Written by Amanda Coers – Brownwood is home of one of the oldest continuously running art associations in the state of Texas. On Thursday, March 2nd, the Brownwood Art Association will host a 90th Anniversary Gala event from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Art Center and will feature a 1920’s theme as a nod to their early years. The Gala is free and open to the public and will honor past association presidents and artists of the year.

The 90th Anniversary Gala will also feature a 1920’s costume contest, with prizes to be awarded, as well as a photo booth, antique cars, music, and of course, plenty of art. There is no cost to attend and the art association encourages the community to come celebrate.

The Brownwood Art Association offers a variety of events and classes for the community:

  • Tuesday Art Classes with Claudette Womack. Morning session is from 9 to 11 a.m. and evening session is from 6 to 8 p.m. Cost is $12 per class, for more information, contact Claudette at 512-940-1713.
  • People Painters Live Drawing Group meets on Wednesdays at the Art Center to sketch, or paint live models. The group is open to the general public, free of charge. Sessions are held every Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. if a model has been scheduled. For more information, please email jkirksey12@verizon.net.
  • The BAA Photography Group meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. and is open to photographers at any level, no camera equipment is required. The group is free to join and is focused on the love of photography. Mentors are available for amateur photographers looking to improve their abilities. For more information about the group, contact Fred Spencer at fdspencer@msn.com.
  • The Muse & Merlot monthly painting party is hosted on the 2nd Friday of the month and normally recreates classic paintings. Cost is $35 per painter and includes all supplies and step-by-step instruction. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and painting begins at 7 p.m. Seating is limited, please email museandmerlot@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
  • The Brownwood Art Association is partnered with A.M.P. (Art, Music, People) to host a monthly Open Mic Night for the community on the 3rd Thursday of the month. There are twenty (20) entertainment slots available, performers are encouraged to call: 325.642.3036 to be added to the list, if no answer, please leave a message. Artists are welcome to come and create throughout the evening. Open Mic Night begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. at the Art Center. Admission is free and open to the public.
  • The art association also hosts free monthly demonstrations from a variety of artists, open and free to the public.

To learn more about the Brownwood Art Association, visit their website, or their Facebook Page.

 

History from the Brownwood Art Association Website:

On February 22, 1927, Mrs. W.R. Roberts called area artists together to organize the Brownwood Art League, which later became the Brownwood Art Association. At the time, few small towns in Texas had developed any organized interest in art or artists. In Brownwood, artists of national reputation –  Adele Brunet, Harry Anthony DeYoung, Xavier Gonzales and Dwight Holmes –  came to conduct classes on a regular basis. Soon visitors were amazed at the quality of art produced by the local artists. Others responsible for this early art climate were Pearl Stephens Stallings and B.C. McClean.

During the Depression years McClean, a young photographer, added a complete line of art supplies to his business by providing framing services and later invited the BAA to host shows in the building. In 1938, he began publishing a small magazine called “The Brush and Palette News” that gave details of the group’s projects and featured a local artist in each issue. The teachers, Fannie Tabor Camp and her daughter Francis Camp Bell, were both outstanding artists of the period, as were Dorothy Mayes, Rosalie Beadel, and Rita Bettis in later years.

From the late 1940s through the 1980’s, Charles and Maurine Stewart lead the Howard Payne University Art Department where Eloise Trigg also taught. The BAA met there for many years. Other fine area art teachers were Gene and Wynona Pierson, Lovena Forbess, and Gaitha Browning. Browning’s interest in art took him to many states and countries, but he is probably best remembered as the designer of the western relief figures on the Brownwood Coliseum, built in the 1960s. The City Council turned the project over to Browning, and he and nine other artists completed it. In 1981, BAA president Ima Gem Queen started the publication known as “The Palette Rag” to highlight member and group projects. During this time, Richard Goetz and William Henry Earle were conducting workshops while visiting Brownwood.

Today, the BAA provides scholarship funds to area college students who are majoring in art. The association has donated art related books to the public library as memorials along with providing various demonstrations for the community. Many members donate their time to organize and put on the annual Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit and student exhibitions, as well as the Association’s member exhibits.

The BAA received their non-profit status in June  2002 and members hope to increase their contribution to the community by providing continuous exhibits for both members and non-member artists, workshops for adults and summer art camps for children.

The granddaughter of Pearl Stephens Stallings, Nancy Lee, donated the building, located at 215 Fisk Avenue, to the BAA to serve as the first Visual Arts Center in Brownwood. The BAA uses the facility for exhibits, classes and BAA meetings.