Current exhibition
Words Matter
Opened April 25, 2026. On view Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admission. Discover the power of art.
What happens when artists pick up language the way a painter picks up a brush? Words Matter, the opening exhibition at ARTHOUSE, gathers works where text and image share the frame. Drawn from the collection of Jeanne and Mickey Klein and co-curated by the founders themselves, the show ranges from wry one-liners to pieces that confront the hardest chapters of American history.
You do not need an art history degree to get it. These works speak plainly, because they are made of the same words we all use every day.
Artists in the exhibition
Ed Ruscha, Jenny Holzer, Faith Ringgold, Kenturah Davis, Terry Allen, Nicholas Galanin, Sam Durant, and others.
Highlight 1:
Nicholas Galanin,
Never Forget
A photograph of Galanin’s monumental installation near Palm Springs, where 44-foot letters in the style of the Hollywood sign spell out INDIAN LAND. It is one of the largest and most talked-about works of public art in recent memory, and one of the anchors of this show.
Highlight 2:
Faith Ringgold,
Hate Is a Sin
The late Faith Ringgold reworked the Confederate flag and wrote a short, unflinching story around its edge, recounting the racism she faced at the Whitney Museum in 1968. Visitors, including local high school students, consistently name it the most affecting piece in the room.
Highlight 3:
Sam Durant,
Everyone Deserves a Dream!
A small illuminated box glows above the front desk with a handwritten message: Everyone deserves a dream! Referencing protest signs, it is the only permanent work at ARTHOUSE, and the first thing you see when you walk in. The Kleins liked it so much they bought two.
Highlight 4:
Ed Ruscha, If
A printed word, simply stated: If. Ruscha pioneered treating typography as visual art, where the shape and placement of language becomes the subject itself.
Highlight 5:
Kenturah Davis, Breath as a Boundary
A portrait built entirely from letter stamps pressed into oil paint. Stand close and the image dissolves into text. Step back and she appears.
Mickey’s advice:
give it more than eight seconds
A museum survey once found that the average visitor looks at a work of art for about eight seconds. Mickey Klein teaches visitors, especially students, a better way. Before you walk the room, let your eyes wander, find the one piece that grabs you, then go stand with it. That is the work you will still be thinking about at dinner.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Words Matter opened April 25, 2026. This is the first of three planned exhibitions from Mickey and Jeanne Klein’s personal art collection — a carefully curated series reflecting decades of collecting and their passion for artists who use language as visual art.
Open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is always free. No tickets or reservations needed. Questions? Call
432-400-2535.
113 Main Street, Marble Falls, TX 78654. About an hour northwest of Austin via US 281. Street parking is easy and free in downtown Marble Falls.
Phone: 432-400-2535
Curators: Jeanne and Mickey Klein | Manager: Grace Dunn
ARTHOUSE welcomes groups—adults, families, school groups, homeschool programs, and organizations—to see how serious collectors live with and choose art. Tours can be tailored to grade level. Call 432-400-2535 to arrange a visit.
Come see for yourself
An hour northwest of Austin, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.