MAGAZINE OF HISTORY VOLUME XXXV DECEMBER,1939 NUMBER4

The Brown County Art Colony JOSEPHINEA. GRAF Indiana has been the home of the landscape painter, be- cause of the natural background of hills and hollows, foliage and skylines. Painters have found these a natural interest. Artists from distant places as well as native sons have often been brought under the spell of Hoosier landscapes. Fre- quently they have come to Indiana by chance and have been so fascinated by a particular locality that they have become permanent residents. Consequently, artists have settled in various parts of the state. Some work in groups, and some individually, wherever there is hope of achievement. As in the early history of art in Europe, where artists congregated in active towns or cities, art interest developed in Hoosier towns and cities in a natural way. Among these are Muncie, Richmond, Oldenburg, , Terre Haute, and Nash- ville of Brown County. Some painters, as did the poet Riley, have delighted in depicting “the native son” in his simple provincial mode of life. It is not surprising then that artists of all kinds- etchers, sculptors, portrait painters, and figure painters- have made Brown County a rendevous. Four artists, upon their return from study and travel in Europe, exerted a special influence on the development of a characteristic Hoosier art. They were J. Otis Adams, William Forsyth, Otto Stark, and Theodore C. Steele.’ Each by his example

1 The first three of the four artists here mentioned are not dealt with in this article, but they, as well as Mr. Steele, were teachers and leaders in the art move- nent in Indiana. They studied abroad, but, before their return to the , they decided that the material for art inspiration was practically inexhaust- ible in their home state. It was while at a display of the work of American artists In a Munich art gallexy that Forsyth and Adams agreed to this truth. and thw there determined to come home to paint in Indiana. Adams located in Muncie. Indiana, where Steele was for a time associated with him. These two men once had a studio together at Broakville, Indiana, for a brief period, and Adama re- tained a studio there till his death. Mr. Steele left Muncie to work for a while at what became the John Herron Art Institute. Forsyth returned from abroad to 866 Indiana Magazine of History and teaching directed an ‘active interest in landscape as a theme of art. Mr. Steele was among the first to appreciate the scenic possibilities of the state. He was a pioneer in the sense that he used the entire state as a field of egpression. He worked in Muncie, Indianapolis, North Vernon, Brookville, and, finally, he was the first painter in the Brown County hills. The old Munich tradition had made a profound impression upon him. His art was a development of European traditions influenced by a characteristic Hoosier background and tem- pered by an independent will. As a painter, he went into Brown County about 1907. At that time, it was so remote and inaccessible because it had no railroads or good highways that it had been less affected by change than any other part of the state. There Mr. Steele developed his ideals un- harrassed. Public elements interested in art were soon in- trigued by his landscapes of Brown County hills, old beeches, and rustic rail fences. More and more attention began to be focused on this region. Frank Hohenberger has done a great deal to make the public conscious of Brown County. He originally went there for his health, but, being an artist with his camera, he soon photographed landscape compositions and outstanding char- acters in and near the county seat. A sense of humor and an appreciation of the homespun philosophy of the natives caused him to write a series of newspaper articles in which he used the pictures to illustrate the unaffected atmosphere of the region. People were both curious and interested in the quaint, little town of Nashville, for as we all know, it is only too seldom that anything remains unchanged in the midst of change. Mr. Hohenberger was really pointing out opportunities to those who were interested in such an out of the way place. Among the early artists to settle there was Ada Walters work in Indiana. where he exerted a strong influence on the study of art in the statr. Hr held many notable connections, the last of which was that of instructor in the John Herron Art School. Mr. Stark, the fourth of the group, after a short period in , returned to Indiana to tearh art in the Manual Training Hiah School of Indianapolis. and and composition at the John Herron Art Institute. Once when the four artids were exhibiting with the Society of Western Art- i+. a rritic woke. of them a? the “Hoosier Four.” The name stayed with them and their coiiperation arrl friendship incrensrd. Because each gave of his time nnrl talent to make pnblic contacts, exhibits and lectures, art appreciation grew in Ind‘ana. To know any one of the four. Adams. Forsyth. Steele. or Stark, was to know the others. Their influpnce and enthu-iasm were typical of their love of art and have been instrumental in directing the course of art development in Indiana. The Brown County Art Colony 367

Schulz. She was born in Terre Haute and attended art school in . Early in her career, she became interested in idealistic figure work. She built her work around the native mother and child theme, painting local madonnas. She stood out in the Brown County Art colony as the one who first attempted, as a figure painter, to build the theme around the use of the figure or figures. In this she worked in contrast to the portrait painter who builds his theme around the char- acteristics of likeness of the particular sitter or sitters at the sacrifice of any other possibilities in the theme. At the time of her death in 1928, she had gained great recognition in her work. Another seasoned painter, Adolph Robert Schulz, mi- grated from the dairy country of Wisconsin.2 He once jokingly remarked that he had to leave his native Delavan because “the cows ate up the landscape.” He returned, how- ever, to his native environment after having studied in Chi- cago, , and Munich, but the encroaching dairying in- dustry made it necessary for him to seek new haunts. He discovered Brown County as a result of a series of walks through Indiana. He is academically trained and has never departed from this tradition. His summers are spent in Brown County and his winters in Sarasota, Florida. His wife, Alberta Rehm Schulz, although not so well known in the art world as her distinguished husband, has recently ex- hibited her in both Brown County and in Florida. Louis 0. Griffith is a landscape painter and etcher who established himself in Nashville, the county seat, quite a while ago. A native of Greencastle, Indiana, he studied in St. Louis, New York, and Paris. He has exhibited throughout the country. He is primarily an etcher and one of unusual merit. Early in his career, he developed a color process from which prints were made that were purchased by the Canadian Government. As a serious painter of landscape, he experiments with it from both the conservative and modern viewpoint. “Will” Vawter and Marcus Dickey arrived in Brown County about 1910. Mr. Dickey was secretary to Jhmes Whitcomb Riley and Mr. Vawter was undertaking to illustrate a Riley book that the former had edited. They found two

.For an article by the artist, Adolph Robert Schulz, see IadianO Mamin8 of Historv (Deeember, 1936). XXXI. 282-289. 368 Indiana Magazine of History things well adapted to their prsjechne the rustic atmos- phere, the other the simple, wholesome people with peculiar- ities and traits that exemplified Riley’s characters. Both men have made their homes in Brown County ever since. Mr. Vawter originally came from Virginia. He was a newspaper illustrator, but painting and etching were hobbies that later became his profession. His paintings have won considerable recognition through his exhibitions and prizes. Then there is Mary H. Vawter. She established a studio on Hill Top road. Her chief contributions are landscapes with an oc- casional portrait. One who has unostensibly forged to the front and caused Brown County to be better known as an art colony is . Her foremost ooncern is portrait painting, but she also enjoys painting still life, particularly flowers. Recently, however, portrait painting has left her little time for other in- terests. She studied extensively in Cincinnati and in various eastern art centers. Her varied talents make her a most versatile person in that she can play and sing very beautifully as well as paint. For a time, she considered seriously enter- ing the concert world, but perhaps an inborn timidity led her to express her great love for the beautiful in painting, which permits her to live more quietly. It is not surprising then, that, when she visited a friend in Nashville, she decided that this would be an ideal place to work. She and her sister, Genevieve Goth, took a cabin where they could both work and rest. The latter, now Genevieve Goth Graf,3 as a close com- panion to her sister also has that great love for beauty which has found expression in still life painting and wood carving. Her pictures, though a bit different from the average, still live because she develops art themes from articles of common usage in daily life. These are most fascinating because she is well versed in both traditional pattern and color. Edward K. Williams was a commercial artist in Chicago, but, as a result of the study of painting in both oil and water color as a hobby, painting was to become his profession. As a commercial artist, he developed a series of poster stamps in which he ignored traditional characteristics common to that type of work. His success in this line gave an impetus to

8Wife of Carl C. Graf, a brother of the writer. The Brown County Art Colony 369

his interest in art as a profession. With this change, he found Brown County more stimulating than Chicago. Another “old timer” in the art colony is Carl C. Graf. Having been born and reared in southern Indiana, his in- terests lay where he found a wide variety of country that was typical of what he had known and loved in his youth. By nature he is idealistic and poetic with a great love for the open country. After a period of preparation in In- dianapolis, Cincinnati, and the East, he selected Brown County for his rural studio because of the immense variety of material and the seclusion from the confusion and din of the commercial world. Whether the landscape is realistic or poetic, he finds there the opportunity to develop his special interests. Photography was the hobby that ultimately drew Curry Bohm to Nashville. He was born in the South, the son of an artist, but was denied early training in art because of strenuous parental objections. Later, however, he studied in Chicago where he worked as a photographer. At first, he was satisfied to hunt out the scenic spots in and around Nashville. Each visit was more intriguing until at last he made it his residence that he might continue his artistic pursuits. As a painter, he is profoundly influenced by poetry. His themes are often developed as an inspiration from nature rather than the realism of nature. In summer, he directs the Brown County School of Painting and Landscape. Dale Bessire settled in Brown County as a manager of an orchard. Having previously studied art as a hobby in both Indianapolis and Chicago, he soon found it to be his major interest. His landscapes are widely distributed throughout the country and his name has come to be a fa- miliar one in many art circles. Italian born Varaldo J. Carrani is another landscape and flower painter of note, invariably associated with those who enjoy the retreat in the hills of Brown County. He was well schooled in the East and came to Indiana as a result of friends made while a student in the East. His inherent love for gay colors, mellowed by an appreciative soul, make his landscapes and flower pictures delightful and interesting to all lovers of art. Hill Top School has been a medium of expression for Mrs. Musette Osler Stoddard since she is primarily interested 870 Indium Magazine of History in art as a teacher. This is a fertile field for her initiative, for here, basketry, ceramics, weaving, and sketching are taught. George La Chance is another artist who was first a photographer with painting as a hobby. He was formerly from Vincennes, Indiana. Like a number of others with similar hobbies, his interest in both portrait painting and landscape grew until they became his profession. The influence and reputation of the Nashville locality has brought a number of seasonal painters from various places. Some of the better known of these are: Paul Sargent from Charleston, ; George Mock from Muncie, Indi- ana; Charles Dalgreen and Thomas Topping from Chicago; and Leota Loop, the well known flower painter from Kokomo, Indiana. Perhaps Lucy Hartrath of Chicago is the most widely known of all artists that come and go with the alternating seasons. She studied in Chicago, Paris, and Munich. Very early in her career, she became interested in Hoosier land- scapes. Her annual visits to Nashville began about twenty years ago and she has identified herself with it ever since. The fact that these artists have organized the Brown County Art Gallery Association with specific qualifications for membership has increased public interest in their work. It has enabled the members to display a continuous exhibi- tion that is fairly representative of the work of the group. About fifteen painters maintain studios or residences within a short distance of Nashville and other members, even though they are not in residence, maintain a close working relation- ship with the Association. These artists exhibit their work in various representative exhibitions and private collections throughout the country. Their contributions are quite diver- sified in nature, in subject matter, and in interpretation. NO doubt the talents of this rather heterogeneous group are tempered by the influence of the environment upon them. The part that Brown County has actually had in this varia- tion can not be measured, yet, with its growing popularity, it must be assumed that this verdant country and the naive natives have made an indelible impression.