WHO WE ARE

The Old Jail Art Center’s (OJAC) unique history began in 1980 with four small galleries in what was originally the first permanent structure built in Shackelford County, Texas. The museum’s original building is a restored and repurposed limestone jail built in 1877-1878 by Scottish stonemasons, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum has expanded over the decades to include 17,000 square feet of gallery, education, archive, and art storage spaces while offering robust exhibition and education programming. Our standards of excellence in operations and programming have been recognized by the American Alliance of Museums through its accreditation since 1989.

The museum’s mission is to broaden engagement with visual art and culture through exhibitions, education, and preservation.