Arts & Culture

From world-renowned museum collections to avant-garde local creations, Marshall celebrates the visual and performing arts year-round. Enjoy a lively and varied line-up of country and western performers, rhythm and blues singers, and traveling versions of stage performances.


Marshall Symphony has entertained East Texas audiences for more than helf-a-century. Conductor Leonard Kacenjar directs the orchestra in classical and pops performances at Marshall Civic Center and Rogers Spiritual Life Center on the East Texas Baptist University campus.


The Marshall Visual Art Center, 208 East Burleson Street, is located in one of the downtown area's restored structures. A building that once housed a commercial laundry now offers studio and display rental spaces for local artists. A large Banquet and Creativity Hall in the center of the structure is available for small meetings and functions.

The Artists' Circle gift shop offers paintings, sculpture and handmade items, including cards, jewelry and wall art. Each summer, the Circle sponsors a Children's Art and Drama Camp, while community education classes are scheduled year-round. Contact Brooks Little at (903) 938-9860 for more information.


The ETBU School of Fine Arts is the home of the Departments of Music and Theatre Arts and the Art program at East Texas Baptist University. Enjoy a wide variety of concerts, choir and other performances throughout the year. Visit www.etbu.edu/artscalendar for more information.


The Michelson Museum of Art, located at 216 North Bolivar Street in another restored downtown building, showcases the work of Russian-American artists Leo Michelson. The collection of more than 1,000 paintings, drawings, and prints was donated to the City by Michelson's widow. The museum also features traveling displays. There are permanent exhibits, including a selection of 20th-century American art, and the Ramona and Jay Ward Collection of African masks and artifacts. The museum also features a Discovery Room for younger children. For more information, call (903) 935-9480 or visit www.michelsonmuseum.org.

And, last but not least, because Marshall and Harrison County are home to abundant springs and supplies of red clay, an out-of-the-ordinary type of art has been practiced here since 1891. Marshall Pottery (at its Farm Road 31 site) continues the practice of throwing pots. Local craftsmen hand-turn traditional, cobalt-striped pieces on the potter's wheel.