Ellen’s father, Frederick Rigley, moved his family to Brown County in the early 1950’s at the urging of artist friend, Adolph Shultz. Fred eventually was a founding member of the Guild and Ellen remembers helping to serve tea at the exhibition openings as a child. She obtained her B.S. degree from Indiana State University and eventually opened the Artists’ Colony Inn with her husband, Jay in 1992. She is passionate about the Guild’s work and dedicated to its prosperity and preservation.

Cindy has lived & worked in Brown County for years.  She has a long history of fulfilling medical needs in Brown County. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and  her Master’s Degree in Family Health, both from the IU School of Nursing. She was privileged to be hired as a Family Nurse Practitioner by IU Health in Nashville where she remains employed part time.  She was blessed to have a wonderful mother-in-law, Margaret Colglazier, who was a regionally known expert in early Indiana art and a local visionary who lead the Brown County Art Guild for many years.  Cindy has an interest and passion for maintaining and promoting the unique culture of Brown County art.  

Pat is a graduate of Indiana University with a B.A. in English and an M.S. in Special 

Education.  She lived for 30 years in Bloomington before moving to Brown County in 1998.  She taught in the Monroe County School Corporation for 19 years.   While in Bloomington she served two terms as a director of the Monroe County YMCA and one term on the board of the Indiana University Credit Union.

After relocating to Brown County, she quickly became involved in the art community.  She was a director of Indiana Heritage Arts for 11 years, serving as membership chair, vice-president and president.  She also became a “hobby” painter, enjoying art instruction from local artists and taking workshops from Bob Eberle, Todd Reifers, Todd Williams, Mary Ann Davis and others.

She believes it is important for the Brown County Art Guild to sustain a vibrant and viable presence in the community and wishes to contribute to that end.

Izzy (McDonald) Lyon grew up in the heart of Nashville and from an early age, visits to the Guild, Rigley’s Art Store and other art venues were commonplace. Her grandparents and parents were collectors, andpassed on their appreciation of Brown County art and its rich history and tradition to her. She likes listening to artists explain the whysand howsof their works and is especially intrigued by the story behind each piece of art. She recently retired and returned to Nashville, and is delighted to live literally steps from the Guild. She is a proud graduate of Brown County High School, Franklin College and the University of Evansville.

Cathy has been appreciative of art and artists for as long as she can remember.  She recalls the many experiences she has had from the daily drawing lessons given by her kindergarten teacher thru the art history courses she enjoyed at DePauw University.  As a preschool and an elementary school teacher herself, she offered many art options to her students.  

Since moving to Brown County in 1969 she has advocated for enhancing art opportunities for Brown County students.  She is a founding member of Nashville’s Art and Entertainment Commission and has been an Indiana Heritage Arts board member for many years.

Nancy is a proud Hoosier, having been born and reared in Indiana.  Nancy graduated from Indiana University with a BA in French, an MAT in French, and an MBA.

Nancy’s business career included employment at Cummins, Inc. in Columbus, Indiana and concluded with 24 years of employment at Eli Lilly and Company with experiences in information technology, human resources and procurement.  

She served on the boards of directors for the now-closed Columbus branch of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Girls Incorporated of Greater Indianapolis, Indiana Landmarks and is currently a member of the National Advisory Board of the Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University. Since Nancy’s retirement from Eli Lilly, she participated as a docent at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.  She also served on the Collections Committee for the IMA.  Nancy is now studying to be a docent at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.

Heath Metzger has a diverse background in both business and the arts. He has served as Vice President of a property management company, and held numerous positions in a family business including Operations Manager, and the President/ CEO, all while also pursuing a career as a recording artist and touring musician.

Heath’s passion for music began early, when his mother enrolled him in Suzuki piano lessons. His pursuit of music led him to study at both the University of Southern Indiana and Indiana University. In the past 3 decades, his band, Mock Orange released 8 full-length albums, gained placements in television and movies, and toured extensively across the globe, while being signed to labels in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Though partially retired, Heath now owns and operates Pocket City Productions. The company specializes in video, photography, and music production. Through Pocket City Productions, Heath mentors and supports developing artists while providing a meaningful creative outlet for himself.

Ron is a professor of history at Ball State University with a background in elementary social studies, museum studies and public history media.  He has written or co-written several books and articles on the subject.  He conducts curriculum and instruction teacher in-service programs that are designed to engage and challenge people to work together to find solutions for their elementary social studies students. 

Ron’s initial interest in art came from a college art methods professor who particularly pointed to collage, textile, print and pottery.  When he began to collect art on his own, he discovered the Brown County Art Guild.  Ron has always found the quality of the artwork to hold his interest. He has been introduced to new works and enjoys the artists who show there.  He is always interested in who is painting, what discoveries the artists are making and how they are stretching.

Preserving the historic art collection and helping audiences meet current artists are very meritorious aspirations. 

Carol Risting has had a diverse career holding various leadership positions including serving as the COO of a mid-size law firm, a co-founder of an insurance claims business, the business principal for an architectural design firm, the director of the Harvard University Institute for Learning in Retirement, the director of training and organizational development at a nationwide corporation, and a business strategy/human resources consultant.

The Brown County Art Guild is a real gem. It has been a joy to discover its storied past as well as the work of its current Guild members. I have always been passionate about the arts and community service. Serving on the board provides a unique opportunity to support the preservation of the historic collection, promote the talented Guild artists, and foster a vibrant arts community which enriches the lives of others.

Growing up on the south side of Indianapolis, I attended Indiana Business College followed by a 39-year career with Eli Lilly and Company as Senior Executive Assistant, Corporate Management.

I’ve been married 58 years to my best friend, Layton (Bud) Tackett, and we’re blessed to have three daughters, five grandchildren and our smart, lovable dog, “Buddy.”In the 90’s we began collecting Indiana art, coming to Brown County weekly, from Shelby County where we lived, to attend the Artist Breakfast…meeting artists, buying artwork, and getting immersed in the arts.I served on the Indiana Heritage Arts Board twenty years, with leadership roles of Secretary, Treasurer, and President. In 2005, the vibrant art world in Brown County was instrumental in our decision to move here, and we never looked back!

In addition to art, some of my other interests are: antiquing, rug hooking, walking, fitness, reading, working in the yard and hanging with friends. The opportunity to work with the renown Brown County Art Guild to help sustain and grow Brown County’s engagingart community here and the art-world region beyond is a privilege…Thank You!