Steele works display at IU Art Museum

Famous works of art aren't strictly located in The Louvre or the Guggenheim. They are also located right here on IU's campus. Students can see the works of IU's own T.C. Steele in the IU Art Museum and the Indiana Memorial Union, among other buildings.\nRenowned Indiana artist Steele was the subject of a lecture given by the Indiana State Museum's Fine Arts Curator Rachel Perry on Tuesday afternoon at the IU Art Museum. Perry's lecture focused primarily on Steele's years spent in Brown County, starting in 1907, and as the artist-in-residence at IU. \nSteele first gained recognition upon returning from his formal art training in Munich in 1885. While there, Steele completed what many art experts consider to be his best work, "The Boatman", painted in 1884. \n"Many consider this Steele's masterpiece because of the attention to shadows, which is difficult to obtain in a backlight subject," Perry said. "I'm very pleased that this piece remained in the state."\nPerry's lecture continued with Steele's relocation to Brown County in 1907. Steele's picturesque paintings of Brown County landscapes solidified his standing as the most prominent member of a quintet of Indiana artists referred to as the "Hoosier Group."\nPerry stated that Steele's Brown County years are "very dear to her heart," particularly since she spent 10 years working at the T.C. Steele Historic Site in Brown County.\n"It's a fantastic place to visit because you can see the actual subjects of his paintings," he said.\nSteele's years in Brown County produced such famous paintings as "The Cabin," "House of the Singing Winds," and "Cows in the Woods." These Impressionistic landscapes of Brown County permanently solidified Steele's status as an Indiana artist of great importance.\nPerry characterized Steele's importance.\n"His interpretation and emphasis on the beauty of the Indiana countryside when most prominent artists painted in more dramatic areas made him extremely important and the preeminent Indiana artist of his lifetime," she said.\nIn 1922, Steele became the artist-in-residence of IU, at the request of then president William Lowe Bryan. Steele remained artist-in-residence until his death in 1926.\nSteele's influence as artist-in-residence can be widely seen on today's campus, with the Indiana Memorial Union collection housing 36 Steele paintings. Steele paintings can also be seen in the Bryan House, Bryan Hall, the Chemistry Building, the Geology Building, Kirkwood Hall, the Law School, the Lilly Library, Merrill Hall, the Woodburn House, the IU Foundation, and in various residence halls. \nThe IU Art Museum is currently displaying a collection titled "T.C. Steele and Indiana University: A Collector's Legacy." This collection includes seven paintings by Steele, which were donated by the estate of Hubert and Cordelia Collins. The collection includes "The Boatman" and "House of the Singing Winds." The collection will be on display at the IU Art Museum until \nAugust 7.