Mitch Brown '10 - When I started to near the county line while driving on State Road 135, I began to see what brought world famous artists to the virtually unknown Brown County, Indiana in the early 1900s.  Slowly the scenery changes to the hilly wooded areas that make the drive into the county a valuable part of the experience. I spent the day in the town of Nashville, which is the center of the art community of Brown County. 

Nashville is a small town full of galleries and shops that - along with the state park- brings thousands of tourists every year.  One of my goals for the day was to find out what about the town caused the early artists to call it “Peaceful Valley”. Every person I met  made me feel very welcome and gladly answered my questions. Wayne Waldron, an artist who runs a gallery gave me great ideas for places to visit and also directions when I could not find a destination. His friendly nature and helpfulness - I would soon realize - is a staple of Nashville.

I spent much of my day visiting galleries of famous artists such as Will Vawter. The rest of the time I spent talking to different gallery owners and artists. Though I had no appointments, each person I asked to interview was gladly willing to take time out of their day to help me out with my project. The nice people at the Brown County Art Guild even talked to me while they were eating lunch.  Each person I interviewed directed me to others who I had either already met with or planned on meeting. By the end of the day I was already seeing familiar faces as I walked through the streets of Nashville, and I was starting to realize that this strong sense of community is what makes this place special.

When I asked Pam Crawford of the Brown County Art Gallery about the harmony that existed in Nashville she replied, “I think the biggest thing is the area. There’s something about this area.” 

It’s funny, after spending only a day in Brown County, I completely understood what she was talking about. There’s an undefinable quality in this area that allows you to slow down and appreciate the places and the people around you.  It doesn’t take much time to understand why the early artists of Brown County called Nashville “Peaceful Valley”.

Editor's Note: Brown is one of nine Wabash students participating in Present Indiana. He is studying Brown County's art scene.