Writing workshop for teens offered this summer

A free, virtual, writing workshop for teens will be available every Tuesday this summer from June 23 through July 28, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

It’s being presented by the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement and IU’s master of fine arts creative writing program.

Over the course of this workshop, writers will learn to tell their own unique stories and ask the question: “How does one live?” Participants will be invited to share their lives through poems, fiction and nonfiction. There will be an opportunity to work in small mentor groups throughout the week.

Advance registration is required. Register for the series at sites.google.com/iu.edu/nevertheless-live/home. The Zoom link will be shared upon registration.

Brown County Art Gallery reopening this week

The Brown County Art Gallery at 1 Artist Drive will reopen on Wednesday, June 24.

Staff will do regular deep cleanings and daily wipe-downs, and hand sanitizers will be placed throughout the building. Visitors and staff will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing. The number of visitors allowed inside will be closely monitored.

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First art walk of the season happening this weekend

Nine local galleries and studios will hold the season’s first Art Walk Friday, June 26 from 4 to 7 p.m.

A new feature this year are live musicians (“buskers”) outdoors at the Village Green park and at the corner of Main and Van Buren streets at the Nashville House. Playing this month are David Sisson and Kade Puckett, the winner of the first fingerstyle guitar competition.

Nine galleries and studios will be open with artists greeting visitors. New this year is Brown County Live Edge, a woodworking shop creating furniture and other items, located behind the Hoosier Artist gallery, across from Antique Alley.

Another new member is Artist Associates of Brown County Indiana, formerly Art Alliance Brown County, which has a gallery space within the Brown County Playhouse.

Jeff Hagen Studio, on the third floor of the Village Green Building, is the third new member. He creates “lyrical watercolors,” drawings and books. Also participating are Hoosier Artist, Brown County Art Guild, B3 gallery, Ascension Gallery, Hershome Studio and the Emerald Pencil.

As the season progresses and safety allows, the Art Walk will feature wine tastings, food and “Make & Takes” for visitors. For more information, call 812-340-8781.

Art gallery featuring work of Bloomington artist

Ascension Fine Arts in Nashville is hosting “In the Pond,” a collection of paintings by Bloomington artist Karen Holtzclaw. An artist’s reception will take place during the Brown County Art Walk on Friday, June 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. This show will be on display from June 17 to July 20.

Holtzclaw began painting in 1968. Recently, her work has transformed from a realistic style into fantasy paintings with an environmental context. Each painting contains stories that interweave her observations of nature with her concern for the environment and the changes the world is experiencing.

Ascension Fine Arts, 61 W. Main St., represents 70 local and area artists from Indiana. Visitors are encouraged to wear a mask and practice social distancing when visiting the gallery. For more information, contact the gallery at 812-988-6675.

Local gallery features two artists in June

Anne Ryan Miller and Cheryl Ann Gregg are the June featured artists at Hoosier Artist Gallery, 45 S. Van Buren St.

Miller crafts stained glass with metal overlay lampshades and pieces for hanging. She also creates transformed nature photography.

Gregg paints in oils and acrylics, using nature and the landscapes of her farm as inspiration. Her recently painted series includes owls, horses and sunsets.

The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and will be open for the Art Walk on Friday, June 26 from 4 to 7 p.m.

IHA postpones annual show, has new requirements

In order to work within the COVID protocols of the Brown County Art Gallery, the Indiana Heritage Arts Board has made adjustments to this year’s annual exhibition.

The new show dates are Oct. 24 to Nov. 14 at the Brown County Art Gallery, 1 Artist Drive. Changes include early drop-off days and online opening with no reception.

For more information, visit indianaheritagearts.org/annual-exhibition/2020-exhibition.

Teen program offering online music lessons

BETA is offering free, one-hour online music classes on the following schedule:

• Tuesdays, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., “Everybody Rocks: rock band with Nathan Dillon;
• Wednesdays, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., guitar lessons with Jeff Foster;
• Thursdays, 4 to 5 p.m., drum lessons with Michael Wimer.

Those interested should contact Traci Lewis at [email protected]. Participants will get an email from the music teacher by the morning of the class with an invitation to join and a link to the Zoom lesson. Contact Lewis if a guitar or drum sticks are needed.

The lessons are free, made possible by a matching grant from the Brown County Community Foundation, an individual donor and the Lions Club.