Greetings from Nashville, Indiana

1 ^{of 10} A Bridge to Inspiration

The old covered-bridge entrance to Nashville’s Brown County State Park. “The giant puffballs of red, orange and yellow mesmerized me,” Scott says. “We lived in the flat farmland of northern Indiana. Southern Indiana was hilly, with perfect vistas for viewing fall colors.”

2 ^{of 10} On Horseback in Brown County State Park

Scott was 11 when he first visited the town with his family. “It was filled with painters, craftsmen and sculptors selling their art from charming shops along Van Buren Street. I felt a kinship with them. A light bulb (or maybe I should say a flashbulb) went off for me: You too can follow your passion, I thought.”

3 ^{of 10} Brown County Art Guild

In the late 1800s the art world recognized Brown County as a premier art colony. Many of the period’s leading artists captured breathtaking landscapes and pioneered new schools of artistic expression in the hills of this area. The Guild curates its valuable permanent collection and supports and showcases current Guild artists.

4 ^{of 10} Bluegrass Hall of Fame Museum

Five miles from Nashville, Indiana, Bean Blossom hosts the famous bluegrass festival. Bill Monroe, the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” bought the Brown County Jamboree grounds and made it his home base. Today it’s a music park and campground with a museum dedicated to bluegrass. Shown are some of the outfits worn by Monroe and other Bluegrass musicians.

5 ^{of 10} Downtown Nashville, Indiana

Downtown Nashville, Indiana, is filled with an eclectic mix of stores filled with work from local artisans; restaurants, bed and breakfasts, an authentic pioneer village and horse-drawn carriage rides.

6 ^{of 10} Home of Artist T.C. Steele

A reproduction of one of the paintings by noted Hoosier impressionist artist Theodore Clement (T.C.) Steele, who became the first major artist to make a home in Brown County. T.C. Steele’s appreciation of nature combined with his capacity for concentrated study, raised his works to an extraordinary level. He was at the forefront of the state’s art movement and remains one of Indiana’s most honored artists. Today more than 50 paintings are on display at his home and grounds about six miles from Nashville. Guided tours are offered inside many of the buildings on the property. The painting is displayed outside the enclosed horse-drawn wagon Steele used as an outdoor studio in the summer.

7 ^{of 10} Big Red Barn

The late autumn sun casts a perfect light on a barn outside Nashville, Indiana.

8 ^{of 10} A Halloween Scarecrow

Nashville gets into the spirit of all things autumn. Here, one resident has topped their scarecrow with a pumpkin for its head.

9 ^{of 10} Lake Monroe

An idyllic fall day for a man and his dog is a walk along the shore of Nashville’s Lake Monroe, the largest man-made reservoir in the state.

10 ^{of 10} The Photographer and His Friend

Photographer Scott Goldsmith (shown here on a Wisconsin dairy farm), the inspiration behind our story and photos for Nashville, Indiana. “I’ve worked for many national magazines but none with the heart and soul as deep and wonderful as Guideposts,” he said. “Knowing that Guideposts makes the lives of millions better, month after month, is the most satisfying aspect of working with the magazine.”

“Photographers are the wealthiest people in the world,” he added, “because they can go anywhere and take it home with them.”

Read Goldsmith’s inspiring story from the October-November 2022 issue of Guideposts!