Art’s Place began its story as a paint factory in 1912. Gustave F. Nemitz founded G. F. Nemitz & Son as business where carriages, automobiles, and signs were painted in the shop. Over time, glass and wallpaper departments were added. Nemitz wallpaper is still hanging in many Hutchinson homes.

In 1950 they began manufacturing paint. After nearly 50 years, Gustave sold his company to his daughter Adela & her husband, Arthur J Benjamin. His son, Arthur Benjamin Jr., eventually took over the business. In 2012, they celebrated their 100th anniversary of the business. Art’s tools, equipment, floors and shelving are a window on the company’s long history. Many of these items have been preserved and can be viewed at the McLeod County Historical Society or on the Scavenger hunt through Art’s Place.

A local investment group purchased the property from Art and Linda Benjamin with the hope of preserving the building. Once the decision was made to restore the building, the name “Art’s Place” was adopted. The name encompasses Art’s name as a historical character of the community while playing with the term as an artsy historic gathering place.

We (Kayla & Valerie) started our event coordination and design company Compass Occasions in 2014. Our 5 year goal was to open our own event venue. In 2018, we toured the Nemitz building for the first time and fell in love with the quirky details and the industrial charm. In 2020, we officially opened the doors to Art’s Place and began hosting events.

Today, we highlight several historical properties in Hutchinson that compliment Art’s Place and offer our services to other local venues.