4 minute read
Brown County Art Farm
Jim and Terri Schultz, owners of the Brown County Art Farm.
~story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh
The 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 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.
Some of the “small, quiet, nonpolluting, lowtraffic” businesses that the Schultzes hope to welcome include artists, writers, craft makers, gardeners, and graphic designers.
While their farm dates back to the late 1800s, the amenities that future tenants will enjoy are anything but antiquated, with enterprise-level fiber Internet to make work efficient and full backup generators to leave no lag during power outages. The farm is also slated to receive an added septic system, a central fire alarm system, and upgraded parking.
Two of the Schultzes’ three children, Abe and Lucy Schultz, often can be found on the farm spearheading construction and renovation projects. Their son Nick Schultz owns Brown County Coffee. Jim said that because he and Terri have spent the past 41 years improving the Greasy Creek Road farmstead and being involved with local public construction projects, “at this point it’s just in our blood.”
Similarly, it’s nothing new for the Schultzes to share the farm with other artists. The couple has welcomed renters into an updated farmhouse on the property for more than 30 years.
Terri said they’ve never had to search for tenants because, “there’s no shortage of folks around here
looking for somewhere nice and affordable to rent.” So, over the years when the Schultzes happened upon creative individuals looking for housing, who shared their love of gardening and clean living, tenants tended to stay for a very long time.
Artists Jeff Hagen and Pamela Keech currently rent the farmhouse. Hagen said the Schultzes “making this affordable is what brought me in.” Hagen is a former art teacher who has published several books and creates watercolor art. Keech, a historic curator for several museums, creates collage art and sculpture.
The work of the farm’s three artists is on display in a freshly renovated gallery that once served Jim’s electric business. The trio welcomed the public this October for the gallery’s first Back Roads of Brown County Studio Tour.
“I really don’t think the gallery would be nearly this good without all of us here together,” Terri said.
The Schultzes said while they believe small art communities offering affordable housing stand to benefit residents, artists, and the community alike—seeking approval for what they’re calling an “art incubator” felt intimidating.
Jim said the idea of turning old farmsteads into denser housing has been “kicked around” for probably 10 years. But to stand up at community meetings and propose to actually do it felt daunting.
“We just got to the point that we didn’t want to sit around and wait for somebody else to do it any longer,” Jim said. “We really hope that what we’re doing might set an example of what can happen in Brown County.”
And so far, the idea has been met with total support.
Brown County Art Farm is located at 1993 Greasy Creek Road, Nashville. Call ahead for the gallery’s winter hours: Terri Schultz 812-345-9149, Jeff Hagen and Pamela Keech 812-929-5798.
