Art Center offers exhibits, classes

THE TWO WOMAN SHOW at the East Texas Regional Art Center will hold a reception Saturday,Aug. 11.Tina Barrow hangs a watercolor and Bill Wise, artist and instructor, greets visitors. Newsboy photos/ Charles Kerr

The East Texas Regional Art Center is expanding in all directions, according to Art League president Tina Barrow.

Last Friday they finished hanging the "Two Woman Show," an exhibit and sale of local artists Carol Gilchrist and Louise Townsend. The reception will be Saturday, Aug. 11, from 2 - 4 p.m. at 364 N. Austin in Jasper.

"The reception is open to the public and will be an opportunity to discuss the paintings with the artists who created them," said Barrow.

But that's only one of many new features in the old two-story white house two blocks north of the courthouse square.

To make more room for Bill Wise's popular watercolor classes, they knocked out a wall and combined two small rooms into one large classroom/workshop.

On the north side, they are in the process of creating "a unique gift shop that reflects East Texas artistic talents," according to Barrow.

Right now the shop has things like small original paintings for as little as $20 and gift items like hand-crafted note cards for a few dollars.

Barrow said tour buses are starting to visit Jasper and they need to stock the gift shop with a variety of locally-produced items to see what will work, both as souvenirs for tourists and for gift-shoppers who live here.

On the second floor, Barrow is making headway on moving her custom-framing business to the top of the stairs. She says she can frame anything, but her specialty is conservation and museum-quality framing.

The Art League is considering remodeling other upstairs rooms for additional classrooms or to rent as studio space to local artists.

The art center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday, and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday. Works from the East Texas Art League are also on view in the Lakes Area Hospice offices at 254 Ethel Street Monday - Friday.

For information on class schedules, the gift shop or exhibits coming up, call 384-2404.