AUTHENTIC PROFILE: Julie schweitzer, Arts Council of Southern indiana
There are many ways in which one would describe Julie Schweitzer. One might say artist, while another could say teacher or inspiration.
Schweitzer, who is the executive director of the Arts Council of Southern Indiana in New Albany, has had an impact on local art for years, though not everyone may know her name.
“I’m an artist. I went to IUS…I’m an alumni with a bachelor's in art. At the time I was going to school, one of my professors, Brian Jones, was curating at the Carnegie [Center] and wanted me to take it over, so I did and did that for 10 years. The whole time I was in college I was the art lady for the New Albany Parks department, so I worked there and curated at the Carnegie,” Schweitzer said.
However, Schweitzer’s experience in the art world in the area doesn’t stop there. She was one of the founders of Louisville’s ‘NuLu’ before it was considered ‘NuLu.’ She did this for 25 years.
Besides all of this work, Schweitzer continued to work for the Parks Department. Later, she worked with a team that helped to create the program that puts public art around the city for the bicentennial. Though the Arts Council of Southern Indiana had been around, it had not been very active.
“The Arts Council had closed its doors, so I took it over around four years ago, when it was considered a re-granting facility, so it had no art in it,” she said.
Schweitzer said that since then, they have renovated the building that houses the council in downtown New Albany. It now includes two galleries and a shop. They also offer classes on Monday – Friday, host the Monarch Festival, and the Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ fest. She also said that they host a Mother’s Day Tea and have, in the past, created a homemade album with music from the Louisville Crashers.
The council also offers a writers fellowship as well as other scholarships to the New Albany/Floyd County public schools alongside the Carnegie Center.
Schweitzer is no stranger to Southern Indiana. Though she had worked in Kentucky for a large portion of her career, she grew up in Southern Indiana.
“I wanted art here, I wanted more opportunity [for artists] here on this side. We support all art forms,” she said.
Schweitzer also said that the Arts Council aims to stay involved in and around the community, collaborating with as many people as possible, including Phi Sigma Sigma at IU Southeast, Clark Memorial Hospital with their annual ClarkFest, Jeffersonville’s Steamboat Days, shows at Ivy Tech, and collaborations with IU Southeast’s shows and conferences.
Although Schweitzer stays busy with the Arts Council these days, she is still just as passionate about art as she was when she was a student.
“It’s what I love. Being able to, even when I’m not able to do my own work, working with artists and other people and having that creative outlet, and working with people who create. It’s like not having a job,” she said. “For years I volunteered without pay at the Carnegie. It’s not something that is necessarily about money. I want art here, and I want to be able to interact with creative people. I’m passionate about it.”
Besides collaborating with area schools and businesses, Schweitzer and the Arts Council work closely with area children. Schweitzer said that she enjoys making an impact on the lives of others, especially children.
“It’s a difficult job, to work for non-profit, sometimes I’m scraping," she said. "But that’s what keeps me coming back through the door.”
She said that seeing the impact she and the council have on children’s lives, and seeing that art can make a difference in the life of someone else. is one of her favorite things about her job, as art had a major impact on Schweitzer’s childhood.
“As a kid that’s where I went to express myself," she said. "It was my outlet for everything. It’s had a huge impact on my life and not only mine, but [when] I taught for the Parks Department for 14 years. I was young when I started as the art lady,” she said.
Schweitzer said that as she’s gotten older, she has had former students bring their children and even grandchildren to see her and take classes with her.
“You don’t realize, until you get older, how much of an impact you’ve had on someone,” she said.
Schweitzer, who is the executive director of the Arts Council of Southern Indiana in New Albany, has had an impact on local art for years, though not everyone may know her name.
“I’m an artist. I went to IUS…I’m an alumni with a bachelor's in art. At the time I was going to school, one of my professors, Brian Jones, was curating at the Carnegie [Center] and wanted me to take it over, so I did and did that for 10 years. The whole time I was in college I was the art lady for the New Albany Parks department, so I worked there and curated at the Carnegie,” Schweitzer said.
However, Schweitzer’s experience in the art world in the area doesn’t stop there. She was one of the founders of Louisville’s ‘NuLu’ before it was considered ‘NuLu.’ She did this for 25 years.
Besides all of this work, Schweitzer continued to work for the Parks Department. Later, she worked with a team that helped to create the program that puts public art around the city for the bicentennial. Though the Arts Council of Southern Indiana had been around, it had not been very active.
“The Arts Council had closed its doors, so I took it over around four years ago, when it was considered a re-granting facility, so it had no art in it,” she said.
Schweitzer said that since then, they have renovated the building that houses the council in downtown New Albany. It now includes two galleries and a shop. They also offer classes on Monday – Friday, host the Monarch Festival, and the Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ fest. She also said that they host a Mother’s Day Tea and have, in the past, created a homemade album with music from the Louisville Crashers.
The council also offers a writers fellowship as well as other scholarships to the New Albany/Floyd County public schools alongside the Carnegie Center.
Schweitzer is no stranger to Southern Indiana. Though she had worked in Kentucky for a large portion of her career, she grew up in Southern Indiana.
“I wanted art here, I wanted more opportunity [for artists] here on this side. We support all art forms,” she said.
Schweitzer also said that the Arts Council aims to stay involved in and around the community, collaborating with as many people as possible, including Phi Sigma Sigma at IU Southeast, Clark Memorial Hospital with their annual ClarkFest, Jeffersonville’s Steamboat Days, shows at Ivy Tech, and collaborations with IU Southeast’s shows and conferences.
Although Schweitzer stays busy with the Arts Council these days, she is still just as passionate about art as she was when she was a student.
“It’s what I love. Being able to, even when I’m not able to do my own work, working with artists and other people and having that creative outlet, and working with people who create. It’s like not having a job,” she said. “For years I volunteered without pay at the Carnegie. It’s not something that is necessarily about money. I want art here, and I want to be able to interact with creative people. I’m passionate about it.”
Besides collaborating with area schools and businesses, Schweitzer and the Arts Council work closely with area children. Schweitzer said that she enjoys making an impact on the lives of others, especially children.
“It’s a difficult job, to work for non-profit, sometimes I’m scraping," she said. "But that’s what keeps me coming back through the door.”
She said that seeing the impact she and the council have on children’s lives, and seeing that art can make a difference in the life of someone else. is one of her favorite things about her job, as art had a major impact on Schweitzer’s childhood.
“As a kid that’s where I went to express myself," she said. "It was my outlet for everything. It’s had a huge impact on my life and not only mine, but [when] I taught for the Parks Department for 14 years. I was young when I started as the art lady,” she said.
Schweitzer said that as she’s gotten older, she has had former students bring their children and even grandchildren to see her and take classes with her.
“You don’t realize, until you get older, how much of an impact you’ve had on someone,” she said.
Teaching children to channel their talent in positive ways, as a way for them to express themselves and focus their talents into something, is another one of Schweitzer’s favorite aspects of her jobs.
“It impacts all kinds of kids. That’s what I love about it,” she said.
Growing Up with Art
Schweitzer’s background in art began when she was growing up, spending time with her grandparents in the country.
“I think it was in my background," she said. "Where I grew up, my great grandparents, whom I loved and spent time in the country with as much as I could, we made art. Everybody [in the country] is creative. You were expected to make something: a pie, a quilt, furniture. These people took it seriously. Everyone was encouraged to make art. It wasn’t an elite thing. It was something that everybody did.”
Schweitzer said that in today, cities such as New Albany are beginning to embrace this kind of attitude, as many of her best sellers in the gallery at the Arts Council are by self-taught artists.
“I was always encouraged by everybody not only in the community, but my family," she said. "It’s what everybody did in the country. People would bring needlework to my grandmother because she was the best. My grandfather was a musician in a country band, even though he’d never read a note in his life.”
According to Schweitzer, local art, in New Albany specifically, has grown significantly in the last five years.
“It’s grown tremendously compared to the five years before that," she said. "We had minimal public art, maybe one or two galleries, which were independent."
Schweitzer also said that today, there is more housing in the area and more people are coming to the area to live. People want to live in an area where there is art and creativity.
“It impacts all kinds of kids. That’s what I love about it,” she said.
Growing Up with Art
Schweitzer’s background in art began when she was growing up, spending time with her grandparents in the country.
“I think it was in my background," she said. "Where I grew up, my great grandparents, whom I loved and spent time in the country with as much as I could, we made art. Everybody [in the country] is creative. You were expected to make something: a pie, a quilt, furniture. These people took it seriously. Everyone was encouraged to make art. It wasn’t an elite thing. It was something that everybody did.”
Schweitzer said that in today, cities such as New Albany are beginning to embrace this kind of attitude, as many of her best sellers in the gallery at the Arts Council are by self-taught artists.
“I was always encouraged by everybody not only in the community, but my family," she said. "It’s what everybody did in the country. People would bring needlework to my grandmother because she was the best. My grandfather was a musician in a country band, even though he’d never read a note in his life.”
According to Schweitzer, local art, in New Albany specifically, has grown significantly in the last five years.
“It’s grown tremendously compared to the five years before that," she said. "We had minimal public art, maybe one or two galleries, which were independent."
Schweitzer also said that today, there is more housing in the area and more people are coming to the area to live. People want to live in an area where there is art and creativity.
New Albany's Past and Future as a Cultural and Artistic Destination
According to Schweitzer, the downtown New Albany area used to be the place to be on this side of the river.
“There used to be five opera houses in the downtown area,” she said. “There were galleries, artist clubs, plays and acts from Chicago. Before the big flood, New Albany was the arts center, not Louisville.”
“I want that back,” she said.
Schweitzer also said that the area used to be a lot more prominent in the ways of industry.
“If you wanted plate glass in the U.S., we had it here. There was a 300-acre factory on the river that moved to Pittsburgh after the flood wiped them out,” she said.
Because of all of the artists staying on this side of the river, Schweitzer said that many of the designers and artisans of Jeffersonville’s steamboats designed interiors of homes.
“All of these steamboats and houses [from the time] have gorgeous interiors because the artisans that lived here made them. There was a huge community of artists of all kinds. This was the place to be for many years,” she said. “There used to be artisan jobs and art everywhere. A lot of these old buildings in New Albany were [for] textiles. Designers would come here for facilities that would produce their work.”
However over time, buildings would go under and people would leave due to lack of opportunity.
“So many people left because they couldn’t make a living here. I don’t want to hear that anymore,” she said.
One of Schweitzer’s main goals as an artist in the Southern Indiana community, is to bring this back to the area.
“I just want people to know what used to be here and be inspired to have that again.”
Though it has been a process, Schweitzer said that this is coming back, gradually.
“The buildings in New Albany were going under until artists bought them and got people in there. Now you look at most of the businesses and you’ve got artisan beer makers, a French restaurant, and more coming here that would have never in the past,” she said.
Schweitzer thinks that people are beginning to realize the value in the area and want these things to come back to the area.
“I think it’s coming back, and I’m excited. I’m excited about New Albany. It’s coming back. Art is always the thing that brings a town back.”
According to Schweitzer, the downtown New Albany area used to be the place to be on this side of the river.
“There used to be five opera houses in the downtown area,” she said. “There were galleries, artist clubs, plays and acts from Chicago. Before the big flood, New Albany was the arts center, not Louisville.”
“I want that back,” she said.
Schweitzer also said that the area used to be a lot more prominent in the ways of industry.
“If you wanted plate glass in the U.S., we had it here. There was a 300-acre factory on the river that moved to Pittsburgh after the flood wiped them out,” she said.
Because of all of the artists staying on this side of the river, Schweitzer said that many of the designers and artisans of Jeffersonville’s steamboats designed interiors of homes.
“All of these steamboats and houses [from the time] have gorgeous interiors because the artisans that lived here made them. There was a huge community of artists of all kinds. This was the place to be for many years,” she said. “There used to be artisan jobs and art everywhere. A lot of these old buildings in New Albany were [for] textiles. Designers would come here for facilities that would produce their work.”
However over time, buildings would go under and people would leave due to lack of opportunity.
“So many people left because they couldn’t make a living here. I don’t want to hear that anymore,” she said.
One of Schweitzer’s main goals as an artist in the Southern Indiana community, is to bring this back to the area.
“I just want people to know what used to be here and be inspired to have that again.”
Though it has been a process, Schweitzer said that this is coming back, gradually.
“The buildings in New Albany were going under until artists bought them and got people in there. Now you look at most of the businesses and you’ve got artisan beer makers, a French restaurant, and more coming here that would have never in the past,” she said.
Schweitzer thinks that people are beginning to realize the value in the area and want these things to come back to the area.
“I think it’s coming back, and I’m excited. I’m excited about New Albany. It’s coming back. Art is always the thing that brings a town back.”
