Contact: Margaret Blagg
325/ 762-2269
Digital images available on request.
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At its August Board Meeting, the Trustees of the Old Jail Art Center launched the public phase of a major capital campaign for the museum. The Reilly Nail Legacy Campaign honors the founding director of the museum by aiming to add substantially to the institution's endowment while refurbishing the physical plant.
OJAC Board Chairman Lynne Teinert stated, "With Reilly's unexpected death in July, this is an even more important undertaking for the museum. There is no greater way to honor Reilly Nail than to help sustain his great love and legacy."
With gifts and pledges to date, the Old Jail Art Center is at 54+% of its goal of $7,500,000. The Board has designated $500,000 for capital refurbishment of its aging facility, with the goal of adding $7,000,000 to its endowment. Executive Director Margaret Blagg explained, "Not only will the increased endowment stabilize the operating budget, it will increase our funding for education programs-enabling us to keep them free. It has been the philosophy and policy of the Board since the beginning that this museum would be free to the public. Many people in the area would or could not enjoy the museum if it had an admissions charge. Furthermore, our education programs are distributed free of charge to 43 school districts in 13 surrounding counties. As one of only 5% of museums accredited nationwide, we take our responsibility to our visitors and neighbors seriously. Our vision is to provide ‘art for all,' which we sometimes translate into ‘el arte por todos' and ‘art for y'all'-variations on our creed."
Campaign chairman Jon Rex Jones, longtime OJAC Trustee Advisor and chairman of the museum's two previous campaigns, commented, " Albany has a wonderful opportunity to do something special. The Old Jail Art Center is celebrating its 25 th anniversary by endowing the Center, for surely it is one of the big reasons our little town is on the map."
The public is being solicited now for gifts, with a December 31 deadline for completing the campaign. Anyone interested in learning more, or in making a gift, may contact the museum at 325/762-2269 or download our gift form.
Museum Background
The Old Jail Art Center in Albany, Texas, has grown considerably since its humble beginnings in 1980. Starting with the donation of four private collections, the permanent collection has expanded to include over 1,900 works that span important periods in Asian, European, American, and ancient art. Successful capital campaigns in 1984 and 1996 added an important education wing, as well as additional exhibition and operations space. The museum facilities now occupy over 14,000 square feet.
The collection is strong in a number of areas, with most works dating from the 20th Century. The collection includes pieces from well-known artists Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Amedeo Modigliani, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, John Marin, Charles Demuth, and Alexander Calder. In addition the museum has strong representation of the Fort Worth Circle (active 1945-55), the regional Taos Modernists (active 1948-1979), a small, impressive Asian Collection, and the W. O. Gross, Jr. Collection of Pre-Columbian art. The outdoor sculpture collection is installed throughout the grounds, with key pieces placed inside the Marshall R. Young Courtyard, including Jesus Bautista Moroles' granite Sun Symbol, Pericle Fazzini's Conversation, and several other post-World War II Italian figurative bronze works.
The Old Jail Art Center is one of only 5% of the nation's museums to be nationally accredited. With a focus on education, exhibitions and art programs are scheduled year-round to serve an audience of children, youth, adults, and visitors from around the globe. The museum serves 43 school districts in 13 surrounding counties with free programs. The Old Jail Art Center is located on Highway 6, two blocks east of Highway 180 in Albany, Texas. The museum is open to the public Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free. Please note: the museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays .