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Welcome to
The Friends of T.C. Steele
State Historic Site
Take a Virtual Tour of T.C. Steele State Historic Site.
The T.C.
Steele State Historic Site includes the last home and studio of Indiana artist
Theodore Clement Steele (1847-1926) and his second wife Selma Neubacher Steele
(1870-1945). Steele, a member of the noted "Hoosier Group" of American
Impressionist painters, was attracted to Brown County by the scenery he
encountered while hiking in the area. The site's 211 acres of wooded hills
and ravines inspired the artist to paint some of his most famous works. As
Indiana's premier portraitist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Steele
also painted many of Indiana's "rich and famous." These industrialists,
philanthropists, educators, and political figures are the people whose stories
fill our history books.
Steele purchased the land that now
comprises the T.C. Steele State Historic Site in early 1907. That
spring, he built a home and brought a wife to what became known as the
"House of the Singing Winds." Artists from around the country came
to visit and to paint with Steele, finding for themselves the area's
spectacular beauty. Many stayed and settled to form the famous Brown
County Art Colony. The House of the Singing Winds was doubled in
size in 1908, and eventually two studio buildings were constructed along
with a garage, guest cottages, and other outbuildings. At least two
remote painting shacks were built to accommodate Steele's practice of
painting outdoors.
Historic Photo ca. 1920; T.C. Steele SHS
The Steeles undertook an
ambitious landscaping plan which transformed their hilltop acreage into
elaborate gardens and orchards. They planted hundreds of trees and
blazed hiking trails through the nearby woods.
T.C. Steele died at the
House of the Singing Winds in 1926, and his widow kept the property open to the
public until her death in 1945. Shortly before her death, Selma Steele
donated the property, buildings, and many artifacts, including over 350 T.C.
Steele paintings, to the state of Indiana. Her wishes were that the site
would become a place of education as well as a source of enjoyment for future
generations.
The site has been administered by the Indiana
Department of Conservation, now the Department of Natural Resources, since
1945. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973,
and received accreditation from the American Association of Museums in
1988. The 92-acre Selma N. Steele State Nature Preserve, which boasts
several rare and endangered plant species, was dedicated in 1990.
Who Are The Friends of T.C. Steele?
The Friends of T.C. Steele SHS support group
officially incorporated in 1991, although the historic site had volunteers and
"friends" on an informal basis for many years before that. Then- assistant
curator Rachel Perry was instrumental in organizing and gaining tax-exempt
status for the fledgling group, drawing in part from the support of a local
group interested in the natural and cultural resources of the area, the Friends
of Brown County. At first, the Friends of T.C. Steele operated in partnership
with the Indiana State Museum Society (ISMS). In 1993, the Friends of T.C.
Steele SHS split from ISMS, largely in order to gain autonomy in gift shop
operations. In 1996, the Friends of Brown County disbanded as a separate entity
and combined with the Friends of T.C. Steele; the Friends of T.C. Steele
agreed to take charge of their records and membership list, and committed
itself to continuing an event of interest to both groups, the annual Wildflower
Foray. The Friends of Brown County now exists as a permanent standing committee
of the Friends of T.C. Steele whose primary responsibility is to organize the
Wildflower Foray.
Over the
years, the Friends of T.C. Steele have helped with site operations as docents
and with building maintenance, garden and grounds maintenance, collections care,
and special events (these last three in terms of both volunteer hours and
financial assistance). In the ten years of its existence, the Friends group has
tackled the following projects, among many others: establishing an endowment
fund, contracting for reproduction draperies in the historic home, restoring
Mrs. Steele's gardens-an enormous, ongoing project-reconstructing the lily
ponds, rewiring the Dewar Log Cabin to accommodate interpretive exhibits,
co-sponsoring an exhibit of paintings by Brown County artist Ada Walter Shulz at
the Indiana State Museum, purchasing computer equipment for the historic site,
and most recently, initiating an Adopt-a-Painting program and sponsoring a
two-day furniture restoration workshop. Thanks to the Friends of T.C. Steele a
new walking tour brochure which leads visitors to some of Steele's favorite
painting locations is available at the site. The brochure has been produced with
the assistance of T.C. Steele staff members and IU Art Museum staff members,
using grant money from the Indiana Division of Tourism and matching funds from
the Friends of T.C. Steele. For a demonstration of the brochure visit our virtual tour.
Friends'
members work with their community organizations to link site events with
community-wide activities such as the Brown County Art Renaissance (of which the
site's Great Outdoor Art Contest is an integral part) and the spring Wildflower
Foray, which is organized with the help of the Brown County Garden Club, Brown
County Lions Club, Brown County State Park, Yellowwood State Forest, and Monroe
Reservoir along with representatives of other DNR divisions, the Indiana Native
Plant and Wildflower Society, Hoosier National Forest and others.
The
Friends of T.C. Steeles' most visible presence at the historic site is the gift
shop located in the Large Studio. The shop is operated on contract with the
Division of Museums & Historic Sites, and is a primary source of revenue for
the group.
Visit our membership page to see how you could become a member!
Bcoming A Member & Benefits
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