloomington Clay Studio.

Evans has accomplished a great deal in the six months of his tenure. He looks forward to new opportunities to impart to new members that joy that was his motivation from early on—the experience of working in the ancient art of clay. “You come away with an experience rather than a product,” he said. “And that lasts so much longer than a coffee mug.” 

Fusion: Roarin’ ’20s Style ~by Geri Handley

F

lappers, jazz, bootleg liquor, and Al Capone—if you lived during the 1920s, you are familiar with these expressions and names. But even if you are too young to remember them you will still want to attend the first annual Fusion: Roarin’ ’20s Style. The event will pay homage to the decade characterized by its distinctive cultural edge emphasizing the era’s social, artistic, and cultural vitality when Jazz music blossomed, the flapper redefined modern womanhood, and Art Deco peaked. The era of Prohibition saw the growth of

32 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

organized crime. Gangsters such as Dutch Schultz, Nucky Johnson, Al Capone and Lucky Luciano made fortunes by supplying illegal beer and liquor to speakeasies across the country.

Mill Race Center, the location for the event, will be transformed into a speakeasy reminiscent of those former legendary establishments.

Guests gain entry with passwords to be greeted by a grand piano and female vocalist performing music of the times and have the opportunity to partake of legal libations and creative cuisine, try their luck at the gaming tables. bid on exclusive silent auction items. and swing to the sounds of a big band.

Fusion: Roarin’ ’20s Style is a joint fundraising event presented

by Mill Race Center (MRC) and Just Friends Adult Day Services and is

2:00 p.m scheduled for Saturday, April 20. Guests will be dazzled

by Kathleen Miller,Jim Eagleman, naturalist one of America’s most versatile alk in the Park

vocalists. Her wide ranging musical talents have earned The winter woods are soft, quiet, her praise for her light and lively swing and dixie tune uming. But there is activity if we know where/how to interpretations. She will be joined on the stage with The As in yoga, relaxing, proper breathing and awareness Little Big Band—all virtuoso musicians in their own right, eighten the outdoor experience. Explore the ridgeperforming that swinging big band sound of trumpet, of beautiful Brown County State Park on this easy trombone, tenor, and alto saxes. rom the Nature Center.

What doJim fusion, the 1920s, MRC, andabout Just Friends Eagleman is passionate have in common? the outdoors, knows where to look, and Fusionhow is defined as He theismerging different to be still. a 38-yearofveteran elementsofinto a union.

Fusion music (jazz-rock) the Indiana Department of Natural and food (French-Asian) benefit from Resources. He and his wife,a combining Kay, have of ingredients and techniques from very different cultures three sons and one grandchild. or countries. The first annual Fusion event is designed 4:30 toPMemphasize — Choose one the synergy produced by the staff and ifesting our Heart’s Desire programs available at MRC and Just Friends Adult n Distler Day Services. MRC is a community center for active in Millwith Race Park with purpose of ING adults As welocated get in touch our heart wethe unlock developing a nationally recognized model for dynamic, What is our deepest desire for this time in our comprehensive, collaborative programming nd how can we move to be in accordance with its for the age What 50-plusis population. and fitness programs, estation? calling us, Health right now?

We will social groups, support ritinglearning, as a tooltravel, for conscious exploration of services, these and fun are key elements to the Center. ons. employment, Open to seasoned s and Just thoseFriends new to iswriting as a community-based group program We will have time for quiet designed to meet the needs of adults with all levels of dual writing timeprovide as wellaassafe, secure environment where ability and interaction sharing. physical, and intellectual activities are social,and emotional, son Distler has been living provided. writing inReservations Bloomingtonfor since Fusion: Roarin’ ’20s Style are limited.

She is Tickets a teacher who provides are $75 a person. For more information, visit nd somatic counsel day by day. She or is on the <www.millracecenter.org> callfaculty (812)at 376-9241.  g for (a) Change program in Bloomington and enjoys g essays, poetry and creative non-fiction.

LE WALK

asure Mapping

Warm UP

from Within MIND | BODY | SPIRIT EXPLORATION

January 18 –20, 2013 Abe Martin Lodge ·∙ Brown County State Park Nashville, Indiana

Three days of self-­exploration through movement, art and nature

Jenn Wright

AGE Ever wonder why you are unable to bring your ntentions to fruition? Treasure Mapping, also known ion Boarding, is a tool to do just that! You will creat age of what you want to achieve, which will act as a nt reminder and representation of your goals and is a valuable approach to building the motivation and self-confidence needed to achieve your goals.

Jennifer Wright is an occupational therapist, certified life coach and porcelain and stoneware pottery by Larry Spears adventurer.

Her passion by forKyle spirited selffine art photography Spears discovery took her halfway around handcrafted jewelry • handpainted silk scarves the world to liveNashville and work New Zealand Next to the House,inDowntown Nashville www.spearspottery.com • 812.988.1286 ears. A sense of humor, intuition, and compassion help ide others to find their vision…their next step.

2nd Annual Winter Wellness Weekend

$45 per person for 3-­day event Attend any or all sessions Some class sizes are limited so register early!

WUFW IS SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE BROWN COUNTY VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU. PHOTOGRAPHY BY BROWN COUNTY DEMOCRAT

FOR TICKETS

www.WUFW.eventbrite.com RiverLightYoga.com ·∙ 812-­988-­8220 Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 33

.......................................................Area Arts Calendar BROWN COUNTY:

Winter Wellness Weekend Jan. 18-20 Brown Co. State Park

Warm Up From Within:

Jan. 18-20, Abe Martin Lodge Friday, Jan. 18 5:00-6:00 p.m. Yoga on the Ball FREE Friday Kickoff 7:00-8:15 p.m. Movie “Happy” 8:30-10:30 p.m. Music by Shelf Life Saturday, Jan. 19 7:30–8:30 a.m.

All-levels Yoga with Lynn Medow (movement).

9:00–11:00 a.m.

Create With Spirit with Dixie Ferrer, artist, co-owner Ferrer Gallery (art). All materials will be provided by the instructor.

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Shake Your Soul with Kathy Anderson, certified SYS instructor (movement).

1:30–4:30 “Honoring Our Hungers: An Invitation to the Intuitive Eater Within” with Ash Crofoot, MA, somatic therapist (movement, art, discussion, journaling).

Sunday, Jan. 20 8:00–9:00 a.m. Speaking Body, Listening Heart: Morning Movement : Wake-Up with Ash Crofoot (movement). All ages and abilities are welcome.

9:30–10:30 a.m. Healing Sound Meditation with Janiece Jaffe (meditation). Bring a blanket, pillow or yoga mat.

11:00–12 noon Nourishing Authenticity with Barbara Ann O’Leary (ceremony).

1:00–2:00 p.m. A Walk in the Park with Naturalist Jim Eagleman (gentle walk).

2:30–4:30 p.m. Manifesting our Heart’s Desire. Writing with Allison Distler OR Treasure Mapping (collage) with Jenn Wright.

Info www.riverlightyoga.com (812) 988-9642

Winter Hike:

Saturday, Jan. 19 9:00 a.m. Take a hike on one of the two

34 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

self-guided trails that take you through some of Brown County’s most picturesque scenery.

Southern Loop Hike (3.5 miles): Beginning at the Nature Center, hikers begin on a closed park road past breathtaking Hohen point, into Strahl Valley then around Lake Strahl. Return to the Nature Center via Trail #6.

Woodland Hike (2.75 miles): Beginning at the park’s Recreation Building and proceeding through Ogle Hollow Nature Preserve (Trail #5), around Lake Ogle (Trail #7), and returning to the Recreation Building.

Gallery Walk Downtown

Starting Feb. 1, 2013 www.visitbloomington.com or www.gallerywalkbloomington.com Stroll any time of the year!

Special receptions [First Fridays] from 5-8 pm at the following:

By Hand Gallery

Jan. 4-15: Fabulous, Frivolous and Made By Hand. .. Jewelry, Fabric, Pottery, Paintings, Stonework, Woodwood and much more from local and regional artists.

Feb. 1-26: The Topography of Near and Far, Printmaking by Elizabeth Busey March1-30: Opening reception and exhibit of art by Monroe County School’s youth in celebration of Youth Art Month. #109 Fountain Square Mall The Art of Chocolate Hours: Mon-Sat, 10-5:30 Jan. 27, Indiana University Art Museum 101 W. Kirkwood Ave. (812) 334-3255 Fundraiser for LIFEDesigns. Treats prepared www.byhandgallery.com by area chefs, live music, fine art and craft gallery406 auction all in the atrium.

The Wicks Building 116 W. 6th St. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-6 First Fri. 9-8, Sat. 11-6 Soup Bowl (812) 333-0536 Feb. 17, Bloomington Convention Center www.spectrumstudioinc.com 600 unique soup bowls made by local Gallery Group artists. Ticket gets your choice of bowl 109 E 6th St, 47408 and sample of soups, breads and desserts (812) 334-9700 provided by local restaurants. Silent auction and door prizes. Proceeds benefit Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center Galleries Hoosier Hills Food Bank.

Jan. 4-26: Indiana Heritage Quilt Show National Society of Arts and Letters: 2013 Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition.

March 7-9, Bloomington Convention Becca Jones, printmaker/sculptor.

Center Karen Holtzclaw, painter.

More than 200 examples of traditional Feb. 1-23: and contemporary quilted works. Also Jeremy Sweet, printmaker/multimedia workshops for all skill levels. artist. www.ihqs.org Kelly Franke, printmaker.

World Bazaar/Lotus Blossoms Ben Pines, painter.

Susan Forney, painter.

March 23, Rogers-Binford Elementary School. Lotus World Music and Arts Festival March 1-30: Monroe County Community School Educational Outreach.

Corporation Youth Art Month: Middle Free Day of concerts, meet-the-artists School & High School Exhibition events, hands-on art activities.

Daren Redman, contemporary quilter/dye www.lotusfest.org artist.

BLOOMINGTON:

......................................................................................

Open M-F, 9-7, Sat, 9-5 122 S. Walnut St. Corner of 4th and Walnut (812) 330-4400 www.ivytech.edu/bloomington/waldron

El Norteno

206 N. Walnut (812) 333-9591

pictura gallery

Jan. 4-26: Inshallah by Dima Gavrysh Reception Jan. 4, 5-8 Artist Talk Jan. 24, at 7 Feb. 1-March 30: June Itoi & Tomoe Murakami Reception Feb. 1, 5-8 122 W. 6th St. (812) 336-0000 Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11-7 www.picturagallery.com

The Venue, Fine Arts & Gifts Jan. 4-17: “The Venue’s 2013 Collector’s Art Sale” Reception Jan. 4, at 6-refreshments.

They are treasures we have accumulated over the last 5 years, ranging from midnineteenth century nature studies, to Art Deco, to contemporary abstracts.

114 S. Grant. St. Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11-7, Sun. 12-5 (812) 339-4200 www.TheVenueBloomington.com

Wellness Arts Gallery Jan. 4: “What I Wish 2013”–Interactive Community Art Exhibit , 5-8 All ages are invited to stop in first Friday and during the month to draw and/or write a positive expression of collective goodwill and sustainability. Drawn and written wishes will be collected for a book. Kick off the 2nd Annual “Name a Tea Contest” hosted by Quilter’s Comfort.

Winner announced Feb. 1 at 7:00.

Feb. 1-March 29: “Dolls and Small Quilts” Patricia’s Wellness Arts Café & Quilter’s Comfort Teas 725 W. Kirkwood Ave. Tues.-Sat. 11-6, and First Fridays 11-8 (812) 334-8155 www.hartrock.net/cafe.htm

IU Art Museum

March 2-May 5: Richard Bell: Uz vs. Them Activist. Painter. Provocateur. Filmmaker.

Bell works primarily as a painter, but he also creates photographs, films, and installation pieces; all of these mediums are represented in the exhibition.

1133 E. 7th Street on the campus of IU (812) 855-5445 iuam@indiana.edu www.artmuseum.iu.edu

COLUMBUS:

15th Annual Empty Bowls

Jan. 26, 5:30-8:00, Central Middle School Locally made bowls that people can purchase along with a meal of donated homemade soups and breads. Fundraiser for Love Chapel, Human Services, Hope Community Center and Eastside Community Center. Music by Tim Grimm and Jan Lucas-Grimm, and Rhythm Conspiracy, a Taiko drumming group.

Info (812) 376-4287 725 7th Street

First Fridays for Families

The Rosa Parks Story

At The Commons Children are entertained by theater troupes, magicians, and musicians (sponsored by Old National Bank) Jan. 5, 6-7:30: Jason Huneke His live show will leave children of all ages mesmerized with his mix of magic, comedy, and juggling.

Feb. 1, 6-7:30: Rumpelstiltskin Performed by ArtsReach’s Theatre March 1, 6-7:30: Bongo Boy Drum Circle The Commons 300 Washington St.

SEYMOUR:

Jan. 21, 2-4. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, FREE theatrical performance

by The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati The Commons 300 Washington St.

Southern Indiana Center for the Arts (SICA)

January 8-30: SICA Main Gallery: Mary Schaefer and Barry Beeker exhibit Jan. 10 Meet-the-Artist, opening and reception for Schaefer/Beeker exhibit; Indoor Labyrinth Walk 5:30-7 Jan. 12, Feb. 9, and March 9 Jan 26, 1-3 Paint-the-Town social painting 9:00 am to noon, North Christian Church party at The Body Shop, 2015 N. Ewing Walk through a portable canvas St. Seymour. Open to the public. Paid labyrinth, modeled on the medieval reservations required labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral.

Feb. 1-28: Info www.northchristianchurch.com SICA Main Gallery: Oil Paintings by 850 Tipton Lane Indiana Impressionist Harvard Brunning Feb. 7 Reception, 5:30-7 Kurt Vonnegut: The Trials March: Spring Break Art Camp and Triumphs of a Great (call for details) American Writer Pottery Barn Open Studio Jan. 22, 6:30-8:00, Bartholomew County Saturdays in Jan., Feb., and March Public Library. Dan Wakefield, who children 11-1, adults, 1-4 recently edited the book Kurt Vonnegut: No appointment necessary.

Letters, will cover Vonnegut’s life as a SICA open Tues-Fri, noon-5 and Sat. 11-3 writer.

2001 N. Ewing St., Seymour, IN Info (812) 379-1255 www.soinart.com 536 Fifth Street (812) 522-2278

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 35

............................................................Artists Directory

RUTH CONWAY Wood Fired pottery Available at By Hand Gallery 101 West Kirkwood # 109 Fountain Square Mall Bloomington, IN 47404 (812) 334-3255 www.byhandgallery.com

ROBERT N. ANDERSON Stillframes Photography and Imaging 810 Brown Street Suite A Columbus, IN 47201 (812) 372-0762 / 866-221-2939 www.stillframesoncanvas.com banderson@stillframes.com

PATRICIA C. COLEMAN

BARB BROOKE DAVIS Vintage Textile Artist Pillows, framed wall art, table runners, personal accessories, scarves, pins, one-of-a-kind/original over-dyed felted wool decorative accessories 61 W. Main St. in Ferrer Gallery (812) 360-0478 www.ferrergallery.com

36 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

Local Arts and Crafts, including Paintings, Prints, Fiber Art, Botanical Dye, Mixed Media, UPCycle, Dolls, Art Quilts, Books, Meditation Supplies, Masks, Dollmaking Workshops, Reconnective Healing, Ho’oponopono, Reiki, Green Lifestyle Coaching, Poetry, Storytelling, Wellness Arts Quilter’s Comfort Teas, Herbal Jelly, Coffee Jelly, Wine Jelly, Beer Jelly. Private Classes. Tea Tasters Club.

Patricia’s Wellness Arts Café & Quilter’s Comfort Teas 725 West Kirkwood Ave. Bloomington, IN (812)- 334-8155 www.hartrock.net/cafe.htm

AMY GREELY Amy Greely Studio Creative Metalwear Fun, lightweight earrings fabricated with a variety of metals, enhanced with gemstones, crystals, pearls, and patinas.

Available at New Leaf in Nashville, IN ~ An Indiana Artisan ~ amy@amygreely.com www.amygreely.com (812) 988-1058

......................................................................................

CHRIS GUSTIN Homestead Weaving Studio Handwoven “Recycled Rugs,” clothing, household items. Yarn, looms, spinning wheels, supplies for every fiber fanatic. ~ An Indiana Artisan ~ 6285 Hamilton Creek Rd., Columbus, IN 47201 Southeastern Brown County (812) 988-8622 Studio open 11 - 5 most days.

Also available at Spears Gallery, Nashville, IN chris@homesteadweaver.com www.homesteadweaver.com

CATHY HAGGERTY Painting Instruction Painting lessons for individuals or small groups (812) 988-4091 cathyscorner@att.net 39 E. Franklin St. in Nashville, IN (next to train) “Exploring my Spirituality: Keeping in Touch with my Higher Self”

SHARON JUNGCLAUS GOULD–Trained SoulCollage® Facilitator

PAUL HAYES Pottery Original, functional pottery in stoneware and porcelain. Hand crafted in Nashville, Indiana.

JOAN HAAB Available at The Clay Purl (claypurl.com) 90 West Franklin St. Country Mouse Nashville, IN 47448 Weaving Studio Hand woven chenille designer garments (812) 988-0336 pguitar87@gmail.com 7965 Rinnie Seitz Road Nashville, IN 47448 Also available at Brown County Craft Gallery and Spears Gallery in Nashville, IN (812) 988-7920

“ Discover your Wisdom, Change your World with SoulCollage®” SoulCollage® is an intuitive, visual process for the discovery of your creative Inner Self. Join us for a powerful and fascinating learning experience as you create your own personal deck of cards. Delightful and amazing!

Workshops, retreats, classes, and individual coaching. www.artandspiritstudio.com slj41@earthlink.net (812) 343-5285 or (812) 988-0597

Continued on next page

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 37

............................................................Artists Directory

LINDA KNUDSEN Fiber Artist Available at By Hand Gallery 101 West Kirkwood # 109 Fountain Square Mall Bloomington, IN 47404 (812) 334-3255 www.byhandgallery.com

NORTHWOOD JOE LEE Illustrator, Painter, Clown

(pseudonym)

Paintings

Pen and ink, watercolor illustrations Book illustrator “...for Beginners” series Editorial cartoonist for Herald Times Children’s illustration INto Art and Our Brown County Bloomington, IN (812) 323-7427 joelee@bluemarble.net

A journey through neo-abstract expressionism as well as contemporary impressionism with a touch of mystery See at Hoosier Artist Gallery, Nashville, IN Carol Clendening www.carolclendening.com interiorscc@aol.com (812) 825-1803

ANNE RYAN MILLER Glass & Metal Overlay

MICHELE HEATHER POLLOCK Lost Lake Studio

CAROL KOETKE Fine Art Photography Carol’s museum quality fine art photographs are available from:

By Hand Gallery in Bloomington, Gallery North - Nashville, and www.carolkoetke.com (812) 322-5180 800-560-2940

38 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

Open Daily. Call for Hours P.O. Box 566 Nashville, IN 47448 Member of Hoosier Artist Gallery in Nashville, IN (812) 988-9766 (812) 325-7485 (cell) www.AnneRyanMillerGlassStudio.com

Handmade books, 2D & 3D contemporary framed fine art

Available at the Brown County Craft Gallery in Nashville, IN www.LostLakeStudio.com michele@lostlakestudio.com 1581 N Lost Lake Rd Columbus, IN 47201 (812) 988-0198

......................................................................................

ELIZABETH O’REAR Fine Artist Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor— Animals, Still life, Landscapes Visit Elizabeth O’Rear Studio/Gallery 8850 SR 135 S in Southern Brown County (812) 988-1090 (812) 390-7216 on line at www.elizabeth-orear.com and Brown County Art Gallery, Nashville, IN

WALT SCHMIDT BETTY WESTHUES Hickory Tree Studio & Country Loom

LARRY SPEARS Spears Gallery Porcelain and Stoneware Hours: Open daily from 10 to 5 5110 St. Rd. 135 S. Nashville, IN 47448 Located just 10 miles southeast of Nashville, IN, and just beyond the Horseman’s Camp entrance to Brown County State Park, on scenic Indiana State Highway 135 South (812) 988-1287 spearspottery@sprynet.com www.spearsgallery.com

A wide variety of functional and decorative items created by combining gourds with other media. Available at: Brown Co. Craft Gallery, Nashville, IN Weed Patch Music Co., Nashville, IN Ferrer Gallery, Nashville, IN

By Hand Gallery, Bloomington, IN A Fair of the Arts at the Bloomington Farmers Market Sue Westhues P.O. Box 1786 Bloomington, IN 47402 (812) 876-3099

TRICIA HEISER WENTE Fine Artist

Oil, Acrylic, Pastel, Watercolor Studio / Gallery Functional stoneware pottery, 1000 W. 17th St. blacksmithing, furniture, colorful recycled Bloomington, IN 47404 rag rugs, tapestries, socks and paintings

By Hand Gallery, Bloomington, IN Also: By Hand Gallery-Bloomington, IN Hoosier Salon Gallery, Indianapolis, IN and Brown Co. Craft Gallery-Nashville, IN The Gallery on Pearl, New Albany, IN Local Clay Guild Show every November in www.triciawente.com Bloomington, IN (812) 333-3907 5745 N. Murat Rd. Bloomington, IN 47408 (812) 332-9004 hickorytreestudio@att.net www.hickorytreestudio.com

SUE WESTHUES Mixed Media Gourd Art

LAURIE WRIGHT Printmaker Laurie Wright Studio 810 Brown Street Suite A Columbus, Indiana 47201 (812) 343-3209 By appointment or by chance www.lauriewright.com

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 39

Celebrating Nashville’s Cultural District Designation

T

2007 Centennial photo by Cindy Steele Early artists photo by Frank Hohenberger

he town of Nashville found itself in select company in December when it was awarded a State Cultural District designation by the Indiana Arts Commission.

There are only five such designations in the entire state, and three of them are on the Highway 46 corridor—Nashville, Columbus (which also won designation in December), and Bloomington, which was awarded the designation in 2009 from the first round of applicants.

The only others in the state are Carmel and Tippecanoe.

Currently there is no funding associated with the Cultural District designation, but benefits include increased tourism marketing and economic activities that come with being part of a branded program with statewide emphasis.

This was the latest step by the town of Nashville to market itself as a unique arts and entertainment community.

Earlier in the year, the Nashville Town Council created an official Arts and Entertainment District by town ordinance. The district is bounded on the west by Jefferson Street, on the north by the commercial district just north of Mound Street, heads east to the Brown County Library, then south to include the Brown Country Art Gallery and the Brown County High School, then west on School House Lane to meet Jefferson Street again.

Also earlier in the year, the Town Council, in another ordinance, created the Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission, whose duties include encouraging, assisting,

40 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

advising, and coordinating the district.

The nine-member commission, which began meeting in October, is chaired by Tom Tuley, a Brown County artist and retired newspaper editor (Evansville). Vice-president is Jan Spears, who has taught dance in Brown County for many years, and secretary is Jane Ellis, executive director of the Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Treasurer is Dixie Ferrer, who, along with her husband Dick, operates Ferrer Gallery in the district.

Other Commission members are artist Anne Ryan Miller, Kathy Anderson, Cathy Martin, Cindy Steele, and Suzannah Zody.

“The state district designation was important to us,” said Tuley. “Now, not only will we be marketing ourselves as an arts and entertainment community, but the state will be marketing for us too. This should lead to an expansion of economic development, which is really what this whole effort is about.”

The commission has already researched how similar commissions in similar communities operate, and is currently working on a mission statement, logo, branding, a marketing plan, and guidelines for public art projects. “One pad for a new piece of public art has already been placed on Franklin Street near Jefferson and as soon as guidelines are completed efforts will begin to acquire a piece for that pad,” Tuley said.

Sometime after the first of the year the commission plans to hold a public meeting to update the community on where it is and begin the process of gathering information on the needs of artists and entertainers. That information will be vital to a long-range plan moving the district forward.

The commission meets at 9 a.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Nashville Town Hall.

All meetings are open to the public.

Submitted by Tom Tuley, president of the Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission.

2013 Recipients

Celebrating the Columbus Cultural District Designation

O

n December 7, Columbus, along with Nashville, was designated an official Cultural District by the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC). We join the cities of Bloomington, Carmel, and Lafayette-West Lafayette as one of only five that now hold this designation. As described by the IAC, these Districts promote the exploration of and participation in the arts and humanities through cultural experiences that are unique to [their] communities, while also supporting community life and economic vitality.

Led by the Columbus Area Arts Council’s executive director, Karen Shrode, dozens of community leaders began preparing Columbus’ application nearly a year ago. The team led focus groups, conducted community surveys, drew up asset maps, and sat through countless hours of planning sessions to create an application that would successfully showcase how deeply embedded in our community’s fabric the arts are.

The arts have played a large role in Columbus for decades, trumpeted by philanthropists J. Irwin Miller and his wife Xenia S. Miller. Our community is home to nearly 70 notable buildings and

public art pieces (not to mention seven National Historic Landmarks).

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is now in its 90th season and The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic has played since 1970. The Columbus Area Arts Council has been providing arts-related programming and support since 1972. There are many other (new and old) organizations that also provide arts-related programming in the Arts District. These groups are joined by multiple non arts-related groups and businesses to form a

governing coalition that backs the Arts Council as the main support and planning organization for the district.

The newly named Columbus Arts District encompasses more than 360 arts programs and cultural assets that focus on attracting, growing, shaping, and engaging the public. Four corridors anchor the district around downtown. They are: Commerce Corridor: Spanning 15 blocks, Washington Street is home to locally-owned businesses, restaurants, and shops.

Arts and Education Corridor: Along Jackson Street, assets include Indiana University Center for Art+Design, YES Cinema, and Jacksson Contemporary Art Gallery.

Architecture Corridor: Fifth Street is recognized as one of the most architecturally significant streets in the United States.

Entertainment Corridor: Fourth Street has recently undergone a makeover to create an urban events and pedestrian plaza.

Through its thriving mix of cultural arts and activities, our hope is the Columbus Arts District will serve as a magnet for people of all ages and will play a vital role in the city’s strategy to be a more welcoming community to not only those who call Columbus home, but visitors as well.

Submitted by Arthur Smith, Marketing & Media Director of Columbus Area Arts Council. He can be reached at <asmith@ artsincolumbus.org>.

Find out more about the arts in Columbus by visiting <www.artsincolumbus.org>. 

Jan.–March 2013 • INto ART 41

News from

T

he Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) is an officially designated Cultural District by the State of Indiana and offers 60 blocks of attractions to explore and enjoy all in the heart of downtown Bloomington. With more than 100 restaurants, 90 retail shops, galleries, live theatre and music, public art, trails, and places to stay, there’s never a shortage of things to do and see—for a day, a week, or longer.

After what was a very robust fall schedule of arts happenings, winter into spring looks to be just as exciting. Here are a few notables you should put on your events calendar: Delectable art meets delicious chocolate at The Art of Chocolate, Sunday, January 27 at the Indiana University Art Museum. The evening is a fundraiser for LIFEDesigns (formerly Options) and offers up an elegant evening featuring sweet and savory chocolate treats and beverages prepared by area chefs, live music, and the opportunity to see and bid on fine art and craft by local and regional artists all in the glittering, jewel-box setting of the Art Museum atrium. <www. weekofchocolate.com> The first day of February (February 1) marks the first Downtown GalleryWalk of 2013. At this Bloomington favorite (now in its 12th year), downtown galleries which are conveniently located within walking distance of one

42 INto ART • Jan.–March 2013

another, throw a collective party complete with new exhibitions, visiting artists, live music, refreshments and other surprises, all designed to create a festive and communal atmosphere celebrating the wealth of visual and performing arts in the area. Visitors will find an exciting selection of artwork at each gallery along with a vibe that ranges from sophisticated to college-town funky. Whatever your taste in fine art and craft, you’re sure to find something you love at the Downtown GalleryWalk.<www. gallerywalkbloomington.com> Art meets food once again (can you tell we enjoy a good meal here in Bloomington) at the Soup Bowl, February 17 at the Bloomington Convention Center.

Local ceramicists craft more than 600 unique soup bowls and a ticket gets you your choice of collectible bowl with which you can sample hearty soups, breads and desserts, all provided by over a dozen local restaurants. The evening is topped off with performances by local notables, a silent auction and door prizes. All proceeds benefit Hoosier Hills Food Bank.

March brings another Midwest tradition to downtown, the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show, March 7–9.

One of the largest shows of its type in the county, the Quilt Show brings together more than 200 stunning examples of traditional and contemporary quilted works to the Bloomington Convention Center. In addition to the quilted works on display, the Quilt Show also features dozens of workshops for all skill levels, a merchants’ mall filled with sewing and quilting supplies and fabrics and several quilt-related exhibitions at area museums, such as the WonderLab Museum. <www.ihqs.org> Many know Lotus as the annual Lotus World Music and Arts Festival in downtown Bloomington, but Lotus is much, much more than just the annual festival. The Lotus Blossoms Educational Outreach nurtures children’s curiosity about other cultures by bringing internationally respected artisteducators into southern Indiana schools. As part of Lotus Blossoms, Lotus offers the World Bazaar, March 23 at Rogers-Binford Elementary School. The World Bazaar offers visitors a free day of concerts, meet-the-artist events, hands-on art activities and a chance to get into the fun that is Lotus. <www.lotusfest.org> There’s much, much more to see in do in BEAD every day of the week. You’ll find it on our website at <www.visitbead.com> along with featured blogs on dining, shopping and other arts events you’ll want to check out while you’re here!

Submitted by Miah Michaelsen, Director of BEAD, City of Bloomington, <michaelm@ bloomington.in.gov>. 

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2013

DOWNTOWN bLOOmiNgTON

WALK GalleryWalkBloomington.com

eleven member galleries find artwork you love from sophisticated to funky stroll the gallery walk any time of the year and attend special gallery walk receptions from 5-8pm on these six firsT friDAys: february 1, April 5, June 7, August 2, October 4 and December 6.

fuLL member gALLeries

 Blueline creative co-op & Gallery

 pictura Gallery

 Gallery Group

224 N. College Ave. 47404 [812] 589-7377 bluelinestyle.com

122 W. 6th st. 47404 [812] 336-0000 picturagallery.com

109 e. 6th st. 47408 [812] 334-9700 gallerygroup.org

Tues–fri 12-6, sAT 12-4

Tues–sAT 11-7

mON–fri 9-5

 By Hand Gallery

 tHe venue, fine arts & Gifts

101 W. Kirkwood Ave. 47404 #109 fountain square mall [812] 334-3255 byhandgallery.com

114 s. grant st. 47408 [812] 339-4200 thevenuebloomington.com

 royale Hair parlor Gallery

Tues-sAT 11-7, suN 12-5

mON–sAT 10-5:30

 Gallery406 inside the Wicks building 116 W. 6th st., ste. 110 47404 [812] 333-0536 gallery406.com

AuxiLiAry gALLeries

 Blue studio Gallery 116 1/2 s. College Ave. #10 [upstairs] 47404 [812] 361-7504 bluestudiogallery.com

inside the Wicks building 116 W. 6th st., ste. 101 47404 [812] 360-1860 royalehairparlor.com mON 11-4, Tues-fri 11-7, sAT 11-4 11 stone Belt 

mON–fri 9-6, firsT friDAys 9-8, sAT by AppT

WeD-sAT 12-6 Or by AppT.

art Gallery

 ivy tecH Waldron arts center

 el norteño Gallery

122 s. Walnut st. 47404 [812] 330-4400 ivytech.edu/waldron

206 N. Walnut st. 47404 [812] 333-9591 elnorteñorestaurant.com

107 W. 9th st. 47401 [812] 332-2168 x. 269 artgallery@stonebelt.org

mON–fri 9-7, sAT 9-5, CLOseD suN

mON–Thurs 11-10, fri–sAT 11-10:30, suN 11-9

mON-fri 10-4, firsT friDAys 10-4 AND 5-8

pottery by ruth conway [By Hand Gallery]

timidity i sculpture by devin Balara [ivy tech Waldron arts center] Weaving by suzanne Halvorson [By Hand Gallery]

IA_GalleryWalkAd01.2013.indd 1

12/11/12 2:29 PM