Russell Farm Art Center

The Russell Farm Art Center is a rustic and very picturesque slice of Texas. The Center is located on a gentle hillside surrounded by beautifully landscaped terrain. The original farmhouse, along with its barns and other restored farm buildings are all nestled within stands of native Texas Oaks and Mesquites. Surrounded by a variety of livestock and wildlife, the Center provides the perfect environment for the contemplative or creative thought mutual to fine art.

The farm has been passed down through the family over the years. Martha Glenn Russell started the farm in 1877. She and her husband, Dr. Robert Russell, moved to Marystown community, Johnson County in 1874 where he built a country store and practiced medicine. Two years later he passed away.

Martha Russell, with five young children to raise alone, sold their store and bought 540 acres of land at what would become the Russell Farm. She moved her family into their new three-room home on Christmas Eve of 1877. Even today, the central core of the farmhouse is made up of two of the three original rooms built in 1877.

In order to ease the workload of maintaining the farm, Martha opened some of the land to settlers. Here they could raise their families while sharing some of the labor around the farm. Martha lived the remainder of her life on this farm. She died February 7, 1931 and was buried beside her husband in the Marystown Cemetery.

T he Russell Farm was entered in the Texas Family Land Heritage Program in 1977 by Martha Russell’s grandson, Russell Lace. This program honors family farms that have been in continuous operation for at least a hundred years. In order to maintain this family connection, Martha and Russell Lace chose their nephew, Charlie Boren, to keep the heritage alive. Charlie, along with his wife Louise moved to the farm in 1979.

Charlie Boren’s vision has transformed the farm into the Russell Farm Art Center. For over thirty years, Charlie has worked to achieve excellence in the artistic use of wood. He has studied with the Masters of Bavaria, England, Canada, and the United States. Through study and experience, Charlie has developed a singular style; his sculpture is a harmony of wood and artistry. Charlie’s sculpture is exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the state and in private collections throughout the world.

Just as Martha Glenn Russell had opened her land to newcomers looking for a place to work and raise a family, Charlie and Louise continue in similar tradition with the foundation of the Russell Farm Art Center. The Russell Farm Art Center is a place for artists and students to share and expand their knowledge of art. Surrounded by the beauty and the history of the farm, artists are invited to tour the galleries, attend seminars, and participate in workshops and classes