Painter T.C. Steele and his wife Selma built their home in 1907 among Brown County’s rolling hills, scenic vistas, and majestic trees. Today, you can visit the house, studios, and landscaped grounds that inspired the noted Indiana artist’s beautiful impressionist paintings.
It was a beautiful and sunny spring day, and my wife and I took our 4-year-old granddaughter on a drive into Brown County to show her the flowering Redbuds and Dogwoods. She was fascinated by the display of colors and the baby sheep and cows we watched as we drove past the many small farms along the scenic back roads. We ended up at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site midway between Nashville and Bloomington. The site and the new visitors center are closed on Monday and Tuesday. However, the trails and gardens were available for a walking tour. During regular business hours (Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), there is a sliding admission price based on the visitor’s age.
American impressionist painter Theodore Clement Steele and his wife Selma moved to Brown County in 1907 and established a home, studio, and beautiful gardens on 211 acres of scenic terrain. The property and its artifacts, including a large collection of Steele’s landscape paintings, can be viewed during open hours at the essentially unchanged property. The picturesque ridges and valleys of this area and Steele’s prominence drew other artists, establishing the Art Colony of the Midwest. Steele is widely known as the “Dean of Indiana Painters” and was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Design in New York City. Indiana University President William Bryan named him “Honorary Professor of Painting” in 1922. Steele worked at his IU studio until his death in 1926.
When the site is open, visitors can access Steele’s studio, home, the House of the Singing Winds, and the many hiking trails that meander through the property. In recent years there has been an impressive effort to recreate Selma’s vast gardens. This is a wonderful day trip with something for all ages to enjoy. Every time I drive up the long steep hill to the property, I imagine T.C. and Selma riding slowly home in the horse-drawn traveling art studio that has been refurbished and is parked at the grounds.