Homeward bound: An art odyssey come full circle
May 3, 2023 at 2:17 p.m.
The Whitewater Valley in Franklin County, Indiana is steeped in history, and many important historical figures, from Lew Wallace to four of Indiana’s State Governors, have called this area “Home” at one time or another. Every school year, students in Indiana History classes are taught about the contributions of those Hoosiers who impacted and helped shape the trajectory of Indiana History, as well as of American History.
What many residents may or may not be aware of is the importance and relevance of the phenomenal art history that took place in Franklin County, a history that lives on in the art world even today. The contributions that were made by a group of artists known as The Hoosier Group put Franklin County on the map nationally and internationally during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and their artwork is still very much sought after and valued by collectors everywhere.
Most prominent among the artists of The Hoosier Group – which consisted of T.C. Steele, J. Ottis Adams, Otto Stark, William Forsyth, and Richard Gruelle – was Theodore Clement Steele, who fell in love with the natural, lush beauty of the Whitewater Valley and spent much time here, painting in many different locales, most notably the town of Brookville and the Metamora Canal area. Steele was an “En Plein Air” artist before the term was ever coined and became popular. Photos of Steele show him dressed in his ever-present suit and tie, while perched on a stool, bringing to life on his canvas the simple and subtle beauties of his outdoor subjects, which he found in great supply.
T.C. Steele and J.Ottis Adams recognized the wealth of breathtaking subject matter present in the Whitewater Valley, and they decided to purchase a home in Brookville. Steele’s wife Libbie gave it the name of The Hermitage, which today retains the aura and feel of the times when The Hoosier Group visited and produced their memorable artwork. The artists initially planned for the home to be a summer residence in order to experience the remarkable vistas that could be found here but ended up coming to the area year-round to witness the stunning offerings of the other seasons of the year.
Using The Hermitage as a home base, the artists were able to travel around the area in a custom-built wagon, described as a “studio on wheels” designed by Steele, capturing with their palettes the innate wonders of nature’s bounty. T.C. Steele left this area for the Nashville/Brown County area upon the death of Libbie from tuberculosis. His profound grief from the loss of his wife/best friend/soul mate resulted in the move, and one wonders if he would have remained in the picturesque Whitewater Valley - as did J. Ottis Adams and his wife, Winifred - had she not passed.
T.C. Steele was a most prolific painter, and scores of his Impressionist landscapes abound. Studying his work, one will get a sense of what this area of our state looked like at the time, and these visuals continue to be a source of joy and pleasure to many today. Art of this genre can provide many different things to different people, from a look back at the history of the era, to the appreciation for the natural beauty of the time, to perhaps an awakening of a memory from one’s past.
It was this last feature of T.C. Steele’s work that awakened in one area resident a happy boyhood remembrance, and because of this, members of the Franklin County Arts Council embarked on a journey to travel in order to receive the gift of an original T.C. Steele landscape, titled “Old Canal, Brookville,” painted in 1904.
William Logue was a resident of Richmond, growing up in the area and graduating from Richmond High School in the early 1950s. As a young boy, he remembered spending happy summer vacations with his brother, visiting his maternal grandparents – Herbert and Maude (Hooper) Dawdy – in Laurel, playing and fishing in the river and visiting the Metamora Canal. These memories stayed with Bill, who studied art history and traveled the world visiting museums with his first wife, Carol, who sadly passed away. Bill eventually remarried Linda Lane, a fellow Richmond Red Devil, who sat in front of him in homeroom through most of his school years, and whom he met again at their 60th Richmond High School Class Reunion. The new couple (newlyweds at 80 years old!) also traveled in quest of artworks which appealed to them. Bill has been a most fortunate man, in that he has been able to share his passion for the arts and for history with two remarkable women in his lifetime!
Bill’s own words sum it up best: “As children, my late brother and I spent time almost every summer with my mother’s parents in Laurel, and as a family, we often traveled around Franklin County and neighboring areas. We visited relatives in Metamora and made sightseeing visits to Brookville and Oldenburg. My father liked to go fishing down by the Laurel feeder dam. I have fond memories of the steam trains passing through Laurel on their way between Connersville and Cincinnati. Like many of our generation, our families liked to take drives on Sunday afternoons, and Linda’s father often took her to or through Brookville.”
Bill discovered the memory-evoking “Old Canal, Brookville” through an art contact, and he and Linda were able to purchase it, bringing it to hang in a prominent place of honor above their mantel in their home in Delanco, New Jersey. The painting is complemented by an extraordinary original Lieber frame, which is a wonder in itself. The amazing oil painting joins a large volume of works of art that the Logues have collected over their many journeys abroad, as well as here in the United States. Their favorites are works by the European Impressionists and local artists, such as those in Richmond and throughout Indiana, including Roland Osborne and Mary Frances Overbeck.
As both Bill and Linda are of the robust age of 89 (although upon meeting them, they are more like two forty-year-olds in MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT!), they felt the need to make sure that their treasured T.C. Steele would be equally treasured, enjoyed, and taken care of by someone who would appreciate the story and history behind this work of art. Bill researched art entities in the Richmond area and came across the quarterly newsletter for the Franklin County Arts Council on Facebook. He contacted the group and asked questions about exposure and security for the painting, and he and Linda made the generous decision to gift the painting into the care and supervision of the Franklin County Arts Council Board of Directors.
The members of the FCAC Board were ecstatic about the gift, and plans were made to travel to New Jersey to meet the Logues and personally escort T.C. Steele’s “Old Canal, Brookville” back to its home in Franklin County, where the idea for its creation began back in 1904. Board Member Ken Litteken and his son, Matthew – a very talented artist in his own right – traveled by van to New Jersey, while Patti Wilhelm – FCAC President – flew to Philadelphia and drove across the Delaware River (on the Betsy Ross Bridge, no less!) to Bill and Linda’s home in New Jersey, where they all met up.
The Logue home is a veritable museum of fascinating artwork and historical books (Who needs Musee du Louvre when you have Musee du Logue?). Much time was spent in animated conversation related to The Hoosier Group, The Richmond Artists, and other art masters throughout history, before the painting was wrapped and prepared for its journey back to the Midwest. The generosity of these two amazing Indiana expatriates is truly touching, and their selflessness will be appreciated by all who view “Old Canal, Brookville.” As Bill and Linda prepared to say “Farewell” to their beloved treasure, art lovers of Franklin County are preparing to say “Welcome Back Home!” to what promises to be a joyful community reunion for a remarkable piece of Indiana art history!
“The public is welcomed to view “Old Canal, Brookville” by T.C. Steele at the following locations and dates: Monday, May 8 in the FCN Bank lobby in Brookville from 10-2; Tuesday, May 9 at First Financial Bank lobby in Brookville from 10-2; Thursday, May 11 at Brookville Library from 10-2:15; Friday, May 12 at Laurel Library from 9-1; at the Martindale House in Metamora from 3-7; Friday, May 19 at The FC Quilt Show from 10-3; at the Franklin County Community Foundation Office any time other than the above dates and during their operating hours.
Other organizations have been contacted to display this artistic gem, and the arts council is awaiting replies from them.”
In the words of Theodore Clement Steele, “BEAUTY OUTLIVES EVERYTHING.”
Submitted by Patti Wilhelm
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The Whitewater Valley in Franklin County, Indiana is steeped in history, and many important historical figures, from Lew Wallace to four of Indiana’s State Governors, have called this area “Home” at one time or another. Every school year, students in Indiana History classes are taught about the contributions of those Hoosiers who impacted and helped shape the trajectory of Indiana History, as well as of American History.
What many residents may or may not be aware of is the importance and relevance of the phenomenal art history that took place in Franklin County, a history that lives on in the art world even today. The contributions that were made by a group of artists known as The Hoosier Group put Franklin County on the map nationally and internationally during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and their artwork is still very much sought after and valued by collectors everywhere.
Most prominent among the artists of The Hoosier Group – which consisted of T.C. Steele, J. Ottis Adams, Otto Stark, William Forsyth, and Richard Gruelle – was Theodore Clement Steele, who fell in love with the natural, lush beauty of the Whitewater Valley and spent much time here, painting in many different locales, most notably the town of Brookville and the Metamora Canal area. Steele was an “En Plein Air” artist before the term was ever coined and became popular. Photos of Steele show him dressed in his ever-present suit and tie, while perched on a stool, bringing to life on his canvas the simple and subtle beauties of his outdoor subjects, which he found in great supply.
T.C. Steele and J.Ottis Adams recognized the wealth of breathtaking subject matter present in the Whitewater Valley, and they decided to purchase a home in Brookville. Steele’s wife Libbie gave it the name of The Hermitage, which today retains the aura and feel of the times when The Hoosier Group visited and produced their memorable artwork. The artists initially planned for the home to be a summer residence in order to experience the remarkable vistas that could be found here but ended up coming to the area year-round to witness the stunning offerings of the other seasons of the year.
Using The Hermitage as a home base, the artists were able to travel around the area in a custom-built wagon, described as a “studio on wheels” designed by Steele, capturing with their palettes the innate wonders of nature’s bounty. T.C. Steele left this area for the Nashville/Brown County area upon the death of Libbie from tuberculosis. His profound grief from the loss of his wife/best friend/soul mate resulted in the move, and one wonders if he would have remained in the picturesque Whitewater Valley - as did J. Ottis Adams and his wife, Winifred - had she not passed.
T.C. Steele was a most prolific painter, and scores of his Impressionist landscapes abound. Studying his work, one will get a sense of what this area of our state looked like at the time, and these visuals continue to be a source of joy and pleasure to many today. Art of this genre can provide many different things to different people, from a look back at the history of the era, to the appreciation for the natural beauty of the time, to perhaps an awakening of a memory from one’s past.
It was this last feature of T.C. Steele’s work that awakened in one area resident a happy boyhood remembrance, and because of this, members of the Franklin County Arts Council embarked on a journey to travel in order to receive the gift of an original T.C. Steele landscape, titled “Old Canal, Brookville,” painted in 1904.
William Logue was a resident of Richmond, growing up in the area and graduating from Richmond High School in the early 1950s. As a young boy, he remembered spending happy summer vacations with his brother, visiting his maternal grandparents – Herbert and Maude (Hooper) Dawdy – in Laurel, playing and fishing in the river and visiting the Metamora Canal. These memories stayed with Bill, who studied art history and traveled the world visiting museums with his first wife, Carol, who sadly passed away. Bill eventually remarried Linda Lane, a fellow Richmond Red Devil, who sat in front of him in homeroom through most of his school years, and whom he met again at their 60th Richmond High School Class Reunion. The new couple (newlyweds at 80 years old!) also traveled in quest of artworks which appealed to them. Bill has been a most fortunate man, in that he has been able to share his passion for the arts and for history with two remarkable women in his lifetime!
Bill’s own words sum it up best: “As children, my late brother and I spent time almost every summer with my mother’s parents in Laurel, and as a family, we often traveled around Franklin County and neighboring areas. We visited relatives in Metamora and made sightseeing visits to Brookville and Oldenburg. My father liked to go fishing down by the Laurel feeder dam. I have fond memories of the steam trains passing through Laurel on their way between Connersville and Cincinnati. Like many of our generation, our families liked to take drives on Sunday afternoons, and Linda’s father often took her to or through Brookville.”
Bill discovered the memory-evoking “Old Canal, Brookville” through an art contact, and he and Linda were able to purchase it, bringing it to hang in a prominent place of honor above their mantel in their home in Delanco, New Jersey. The painting is complemented by an extraordinary original Lieber frame, which is a wonder in itself. The amazing oil painting joins a large volume of works of art that the Logues have collected over their many journeys abroad, as well as here in the United States. Their favorites are works by the European Impressionists and local artists, such as those in Richmond and throughout Indiana, including Roland Osborne and Mary Frances Overbeck.
As both Bill and Linda are of the robust age of 89 (although upon meeting them, they are more like two forty-year-olds in MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT!), they felt the need to make sure that their treasured T.C. Steele would be equally treasured, enjoyed, and taken care of by someone who would appreciate the story and history behind this work of art. Bill researched art entities in the Richmond area and came across the quarterly newsletter for the Franklin County Arts Council on Facebook. He contacted the group and asked questions about exposure and security for the painting, and he and Linda made the generous decision to gift the painting into the care and supervision of the Franklin County Arts Council Board of Directors.
The members of the FCAC Board were ecstatic about the gift, and plans were made to travel to New Jersey to meet the Logues and personally escort T.C. Steele’s “Old Canal, Brookville” back to its home in Franklin County, where the idea for its creation began back in 1904. Board Member Ken Litteken and his son, Matthew – a very talented artist in his own right – traveled by van to New Jersey, while Patti Wilhelm – FCAC President – flew to Philadelphia and drove across the Delaware River (on the Betsy Ross Bridge, no less!) to Bill and Linda’s home in New Jersey, where they all met up.
The Logue home is a veritable museum of fascinating artwork and historical books (Who needs Musee du Louvre when you have Musee du Logue?). Much time was spent in animated conversation related to The Hoosier Group, The Richmond Artists, and other art masters throughout history, before the painting was wrapped and prepared for its journey back to the Midwest. The generosity of these two amazing Indiana expatriates is truly touching, and their selflessness will be appreciated by all who view “Old Canal, Brookville.” As Bill and Linda prepared to say “Farewell” to their beloved treasure, art lovers of Franklin County are preparing to say “Welcome Back Home!” to what promises to be a joyful community reunion for a remarkable piece of Indiana art history!
“The public is welcomed to view “Old Canal, Brookville” by T.C. Steele at the following locations and dates: Monday, May 8 in the FCN Bank lobby in Brookville from 10-2; Tuesday, May 9 at First Financial Bank lobby in Brookville from 10-2; Thursday, May 11 at Brookville Library from 10-2:15; Friday, May 12 at Laurel Library from 9-1; at the Martindale House in Metamora from 3-7; Friday, May 19 at The FC Quilt Show from 10-3; at the Franklin County Community Foundation Office any time other than the above dates and during their operating hours.
Other organizations have been contacted to display this artistic gem, and the arts council is awaiting replies from them.”
In the words of Theodore Clement Steele, “BEAUTY OUTLIVES EVERYTHING.”
Submitted by Patti Wilhelm