In 1912 Gustave F. Nemitz, son Walter and daughter Adela founded G. F. Nemitz & Son. Carriages, automobiles, and signs were painted in the shop. Over time, glass and wallpaper departments were added.

In 1950 they began manufacturing paint. After nearly 50 years, Gustave sold his company to Adela‘s husband, Arthur J Benjamin. His son, Arthur Benjamin Jr., eventually took over. 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 in the interior of the newly renovated Art’s Place venue.

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 by the current owners, 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.