Brown County
Art Farm
Jim and Terri Schultz, owners of the Brown County Art Farm.
~story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh
T
he three artists-in-residence at the new Brown County Art Farm dream of their creative community growing when the farm opens additional affordable housing and studio spaces to an increasing number of artists and artisans. This spring, Brown County’s commissioners and planning commission approved farm owners Jim and Terri Schultz’ request to rezone the property and allow the long-time Brown County residents to transform several existing structures into living spaces and artistic studios. Jim, retired president of Star Electric that operated on the property for decades, served for six years on the Brown County Redevelopment Commission. He is intimately aware of two key
46 Our Brown County • Nov./Dec. 2023
problems facing the community: a complex lack of affordable housing, and the subsequent inability to draw new artists and artisans like the ones who established the county’s rich heritage as the Art Colony of the Midwest. Terri, an accomplished illustrator and painter of portraits and landscapes, said while some retirees put their savings into the stock exchange, she and her husband decided to put theirs into more sustainable living to hopefully inspire a community solution. They plan to turn two large updated-buthistoric-looking barns that formerly housed the electric business into two one-bedroom apartments with art studios and a three-bedroom home or workspace.
