Old Jail’s spring exhibitions to open next weekend

By Sandy Morris

Two new exhibitions will open to the public at the Old Jail Art Center starting Saturday, Feb. 27 and run through Saturday, May 22.

The museum is open limited hours at present, and no public event is planned because of COVID precautions.

Both exhibitions are available for viewing from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 

Penumbra

Billy Hassell’s Penumbra exhibit features large scale paintings offering perspectives and views of animals and nature that are rarely seen or are extinct.

Hassell gets his inspiration from images found in books and magazines, on the internet, and plein air sketches.

He composes his paintings with a focus on Texas animal behaviors and habitats.

Some of Hassell’s subjects are now extinct or endangered and have been titled with “ghost” to indicate their current existence.

Cell Series

In the second floor galleries of the original jail building, Austin-based artist Sterling Allen has installed No Visitors No Objects.

Allen typically creates his art outside of the typical gallery or museum space, including his own studio.

The artist prefers to locate a building that is ignored or forgotten and then work with materials he finds on site to create an exhibition that he quickly photographs, although the artist is bothered by photographs representing his artwork. 

In the OJAC exhibit, visitors will find previous artworks and selected discarded materials utilized in the jail cells.