Small town becoming folk art and antique center

PALESTINE, Ill. -- Most turtles do not have garbage can lids for shells. But then, most of them aren't red, made of wood and have a look of permanent surprise carved on their faces.

In the fanciful world of Steve Meadows, fish come with optional equipment (wheels), frogs still look fetching as roadkill and snakes have lips like Mick Jagger.

Eye-popping, whimsical folk art lines the walls and fills the displays at Meadows' shop, S.D. Meadows Folk Art & Antiques. Even the exterior gets into the act, with a fetching yellow and green paint job, and a giant mint-green grasshopper attached to the building welcomes visitors to the business, located in the historic town of Palestine.

Up to this point, the small community has been best known for the Pioneer City Rodeo, which is held at the Pioneer City Arena near picturesque Leaverton Park. The 37th annual rodeo takes place this year Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. The event attracts up to 20,000 visitors.

Yet it is artists like Meadows, Cathy Johnson and Larry Miller who are bringing tourists year-round to Palestine, located in southeastern Illinois near the Wabash River. Stores, like the dazzling Wonderland Antiques, are also drawing visitors and a new winery will soon be another attraction.

Meadows, with his walrus mustache and ever-present overalls, was the first artist to locate in Palestine when he opened his folk art studio and gallery 15 years ago. He is especially well-known on the East Coast, where he has a piece in the Smithsonian Institution's folk art collection.

"Really, even 15 years ago I believed in Palestine," he said. "But I wish I had promoted myself more in the early days. For several years, this was really more of a warehouse than a store."

Wonderland Antiques, located next to Meadows' storefront, is owned by Phyllis Moraga, who has done an outstanding job in decorating the large store. Thanks to her artistic talents, Wonderland is one of the most unique and impressive antiques stores in the Midwest.

"I really like this place," said Mandy Burnett of Vincennes, Ind., on her first visit. "They've done a really nice job decorating. I didn't realize it was this big. They have a lot of variety."

Meadows noticed a big increase in his own business with the opening of Wonderland. "The antiques have really helped," he said. "Phyllis really pulls people into town. I'd like to have a dozen antiques stores here."

So would a lot of other Palestine residents.

"We really didn't have that much industry and the only way we could go was tourism," said Richard Kent, village president.

Jim Ellis is a photographer who also owns a frame shop and art gallery, The Village Framery. He is among a number of residents who would like to see Palestine become a smaller, albeit less commercial version of quaint-but-touristy Nashville, Ind.

"I think that's where we've got our best shot -- arts and antiques shops and specialty shops," Ellis said. "I want Palestine to be busy, but I don't want it to lose its flavor as a nice small town. We are getting tourists here, but not in droves. We need something to push us over the hump, something like a nice restaurant or bed-and-breakfast. We need a catalyst."