[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 25808-25809]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                OLD JAIL ART CENTER SILVER ANNIVERSASRY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RANDY NEUGEBAUER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 10, 2005

  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Old 
Jail Art Center in Albany, Texas on its 25th anniversary. The Art 
Center first opened on December 19, 1980 and, as the name indicates, is 
located in the first permanent jail built in Shackelford County. The 
historic location in combination with the excellent permanent art 
collection and other exhibits gives Albany an important cultural center 
that receives over 30,000 visitors a year.
  Texas Monthly magazine has called The Old Jail Art Center the best 
small-town museum in the state and it is easy to see why. It has a 
permanent collection of over 1900 works of art, including modem 
paintings by artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 
and Pablo Picasso. The museum's Eastern Art Collection displays thirty-
five Chinese terra-cotta tomb figures from the Han and T'ang dynasties. 
The Old Jail Art Center provides art education opportunities with 43 
Big Country school districts. In addition, the museum offers historical 
archives and serves as a research library for Shackelford County. I am 
pleased to honor this full service art center that contributes to the 
cultural and educational opportunities for my constituents in the 19th 
Congressional District of Texas.
  I would like to congratulate all those involved with making this 
museum such a success. The citizens of Albany and all Texans can be 
proud of the Old Jail Art Center and its programs.

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