NOTE:  Quotations are shown in italics

An Introduction

The arts have been an integral part of Irvington since its founding in 1870 as a planned, well-to-do suburb of the City of Indianapolis (Irvington was incorporated as a town in 1873). Irvington was named after the American writer, Washington Irving; several of its streets were also named after writers.

Irvington was a college community from 1875 to 1928. In 1875,

Northwestern Christian University moved to Irvington from its original location in Indianapolis at 13th Street and College Avenue. Two years later, the school was renamed Butler College ” in honor of Ovid Butler, its founder and major benefactor (subsequently, it renamed itself "Butler University"). Butler relocated to its current location on the northwest side of Indianapolis in 1928).

In 1910, the Disciples Of Christ (a. k. a. the “Christian Church”) created a college for training missionaries, the Sarah A. Davis Deterding Missionary Training School. This college, while loosely affiliated with Butler University, was a separate entity. The Missionary Training School also left Irvington in 1928.

In addition to Irvington having its very roots tied to the arts, the early combination of affluent residents (which many of whom were college educated) and two institutions of higher learning (with many of their instructors as residents of the community) most certainly helped with its development as an artistic center.

For an historical perspective, it is important to note that Irvington was founded by avowed abolitionists at the dawn of the Gilded Age and came to maturity during the Progressive Age (these were defining times for America as it too came of age as a world power) and that Butler and the Missionary Training School were among the first co-ed institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Irvington was annexed by the City of Indianapolis in 1902; yet it still maintains its individual neighborhood and art identities.

The "Hoosier Group"

"In April 1901, an art exhibition, sponsored by the Irvington Women's Club, Tuesday Club, and the Fortnightly Club displayed works by Theodore Clement “T. C.” Steele, Otto Stark, and William Forsyth." (1) The three artists were members of what became known as the "Hoosier Group". The other two members of the “Hoosier Group” were John Ottis Adams and Richard Gruelle.

As a historical footnote, Gruelle’s son, John Barton “Johnny” Gruelle, lived briefly in Irvington in the early 1900s. Later, after having moved east, he created the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy story series and illustrations.

Later, Forsyth became the "Dean" of the "Irvington Group". Forsyth was a faculty member of the John Heron Art Institute (what became the Heron School of Art and Design of Indiana University).

The "Irvington Group"

In the early part of the twentieth century, Irvington was home to a noted artists’ colony, the “Irvington Group”. The artists in this colony lived in Irvington or the Irvington area (many of their Irvington homes still survive in the 21st century).

There were regular annual exhibitions in Irvington by artists of this group from 1928 through 1937. The exhibits were well attended by Irvington residents. From 1930 to 1934, a popular event was a Simon Baus demonstration of painting, “’lightening’ 30 minute portraits of Outstanding
Irvingtonians . . ...” (2)

The “Irvington Group” included:

     Paul Baus

     Simon P. Baus

     Carolyn G. Bradley

     Alice Dimmick Cook

     Robert Craig

     Constance Forsyth

     William Forsyth

     Martha Lee Frost

     Helene Hibben

     Thomas Hibben

     William F. Kaeser

     Dorothy Morlan

     Frederick Polley

     Robert Selby

     Clifton Wheeler

     Hilah Drake Wheeler

     Charles Yeager.

This group produced drawings (illustrations and silhouettes), paintings (portraiture, landscape, still life, mural) (in oils, water color, and pastels), print making (book plates, original etchings, lithography), and sculpture (including bas relief) in their repertoire.

The output of this group whether on paper, canvas, or board, or in stone, or in metal was impressive.

Some of the artwork by members of the Irvington Group is on display at the Bona Thompson Memorial Center (the home of the Irvington Historical Society), at The Irvington Branch of the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library, at Indianapolis Public School # 57, and at the Benton House.

A relevant William Forsyth quote from a talk he gave at the 1929 exhibition:

The viewer . . . "should attempt to get out of each piece of art a meaning, or message to himself, even if it differs from which the artists meant to give." (3)

A more familiar way of stating this might be:

: "Art is in the eye of the beholder."

A quote by Dorothy Morlan from the same exhibition might well be the very suggestion that an instructor of today would give to his or her students:

“Often the impulse to paint is stirred by something other than an appeal to the eye,” noted Dorothy Morlan in her talk. Drawing upon local, often common elements of every day living, Miss Morlan stated that the creative inspiration: “may be the cry of a bird, and the tone of a bell or the musical call of the ragman in Spring time. The creating of a work of art is in no sense photographic. An artist finds his material in nature but he is at liberty compose it as a writer uses words . . . it is the union of realism and idealism which to me brings forth the most interesting results.” (4)

Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard

From 1909 till 1929, Irvington was the home of humorist, illustrator and cartoonist, Frank McKinney “Kin” Hubbard, the creator of the long-running, nationally-syndicated “Abe Martin From Brown County” cartoon series.

Some famous quotes attributed to Hubbard are:

     "When a feller says, “It hain’t th’ money, but th’ principle o’ th’ thing,” It’s       the money."

     "It’s no disgrace t’ be poor, but it might as well be."

     "Now an’ then and innocent man is sent t’ th’ legislature."

     "Th’ feller that says “I may be wrong, but---“ does not believe their kin       be any such possibility."

     "T err is human, but t’ admit it haint."

     "A good talker is allus a poor listener."

     "You can take a voter to th’ polls but you can’t make him think."

     "To cure a fresh cow utterly ignore her and don’t laugh at anything she       says."

     "Atlas had a great reputation, but I’d like t’ hev seen him try t’ carry a       mattress upstairs." (5)

Influence Of Hilton U. Brown

It is important to note the important contributions that Hilton U. Brown made to Irvington’s development as a cultural and artistic center. Hilton U. Brown (1859 – 1958) (a graduate of Butler in 1880), was a long time resident of Irvington. He worked as a reporter, editor, and manager for The Indianapolis News and later as an executive for Indianapolis Newspapers, Inc.. Brown served as a trustee of Butler from 1885 to 1955; he served as the leader of its board of trustees from 1903 till 1955.

Brown lived on the southwest corner of Washington Street and Emerson Avenue. Aside from serving the community in which he lived in, Brown was also instrumental in getting William Forsyth and Frank “Kin” Hubbard to move to Irvington (Forsyth lived in Irvington from 1906 until his death in 1935).

A True Neighborhood

With its many gently winding streets under a canopy of old trees --- if anything, Irvington is a neighborhood of trees --- Irvington remains as one of only a few true neighborhoods in Indianapolis. Irvington is substantially a collection of historic well-built homes covering many different architectural styles (6) which no doubt contributes to its character. It also includes more modern homes. Its residents cover the entire social strata, although it is certainly more affluent on average than surrounding neighborhoods.

Renaissance

In recent years, Irvington has experienced a renaissance, both as a true neighborhood and as an artistic center. Perhaps the traditional definition of artists’ colony would not apply to modern-day Irvington (such as those well known artists’ colonies of Arizona and New Mexico); however, the sheer number of artists working in Irvington and in the Irvington area, and the sheer number of mediums being worked in --- eclectic, to say the least --- might suggest otherwise. The art produced by the diverse group also includes the more modern digital mediums. In fact, Irvington is now the home of several thriving graphic design firms and architectural design firms.

With the rededication of the Bona Thompson Memorial Center (the home of the Irvington Historical Society) in 2002, the opening of Lazy Daze Coffee House in 2003 (arguably now the social nexus of the neighborhood), and the reopening of the Irving Theater in 2006, Irvington could see concrete, palpable examples of its rebirth as an artistic center.

Many are discovering what a community treasure the Bona Thompson Memorial Center is and its continued significance to Irvington’s history and its wealth of art.

The state of the present economy aside, Irvington is a wonderful neighborhood to live in and it has a thriving arts community that should be celebrated.

Arts Organizations

Currently, Irvington has four organizations actively celebrating and promoting the arts:

Irvington Guild Of Artists     LINK

Irvington Photography Club     LINK

Irvington Historical Society     LINK

Art League Of Irvington     SEE BELOW    

The Art League Of Irvington meets on the first Friday of each month at 1:00 p.m. at the Benton House (unless they are going on a field trip that day).  For more information or to confirm a meeting date, you may contact the web master at the Benton House.     LINK

Footnotes:

(1), (2), (3), and (4) The Irvington Group 1928 -- 1937
Copyright © 1984 The Irvington Historical Society

(5) The Best Of Kin Hubbard
Edited and Introduced by David S. Hawes
Copyright © 1984 Indiana University Press

Additional Research from:

Mission Accomplished: The Missions Building, Its HIstory,, And Its People
By Ian McCrae, Paul Diebold, and Julia Fangmeir
Copyright © The Irvington Historical Society

Greater Irvington Architecture: People And Places On The Indianapolis Eastside
By Paul Diebold
Copyright © 1997 The Irvington Historical Society

Irvington In 1910: A Year in the life of an Indianapolis Neighborhood
By William F. Guide
Copyright © 2010 William Guide

Steve Barnett
Executive Director of The Irvington Historical Society and Curator of The Bona Thompson Memorial Center

A sincere thank you to:

Emily Schenkenfelder for her help in correctly categorizing forms.

Steve Barnett for his invaluable help and kindness (and patience) in the researching of the arts culture of Irvington