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FRIENDS OF T.C. STEELE STATE HISTORIC SITE
HISTORY & SIGNIFICANCE
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.
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