As Georgetown has grown over the years, so too have opportunities to find, view, exhibit and create works of art. Local art groups like the Williamson County Art Guild, the Central Texas Pastel Society, Watercolor Art Society of Williamson County, Artists of Central Texas, Baca Center Art Club and the Texas Society of Sculptors provide opportunities for competition, exhibition, education and collaboration.
Look all around the Square, then visit these artsy locations for opportunities to find new, colorful creations to enjoy or purchase. Even the light poles around the Square frequently don artist-designed flags announcing special occasions and events.
GEORGETOWN ART CENTER
Previously home to a fire station, jail and mayor’s office in the late 1890s, the Georgetown Art Center opened in 2013. It’s now home to creative, rotating art exhibits by award-winning and emerging artists around the globe. Admission is free. The Art Center hosts the annual statewide arts competition, Art Hop, in October. Also, the center offers art classes for adults, teens and youth, as well as spring break, holiday and summer art camps for children. Art on display is for sale along with a variety of quality handcrafted and unique items in the gift shop. Sit for a while on the Art Center’s outdoor benches and take in the summer sun, or let the kids play in the splash pad.
GEORGETOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
The award-winning Georgetown Public Library, 402 West Eighth Street, houses an expanding collection of reading material and an amazing number of quality works of art. Art displays begin at both entrances to the library, while rotating exhibits inside the library feature new paintings, photographs and sculptures of all sizes and genres throughout the year. Numerous temporary sculptures throughout the library are on display thanks to the collaboration with the Texas Society of Sculptors’ annual competition. Rotating wall hangings in three locations highlight local artists and groups that have won the annual competition.
GEORGETOWN CITY HALL
City Hall at 808 Martin Luther King, Jr. Street offers several interesting permanent art scapes. Whimsical circular panels in the lobby rotunda depict the Blue Hole Park. The large mosaic piece is fashioned in the shape of Lake Georgetown. A rotating quarterly art exhibit with images and works by local artists hangs in the lobby, as well. Two fascinating murals, “Preserving History” and “Shades of Progress,” can be found behind City Hall, adjacent to the Shotgun House.
MUNICIPAL COURT
In the Municipal Court building, 510 West Ninth Street, a colorful, massive mosaic mural, “El Arbol” or “The Tree,” is in the lobby with artistic influence from Lake Georgetown. To the right, see “DayScape-Wonder,” the bright orange and blue color-scapes over the Municipal Court transaction window.
GRACE HERITAGE CENTER
Across the street from the Georgetown Art Center is Grace Heritage Center, 817 South Main Street. Grace is the epicenter for the Autumn Art Stroll and South Main Arts Festival. Both events feature artist booths, live music and workshops. Various businesses around the Square join in the fun and frivolity. Check out the colorful mural on the center’s side street, Ninth Street. The mural on the walls of the public restrooms is bright and vivid relating to Grace’s stained glass windows.
PALACE THEATRE AND PLAYHOUSE
The Williamson County Art Guild members provide temporary artwork in the lobby that is coordinated with the various performances at the Palace Theatre, 810 South Austin Avenue. An exhibit wall inside the Palace Playhouse lobby, 216 West Eighth Street, is also a rotating and thematic venue.
ART GUILD GALLERY
The Williamson County Art Guild gallery at 708 South Rock Street offers a wide variety of 2-D and 3-D art. The award-winning artists rotate the offerings on a monthly basis while the gallery hosts a monthly reception.
FRAMER’S GALLERY
Framer’s Gallery, 610 South Main Street, is a full-service custom picture framer along with an exhibit gallery for local watercolorists, photographers and painters. Members of the Williamson County Art Guild routinely fill one wall with unique, original pieces. All artwork is for sale. First Friday art receptions are the norm.
ST. DAVID’S GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL
The Georgetown hospital at 2000 Scenic Drive houses three art galleries. The Healing Arts Gallery displays artwork on a rotating basis by local art groups. The Impressions Gallery concentrates on one emerging artist at a time. The Colonnade Gallery is a permanent collection of photographs starring the natural beauty of Central Texas.
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
The Fine Arts Gallery in the Alma Thomas School of Fine Arts building at Southwestern University is free and open to the public. The exhibits and events showcase acclaimed artists, faculty and students. The “Madonna and Child” sculpture is outside the Lois Perkins Chapel on the campus, 1001 East University Avenue.
SUN CITY
Sun City art facilities include hallway galleries at 1 and 2 Texas Drive, 1433 Cool Spring Way and 1220 Cattleman Drive. Several hundred members in the Sun City Visual Arts Club and the Sun City Photography Club provide education, exhibits, open houses and programs. Many of the art works are available for purchase. Mulligan’s Restaurant at 150 Dove Hollow hosts rotating art exhibits in the indoor seating area.
SCULPTURES AND STATUES
Around the Courthouse Square, there are several statues marking county history and honoring those who served. Those depicted include former county sheriff Henry C. Matysek, Taylor native and former Texas Governor Dan Moody, civic leader Harry L. Gold, the county’s namesake Robert McAlpin Williamson, aka Three-Legged Willie. Other permanent and rotating works of physical media are found across downtown.