Charles A. Nicolai, (C.A. Nicolai) is part of Indiana art history royalty. In William Gerdts' colossal book edition, "Art Across America," Gerdts' chapter on Indiana discusses Nicolai. Gerdts points out that Nicolai was part of the Brown County art group, the last living member of the Bohemian Club (Bohe Club) and was a member of the prestigious Portfolio Club that was instrumental in bring modern art lectures to Indianapolis. Beyond this famous publication, Nicolai was listed in the 1925 edition of Who is Who in American Art and now resides in Who Was Who in American Art. Nicolai studied under John Washington Love. Love was extensively trained, including; National Academy of Design (NYC), and Ecole des Beaux-Arts (Paris). His cosmopolitan education was influential upon returning to Indiana, where he worked on setting up the first Indiana School of Art and was instrumental in forming the Indiana Art Association, which held the first Indianapolis art exhibits.