4 minute read
Brown County Craft Gallery
~story and photos by Bob Gustin
For about 45 years now, the Brown County Craft Gallery has been a staple in downtown Nashville, a place area artists and craftsmen can sell their creations directly to the public.
Founded in 1978, the non-profit gallery has 12 members and 22 artists who consign their work.
One recent February morning, member Sidney Bolam, a stone carver, and her pet dog Rosie, worked the counter and greeted visitors who came in looking for locally created treasures and travel directions.
She describes the gallery as a “low ego” establishment focusing on heritage crafts which has a big heart and supports other artists in the county, regardless of whether they are members.
“When a customer buys handmade art anywhere in town, it’s a win for all of us,” she said.
A wide variety of crafts are available at the shop, ranging from pottery and fiber arts, to jewelry, gourd art, wooden puzzles, prints and original paintings, stone carvings, photographs, magnets, stickers, and more.
“We have things at every price point,” Bolam said, “from $3 to $600.” The range of items may appeal to those wanting to pick up an inexpensive souvenir as well as to serious art collectors.
“Everything is made in Brown and surrounding counties. There are no imports or manufactured stuff, we carry original work only,” she said.
“We’ve survived multiple moves and adversities, such as the pandemic. We have a constantly rotating roster of new and longtime artists.”
Ron Dawson, a retired Ivy Tech professor who exhibits photography at the gallery, is the organization’s president. He has been a member since 2012, and his wife Marla, a fiber artist, joined as a member in the early 1990s.
To be displayed in the gallery, work must be approved by a jury consisting of current members. Sometimes, items are not accepted because the gallery already has a good representation of a specific medium, such as jewelry or pottery.
“We’re always looking for quality artwork,” he said, “especially in mediums we currently don’t have in the gallery.”
The gallery moved a few years ago from a location near the county courthouse to 62 E. Washington St., just a half block from the Visitors Center. Dawson said the current location has a homey feel and gets good traffic, often being one of the first stops tourists make after leaving the Visitors Center.
Dawson said the biggest sellers include fiber art, pottery, various glassware and jewelry products, cards, gourd art, and wooden puzzles.
He said visitors from large cities often comment on the reasonable prices at the gallery, and when potential customers are looking for items the gallery does not offer, gallery members are encouraged to point them to other local businesses selling items produced by regional artists.
“We want to promote Nashville, Brown County, and a good experience for the tourists. We want people to come back.
“What the gallery gets from the artists is enough to run the operation.” Dawson said. “The majority of the money goes to the artists.
“We’re not there to be a profit-generating business for some individual owner, we’re there to be a place for regional artists to display their work.”
Michael Bell and Danielle Bachant-Bell, blown glass; Sidney Bolam, stone carving; Marla Dawson, weaving and knitting; Ronald Dawson, photography; Carrie Foley, jewelry; Jim Halvorson, pottery; Kathy Lehnig, woven rugs; David and Jennie Orr, nature block printing; Gail E. Trout, stained glass, earrings; Leah Tannen, reclaimed wood and glass, jewelry; Mark Tschida, puzzles; Sue Westhues, gourd art.
Consignments include: felted and hooked items, knitting, baskets, pottery, fused glass, bird and bat houses, painting, woodcarving, handcrafted soap, wood turning, blown glass, multimedia items, weaving, metal work, and magnets.
The gallery is open year-round, seven days a week except for a period from mid-January to mid-March when it is closed on Wednesdays. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except during October, when it is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more info call 812-988-7058 or check its Facebook page.
