Covered Bridge Art Association Gallery
124 West Ohio Street-Downtown-Rockville, Indiana 47872
765.569.9422
124 West Ohio Street-Downtown-Rockville, Indiana 47872
765.569.9422
History of The Covered Bridge Art Association
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In The Beginning there was a Vision!
An adaptation, written by Louise Michael, April 1995 for a Rockville Rotary Speech. |
The Covered Bridge Art Association celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1995. Its beginning stemmed from an art committee of Tri Kappa back in 1964. Louise Michael served as art chairman that year and others on the committee were Barbara Flock and Rose Ann Beatty Miller. At that time some artists in the county were becoming rather well known. They were Ruth Davis, Dr. Pirkle, Firma Phillips, Marguerite Teschmacher, Barbara Flock, and Delores Collings. Other were taking classes.
The Covered Bridge Festival was in its early years of development. You may remember a few paintings that were hung in one end of the big tent.
This committee decided as their project for the year to organize the artists. We held a meeting in the basement of the library and had a man from Ellottsville give us pointers as to what was needed to organize. About a dozen interested artists attended and officers were selected. Louise Michael served as the first president for two years. Our main goal was to further art education and culture in our county.
Our meetings were held various places, sometimes in homes. Our first gallery was a wall in the old forge gift center or tourist center operated by Judy Snowden. Some meetings were held here and the artists kept it open for her on Sunday afternoons.
Later our main displays were in the court house corridors at festival time and at Maple Fair the artists had individual booths, which they still do. We had paintings at the church in Billie Creek and still have some at Turkey Run Inn dining room. In July of 1976 the group incorporated and the same year they purchased the apartment house on Market Street with a loan from the bank. The front two rooms were converted into a gallery and the rest of the house was rented as three apartments. When Smith's Clothing Store was vacated in 1985, the association decided to buy the building. This was a bigger task than the apartments. Fixtures and office equipment were bought at an auction. Louise Michael purchased the apartments which she had managed as treasurer for several years. Another member loaned money to the group and the huge task of restoration began.
Local architect, Bill Davis designed the floor plan and picked the color scheme used on the exterior. Many members, husbands, and friends spent lots of man-power hours to have it ready in three month for festival. For several years it was the only restored building on the square. Then in 1989 the tornado took its toll and much of the work had to be redone.
At the rear of our gallery are 12 booths. Some are shared by two or three artists. Rental of these booths pay our utilities. Membership dues, painting commissions, and donations from 68 supporting patrons keep our doors open. Our patrons donate from $25-$500 a year. This kind of support from the community carries us over the humps. Through the years we have grown in membership. At the present time we have 39 active members from the county and 42 associate members who are out of county residents, and 4 honorary members.
The Art Association sponsors 2 special shows each year. In May we have a juried Spring Art Show for active members. This is when patrons and local businesses are invited to make purchase awards prior to the opening of the show. In July we have the Associate Show. Paintings are changed six times a year at the gallery.
Members share the responsibility of keeping the gallery open each day except special holidays. We can't afford to hire full time help.
An art scholarship award of $500 is given to a deserving senior of the county who is attending college as an art student. To fund this a calendar is designed each year in pen and ink by the members and sold mostly at the festival. Bridge sketches sell best.
Stored on the second floor are the paintings in our permanent collection. We have 23 that have been mostly donated. You may have noticed some of these paintings displayed in the windows. Our window decorators do a great job. During the year, the Art Association has monthly meetings, some programs at these meetings, group painting sessions, they sponsor the Christmas Tour of Homes, invite public for Chicago trips, and some members do painting lessons.
Directors at large are Bill Davis, Doug Holiday, Ruby Lough, and Victor Nicholas with Gary Hanner as Attorney. We really appreciate all the support from the community. Tri Kappa is still one of the supporting groups. The goal is still effective, "To Further Art Culture."
Prepared by Louise Michael, April 1995, for a Rotary Speech.
The Covered Bridge Festival was in its early years of development. You may remember a few paintings that were hung in one end of the big tent.
This committee decided as their project for the year to organize the artists. We held a meeting in the basement of the library and had a man from Ellottsville give us pointers as to what was needed to organize. About a dozen interested artists attended and officers were selected. Louise Michael served as the first president for two years. Our main goal was to further art education and culture in our county.
Our meetings were held various places, sometimes in homes. Our first gallery was a wall in the old forge gift center or tourist center operated by Judy Snowden. Some meetings were held here and the artists kept it open for her on Sunday afternoons.
Later our main displays were in the court house corridors at festival time and at Maple Fair the artists had individual booths, which they still do. We had paintings at the church in Billie Creek and still have some at Turkey Run Inn dining room. In July of 1976 the group incorporated and the same year they purchased the apartment house on Market Street with a loan from the bank. The front two rooms were converted into a gallery and the rest of the house was rented as three apartments. When Smith's Clothing Store was vacated in 1985, the association decided to buy the building. This was a bigger task than the apartments. Fixtures and office equipment were bought at an auction. Louise Michael purchased the apartments which she had managed as treasurer for several years. Another member loaned money to the group and the huge task of restoration began.
Local architect, Bill Davis designed the floor plan and picked the color scheme used on the exterior. Many members, husbands, and friends spent lots of man-power hours to have it ready in three month for festival. For several years it was the only restored building on the square. Then in 1989 the tornado took its toll and much of the work had to be redone.
At the rear of our gallery are 12 booths. Some are shared by two or three artists. Rental of these booths pay our utilities. Membership dues, painting commissions, and donations from 68 supporting patrons keep our doors open. Our patrons donate from $25-$500 a year. This kind of support from the community carries us over the humps. Through the years we have grown in membership. At the present time we have 39 active members from the county and 42 associate members who are out of county residents, and 4 honorary members.
The Art Association sponsors 2 special shows each year. In May we have a juried Spring Art Show for active members. This is when patrons and local businesses are invited to make purchase awards prior to the opening of the show. In July we have the Associate Show. Paintings are changed six times a year at the gallery.
Members share the responsibility of keeping the gallery open each day except special holidays. We can't afford to hire full time help.
An art scholarship award of $500 is given to a deserving senior of the county who is attending college as an art student. To fund this a calendar is designed each year in pen and ink by the members and sold mostly at the festival. Bridge sketches sell best.
Stored on the second floor are the paintings in our permanent collection. We have 23 that have been mostly donated. You may have noticed some of these paintings displayed in the windows. Our window decorators do a great job. During the year, the Art Association has monthly meetings, some programs at these meetings, group painting sessions, they sponsor the Christmas Tour of Homes, invite public for Chicago trips, and some members do painting lessons.
Directors at large are Bill Davis, Doug Holiday, Ruby Lough, and Victor Nicholas with Gary Hanner as Attorney. We really appreciate all the support from the community. Tri Kappa is still one of the supporting groups. The goal is still effective, "To Further Art Culture."
Prepared by Louise Michael, April 1995, for a Rotary Speech.
Art Gallery flooring was from the Collett Orphanage in
northern Vermillion County, pictured here before its demolition |
It was noted by members who helped in the 1985 remodeling that friends of the Gallery and members found flooring available at the old "Collett Orphanage" located north of the Cayuga power plant. This building was being torn down so friends of the Gallery, Bart Dooley, Bob Sciotto and Chuck Wagoner were able to remove the flooring and reuse it in our main floor. We are forever grateful for their hours of work to repurpose this flooring for us! It remains one of our treasured historic features from original or era appropriate architecture along with the metal ceiling and entry light pendant!
Our Thanks again, Bart, Bob, and Chuck! |
