Exhibit Listing: Linda Murray
Click the hand icon for the PDF art list.
Exhibit List: Samara Barks
Click the hand icon for the PDF art list.
New Year, New City Arts Center!
It’s official: The City Arts Center is open in the Griffith Building at 216 East Main Street in Downtown Round Rock! Open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (and extended hours Wednesday nights until 8 p.m.), admission is free.
We are so excited to welcome you to the City Arts Center, a new creative space in Downtown Round Rock in the Griffith Building. With two-story-high cathedral ceilings, a gorgeous view of the paseo … and most importantly, a beautiful place to experience the arts!
We currently have two exhibits on view now, by artists Lind Moore and Samara Barks.Â
Celebrating Our New Space
Thank you for celebrating with us: We were so excited to celebrate with everyone at the Griffith Building ribbon cutting and our exhibit reception on January 29, 2026.Â
Griffith Building contains the City Arts Center, the Round Rock Chamber, and the Visitors Center. Our party celebrated art by Linda Murray and Samara Barks, live jazz by Keith Fiala, catering and refreshments by Alfred’s Catering and So Good Brazilian Treats, TapSnap photo booth, and conversation and energy abounded!
This event was free and open to the public. Stay tuned for more events to come!Â
Linda Murray: On View January 13-April 3, 2026
We are thrilled to present “Chapters,” an exhibit by artist Linda Murray.
Within this exhibition, the artist presents multiple series from her collection of works. Some about the passage of time, technology, nature, and beyond. Look for motherboards and QR codes intertwined with natural elements and other series of works that interrelate.Â
The exhibit title of “Chapters” has layers of meaning that extend beyond the exhibit itself: It’s our newest chapter in our new arts facility, and we are housed in the Griffith Building formerly home to the Round Rock Public Library.Â
All works are available for purchase in the City Arts Center.Â
Murray grew up in the small West Texas town of Rotan. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a long-time member of The Artists League of Texas, which became The Center for Contemporary Arts when she lived in Abilene and then Buffalo Gap. She now resides in Round Rock.
I paint in series. This show includes representative pieces of many different series. I think of each series as a book and each painting within that book as a chapter.
When I was a younger artist, I wanted to confine the issues I addressed in my paintings to universal themes, not personal ones. Now that I am no longer a young artist, I have come to realize that those universal themes and my personal themes are one and the same. We all face mortality. We all are affected by the constant balancing act of nature vs. technology. And we all face the consequences of the politics of the day. Â We live in a multi-layered culture filled with contradictions and dichotomies. My work reflects this.
Samara Barks: On View January 29-April 3, 2026
Opening just before Black History Month, we’re excited to present a selection of 3D works by artist Samara Barks in the City Arts Center. On view now, this captivating exhibit — with 3D art phone booths, wooden records and light-up shadow boxes — will continue through April 3, 2026.Â
Artist Bio and Statement
Samara Barks, also known as Mixed Hues, is a talented freelance illustrator, muralist, 3D artist, and mentor. She has worked in various cities throughout her career but has called Austin home for the past decade. Her artwork is a unique blend of exaggerated realism and a graphic/comic book style, often featuring people of color, especially black people, in unconventional settings.
Samara created Mixed Hues initially to address the lack of representation of black people in both the art and roller derby communities she was a part of. Over time, Mixed Hues has grown and now encompasses all of her creative passions. Samara’s artwork can be seen throughout Austin and beyond, as she strives to create a world that reflects the diversity and inclusivity she values.
Connect with the artist:
Website:Â https://www.mixedhues.com/
Instagram:Â @Mixed_Hues
Facebook:Â https://www.facebook.com/MixedHues
LIVE at the City Arts Center
The City Arts Center is open extended hours each Wednesday night until 8pm, for your evening enjoyment of visual arts, but now we’re adding some live music for you to enjoy against the backdrop of beautiful visual arts!
Performances take place March 4, 11, and 18 from 6pm-8pm. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Grab all of the details by clicking here.Â
March 4: The Violet Crown Affair
March 11: Buenos Diaz
March 18: Acoustic Grooves/Raphina Austin
Explore Your Creativity
Workshops at STUDIO at the City Arts Center
Get hands-on with a class at Studio at the City Arts Center. Coming up are fun balloon art workshops led by Tony Maxironi: One for parents and kids to create together, and another for those ready to take their balloon-twisting skills to the next level.
The following classes are free, with all materials provided!
FEBRUARY 24, 2026
Family Balloon Twisting (Registration is now closed)
This free workshop with Tony Maxironi is for parent and child to learn beginner’s balloon art together.Â
FEBRUARY 26, 2026
Inspired Twisters Click here for details/registration
This free workshop is perfect for beginners who’ve learned the fundamentals as well as those with some experience who want to expand their balloon repertoire.
Chihuly in Round Rock
Chihuly’s stunning glass sculptures have captivated audiences around the world, and by bringing one to Round Rock, we will establish an enduring symbol of our community’s commitment to art, culture, and creative expression as defined by our Arts and Culture Plan in 2023.Â
Installing an original Dale Chihuly chandelier in the City Arts Center will create an iconic symbol of that commitment — a landmark that inspires residents, attracts visitors, and anchors our cultural identity for generations to come.
It reflects the city’s aspiration to elevate local artists alongside global masters.
The Chihuly chandelier is currently being created and will be installed in the City Arts Center in Summer 2026.
Artist Opportunities
Upcoming
We are not currently accepting proposals for exhibits in the City Arts Center, but we do have other opportunities for visual artists! As we have more opportunities, they will be shared here, on our social media and through our email newsletter (please contact us if you wish to be added to that). Â
Calling All Artists: Mainly Art is a vibrant outdoor celebration of creativity, putting the spotlight on 15 different visual artists each month. Stroll downtown’s charming Main Street to discover a diverse array of artwork and glean inspiration too! It’s called Mainly Art because it takes place on Main Street—and it’s all about art!
For artist guidelines and the application for Mainly Art Spring 2026, please click here. This is a free opportunity for visual artists to sell their art.
Not an artist, but a shopper instead? Please click here to learn more about our Spring series of Mainly Art.Â
This event is a program by the City of Round Rock Arts and Culture.Â
Building History
A new year and a new creative space. The City Arts Center opened its new doors on January 14, 2026 in the newly renovated Griffith Building.
The location has played a variety of roles in downtown, including a fire house, auto shop, City Hall, and the library! This revitalized building is host to the City Arts Center, the Round Rock Visitors Center, and the Round Rock Chamber.
Outside the doors of our City Arts Center, you will find the Paseo. This walkable corridor connects Main Street to Liberty Ave and the Round Rock Library, allowing you to easily visit Main Street businesses, Prete Plaza, and City of Round Rock facilities like the City Arts Center!Â
The Griffith Building is named after Robert and Helen Griffith, who made their mark in the community in numerous ways, including being ardent library supporters.Â
Click here to read more about the Griffith Building renovation project. Â
Pick With Austin
The City Arts Center serves as a welcoming pickup/drop off point for the local mental health awareness nonprofit Pick With Austin (http://pickwithaustin.com).Â
Connect directly with Pick With Austin to inquire about its no-fee instrument program, or stop by the gallery to see if we have an instrument on display that might be of use to you. A goal of this nonprofit is to help youth through the gift of music, by way of no-fee instruments and musical equipment. Have an instrument to donate? Bring it to the the City Arts Center, and we’ll pass it along to the nonprofit organization for you.Â
We Welcome You!
Who are we? The City Arts Center is staffed and managed by the City of Round Rock Arts and Culture.
Open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10am to 6pm (and extended hours Wednesday nights until 8pm), admission is free.
The City Arts Center is dedicated to enriching the community by providing dynamic and accessible artistic experiences that foster creativity, cultural appreciation, and personal expression. It is a venue for you to be inspired, connect, and celebrate the arts.
Follow Us
Location/Hours/Contact Us
The City Arts Center
Main number: 512-341-3113
Fred Cooley
Arts and Culture Associate
fcooley@roundrocktexas.gov
737-775-4870 (Cell)
512-671-2884 (Office)
Christina Rudofsky
Arts and Culture Manager
crudofsky@roundrocktexas.gov
512-801-0698 (Cell)
512-218-3298 (Office)
The City Arts Center
216 East Main Street
Round Rock, TX 78664
(Please use the front door of the Griffith Building to find our gallery door in the lobby.)
Admission is free.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., with extended hours on Wednesday nights until 8 p.m..Â
Parking
Free parking is available throughout Downtown Round Rock, including City Hall Parking Garage, Round Rock Public Library Garage, and street parking on Main Street and side streets.Â
