Bloomington in Monroe County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

T.C. Steele Campus Studio

To see the Beautiful in nature and in life.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 6, 2023

1. T.C. Steele Campus Studio Marker

Inscription. In a pioneering artistic residency, Theodore Clement Steele (1847-1926), a renowned Indiana artist, served as honorary professor of painting from 1922 to 1926. In his spacious campus studio, located on the top floor of the University Library (now Franklin Hall), Steele welcomed students to visit him during his six-month annual residency over the winter. Weather permitting, Steele would take his portable easel and paint outdoors. His association with the university began in the 1890s when he received commissions to paint portraits of several professors. In 1907, while IU president William Lowe Bryan sat for his portrait, the two men became friends. At the state's centennial in 1916, Steele's paintings were on display- at the campus and he received an honorary doctorate from IU. The Indiana Memorial Union Board bought seven of his paintings in 1923, starting a campus collection that has acquired over 75 works of Steele's.

Erected 2020 by Indiana University.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.

Location. 39° 10.024′ N,

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86° 31.606′ W. Marker is in Bloomington, Indiana, in Monroe County. It is at the intersection of East Kirkwood Avenue and Indiana University when traveling east on East Kirkwood Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington IN 47405, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Black Market Firebombing (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Memorial Pillar and Centennial Steps (about 400 feet away); Hoagy Carmichael (about 400 feet away); The River Jordan (about 500 feet away); Site of "Mollie Spaulding House" (about 600 feet away); The Baier Gates (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alfred C. Kinsey (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Wrangler Society

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, August 6, 2023

2. T.C. Steele Campus Studio Marker

(approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bloomington.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, June 19, 2026

3. T.C. Steele Campus Studio Marker

T.C. Steele Campus Studio Marker in context image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Daniel Barriball, June 19, 2026

4. T.C. Steele Campus Studio Marker in context

Credits. This page was last revised on July 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 211 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 7, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on June 27, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana.