One hundred years after the death of renowned artist T.C. Steele, Indiana University is honoring his life and work.
Steele was an impressionist painter, most famous for his landscape paintings of Indiana. He was invited by former president William Lowe Bryan to become IU’s first artist-in-residence, a title he held until his death in 1926.
University Collections at McCalla will open its newest exhibition Friday: “Capturing the Campus: T.C. Steele, Indiana University’s First Artist in Residence.”
Assistant director Jeremy Hackerd said Steele paintings are an interesting way to see what campus looked like a century ago. Most of the paintings focus on the old crescent during the 1920s, along the campus river and the east side of campus.
“You're able to see Steele's life, work, and then also just the response to his legacy overall from when he passed,” Hackerd said. “It really made a pretty big impact on IU when he passed away.”
McCalla will host an opening celebration Friday at 4 p.m. for the public. Leaders from the IU Public Art and Cultural Heritage Collection and Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites will speak before attendees can tour the exhibit. There will be free food and beverages.
In addition to paintings of the campus, the exhibit features some portraits painted by Steele. Other portraits of university presidents painted by Steele are hanging in Franklin Hall.
McCalla will also display letters, news clippings and other belongings of Steele’s.
“There's two separate rooms, so people have a lot of opportunities to see Steele's artifacts,” Hackerd said. “There's a lot of really interesting ephemera.”
When Steele died, there was an outpouring of emotion from the IU community, Hackerd said.
“The Arbutus that year was actually dedicated to T.C. Steele when he died, so it really made a pretty big impact on IU when he passed away,” Hackerd said.
