The rural Texas town of Johnson City is transforming into a vibrant arts community—and you’re gonna want to check it out.
Underwriting support for this feature story was provided by Science Mill, which is hosting a STEAM-Y Summer Fun series for families this summer.
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This may come as something of a surprise to some folks in Austin and San Antonio, but rural Johnson City (population: 2,003) is home now to several resident artists, eight independent art galleries, and a snazzy monthly art walk.
Yes, it’s become a truly happening arts community.
“I think that the first couple of galleries came in because of our location,” said Lon Yaeger, president of the local chamber of commerce. “It was a good stop on the road to Fredericksburg. We aren’t a destination that has a lot of obvious attractions, but the traffic coming through downtown is a big plus. There’s a lot of small town charm here, making us a sort of respite between where travelers are coming from and where they are going.”
“As one of just two cities in Texas with a national park in the city limits, we can never discount the impact of history on our tourism,” said Jon Sone of Echo in Johnson City. “And we love being on the road to you name it: Marfa, San Antonio, Austin, DFW.”
As economic development experts like Richard Florida have pointed out over the last two decades, affordable rents and a casual lifestyle serve as drivers in blossoming creative economies. This seems to be as true of Johnson City in the 2000s as it was of Austin in the late 1900s.
It also helps to have visionaries in place.
“When we first came out here in 2005, it was because of the proximity to Austin and San Antonio and the prime space we could get affordably,” said Susan Kirchman of Kirchman Gallery, Johnson City’s first gallery space. “We came out from Austin and fell in love with the Hill Country.”
Over time Kirchman said she found herself in a position to influence the growth of Johnson City’s downtown. “As we made friends with locals who owned or purchased property, we encouraged them to keep living quarters in the back, to ensure that artists would be drawn to the property. We knew we needed an arts community out here for our gallery to thrive, and there’s a lot of down time between art collectors out here. So be able to work and live in the same space is critical. I think Catherine Massaro’s place [Studio Massaro] is the only one where the artist doesn’t live on-site.”
Kirchman cited the recent arrival of Mark Smith, a founder of Austin’s prestigious Flatbed Press, as one of many indicators that Johnson City is evolving into a truly noteworthy artistic community. Smith recently took over Texas Art House, a contemporary gallery started by artist Mars Woodhill.
“Personally, the reason I was drawn out here is because of what I could see happening along 290,” added Linda Haddock, also of Echo in Johnson City. “I hadn’t been out here in a few years, came out, and then I was stunned at what I found.”
That was four years ago, when Haddock arrived in Johnson City for an art opening at Kirchman’s gallery. “Twenty-four hours later,” Haddock said. “I signed a lease on a 1,000 square foot building. Echo opened two months later, just east of where we are now.”
The newer Echo facility is an expansive, erstwhile Ford dealership, a place where locals once shopped for their Model Ts in hats and boots. Today shoppers find inside an dazzling collection of art and mid-twentieth century decor inside Haddock calls a “non-gallery art gallery” because of her eclectic, ever-changing presentation style. Echo sits across the street from the city’s busy visitor’s center and Science Mill, a state-of-the-art science museum for young people fashioned out of the town’s old feed mill that opened in 2015.
“The Science Mill is such a significant draw to our community, recognizing the artificial line dividing art and science. We like to pride our corner of Nugent and Main [streets] as being the intersection of form and function, the corner where ‘Art’ and ‘Science’ converge. [Those words] are painted on our columns outside,” said Sone.
And then there’s the lure of the area’s vineyards.
“The person who is an arts aficionado is also likely a wine aficionado—and vice versa,” observed Yaeger. “It’s a cultural thing.”
“There’s been an explosion of wineries on the 290 corridor,” said Haddock. “We are designated the second wine trail in America. Johnson City is at the epicenter. And we see a lot of international traffic because of it. Well, that, and because the Hill Country is really special. We see a range of ages, too. Baby boomers and a lot of millennials from Austin who love what we offer here. They love the art and mid-century modern style. We also see a lot of people who are relocating to the area, from California or bigger Texas cities like Houston.”
Haddock says that the current cluster of eight art galleries—coupled with tony eateries like Bryan’s on 290, the wineries, and a number of B&Bs—have prompted some Echo customers to compare Johnson City to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The comparison may seem a stretch for some folks, but Frances Ann Giron doesn’t readily dismiss it. From her perch at the Chamber of Commerce’s visitor center overlooking the highway, Giron sees a slow shift from weekend day trippers to folks sticking around overnight.
“I’ve had a lot of people come in here, fall in love with Johnson City, and then decide to cancel a night in Fredericksburg to stay here with us a little longer. They find they like the feel of the place,” said Giron. “I see a lot of people in here from all over the globe. The other day I had a family from São Paolo in the morning and Madrid in the afternoon. They fly into Houston, San Antonio, or DFW and then they head here because they want to see Texas as it used to be. They want to learn about us. We used to be just cowboys and Indians. Old-fashioned, Western stuff. And we’ve still got some of that, sure, but we’ve got a lot more than just that to show them now. The arts are definitely part of the experience.”
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Story and photographs by Pamela Price, the founder of TheTexasWildflower.com. She holds an M.A. in art history from The University of Texas at Austin and has a soft spot for rural Texas, past and present.
Explore More
There’s an abundance of noteworthy upcoming activities in Johnson City this summer, making it a great time to get to know the community.
For Families:
The Science Mill is hosting a “STEAM-Y Summer Fun” series. For starters, on Saturday, June 2, families are invited to join world famous artist, McKay Otto, at this one-of-a-kind art class at the Science Mill! Bring your old toys, recyclables, unwanted household items and your creativity. Get ready to create your own masterpiece. Ages 8+ are invited to attend. Two classes offered at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The class is free with admission, but space is limited. Reserve your spot now by emailing programs@sciencemill.org.
To learn more about the Science Mill’s complete summer series, visit their website.
For Grown-Ups:
The Johnson City Art Walk is held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the last Saturday of every month. Complimentary wine and other refreshments are served at galleries lining Nugent Avenue and Main Street.
Calling all artists! Echo in Johnson City is currently accepting entries (through June 20) for their forthcoming August 2018 exhibition The Breast Show to be held in conjunction with National Breastfeeding Month, World Breastfeeding Week, and Black Breastfeeding Week. Details can be found on their website.
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