Visitors can watch — and talk with — artists as the latter paint Selma’s Garden at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 15. The free daytime event is called “Painting Selma’s Garden,” as part of a Juneteenth celebration. (That evening, artists and art lovers will meet from 5:30 to 8 p.m. for a reception and wet-paint art sale in the site’s large studio. For $45 per ticket, guests can enjoy food, wine and music and shop for art. The site’s main structure — The House of the Singing Winds — and formal gardens will be open for self-guided tours during this reception.)
Artists are welcome to arrive throughout the day
Artists may come to paint anytime throughout the day until 5 p.m. Artists may contact Indiana Heritage Arts at 812-988-4609 for information on how to apply. In addition, the evening reception tickets for participating artists and their guests are discounted to $10.
“Artists who paint outdoors are typically used to rolling with the weather, so it’s a rain-or-shine event,” said Jessica Stephens, T.C. Steele State Historic Site manager and state historic sites program manager for Indiana State Museum and historic sites.
“We have had a painting blow over due to the wind, though. The artist wasn’t happy about it, but it is just part of painting ‘en plein air’ (outdoors), unfortunately.”
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The evening reception will mostly stay indoors, however.
The site’s annual fundraising event, with partners Indiana Heritage Arts and the Brown County Art Gallery, and support from the Brown County Community Foundation, offers visitors an opportunity to see several Indiana Heritage Arts painters in action as they work en plein air.
Of special focus will be the formal gardens that T.C. Steele’s second wife, Selma Neubacher Steele, created.
“It’s amazing how fast en plein air painters work,” Stephens said. “As the sun moves, the scene changes.”
Stephens has also seen artists take photographs of their scenes as a reference. This helps them as the scene changes throughout the day.
What is the T.C. Steele site?
Selma and T.C. Steele bought Brown County land in 1907 so they could build a home in the hills’ beauty. Naming their home the House of the Singing Winds, they also built the nearby “Large Studio” in 1916, for T.C.’s art.
Not only did Selma design acres of gardens around the house, she landscaped the adjacent hillsides. T.C.’s popularity expanded, bringing crowds of art and nature lovers.
The garden’s plants; nothing after 1945
Today, the formal garden has a variety of heirloom plants — plants that are any cultivar developed before a certain time.
“Nothing in (Selma’s) garden can date after 1945, the year of Selma’s death,” Stephens said. “We also have several of Selma’s original plants — most famously the peonies!”
Poppies, daylilies, echinacea, Annabel hydrangeas, moroccana, iris and others also abound.
Art for sale in the Steele large studio
“My favorite part of the day is the wet paint sale in the large studio,” Stephens said. “There is so much excitement in the air.”
Some artists do several paintings throughout the day. Last year about 30 artists participated. This year Stephens expects 30-40 paintings will be for sale.
The paintings may still be wet. It depends on the paint; for instance, oil dries slowly. “Most buyers will lay their painting flat in the back of their vehicle.” Others will leave the pieces at the T.C. Steele site for a few days.
“You can carry them when wet by the wooden slats on the back, but very carefully.”
The ticketed evening reception
People age 18 and older, with reservations, are encouraged to attend the evening reception, where artists and guests can talk and enjoy refreshments. Stephens said people usually wear dressy-casual. “We see a lot of dresses but not a lot of suits, which is absolutely fine.”
“Last year so many people wanted to go down to the gardens throughout the night that we could have used three golf carts. Unfortunately, we only have two.”
If you go
WHAT: Free day of “Painting Selma’s Garden” at T.C. Steele Historic Site, followed by a ticketed reception that evening.
WHEN: Free day of observing artists paint is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. June 15. The ticketed reception that evening for ages 18-plus is 5:30-8 p.m.
WHERE: T.C. Steele State Historic Site’s Selma’s Garden, 4220 T.C. Steele Road, Nashville
TICKETS: For the evening reception (daytime event is free) $45 at IndianaMuseum.org, reservations required
