The Falls on the Colorado Museum is more than a place to experience history firsthand. Visitors can also take history home.
“We have a good selection of books for sale on local and Texas history, including those by local authors,” said Darlene Oostermeyer, chairman of the Marble Falls museum’s board, in a media release about the books. “The most recent one was just released by publication April 1 and was written by The Picayune (Magazine) Editor Suzanne Freeman.”
The museum hosted the launch party for “Hidden History of Burnet County” on April 5, filling its meeting space to capacity.
“We had a great turnout,” Oostermeyer said. “We sold dozens of books, and visitors had a great time trading stories, meeting Suzanne, and getting their books signed. Some people stocked up on presents for their family members, buying two, three, and four books!”
Part of the proceeds from sales of Freeman’s book goes to the nonprofit museum, 2001 Broadway St. in Marble Falls.
“Hidden History of Burnet County” is published by History Press, an imprint of Arcadia Publishing. Also available from Arcadia Publishing at the museum is “Images of America: Marble Falls” by local historian Dr. Jane Knapik and Marble Falls Public Library head librarian Amanda Rose. Published in 2013, the book contains 130 pages of historical images of the Highland Lakes city.
Other books related directly to Marble Falls and Burnet County history include:
Books related to local flora and fauna include:
Native American history books include:
“What better place to brush up on local history and grow your own personal Texana library,” Oostermeyer said about the museum’s extensive collection. “Tour the library and buy a book on the way out. It’s a great way to get to know the roots of our local community and what an important part the people here have played in Texas history.”
The Falls on the Colorado Museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit fallsmuseum.org.
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Tags: history books, The Falls on the Colorado Museum
The Highland Lakes Quilt Guild holds its annual fundraising festival Friday-Saturday, April 25-26, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day at the Burnet Community Center, 401 E. Jackson St. This year’s event is also the 25th anniversary celebration of the guild, which has spent the past quarter-century raising money for good causes with their craft.
Admission to the 2025 Highland Lakes Quilt Festival is $10 a person. Children 10 years and younger get in free.
The festival features dozens of handmade quilts from guild members and a list of vendors offering a variety of materials and products for quilters.
The centerpiece of the festival is a massive, 88-inch-by-88-inch quilt titled “Tranquility,” which will be raffled off. The piece was inspired by the biblical stories of Solomon’s puzzle, Job’s tears, Joseph’s coat, and the Garden of Eden. Its creation was a team effort, with guild members investing over 1,200 total production hours.
Proceeds from the Highland Lakes Quilt Festival go toward the guild’s many charitable efforts, including its scholarship for Highland Lakes women in the workforce, Habitat for Humanity donations, Bee of Service program, support for the Burnet County Area Fair, and quilting lessons at local elementary schools.
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When local architect Stephen Jackson read an article in The Picayune Magazine about Iraqi-born artist Mhmood Goyani and his challenge of getting his work seen in his new home country, he felt compelled to act.
“Not a lot of opportunity exists for artists to show their work out here,” Jackson told the writer of the March 2025 story. “When I saw (the article), I thought, ‘Well, this guy deserves to be able to show his work.’”
Jackson offered his architectural studio at 903 Third St. in Marble Falls as a gallery space. An opening reception for the exhibit, titled “No Borders,” is Friday, April 25, from 5-8 p.m. “No Borders” will run for 30 days.
Goyani will showcase 33 original paintings alongside a few works by local sculptor Jamie Jo Stein and selected pieces from Jackson himself. It’s Goyani’s his first featured exhibition since arriving in the United States. He and his wife now live in Marble Falls.
“The exhibition is divided into two sections,” Goyani said. “The first section contains the old paintings that I brought with me from Iraq. The second section contains the works I created here in America. I combined them to create a simple image of what I want others to see.”
Among the paintings is a central piece titled “No Borders,” reflecting the artist’s journey from Mosul to Marble Falls.
“The exhibition title comes from (The Picayune Magazine article). … I liked the expression ‘no borders,’ and it applied to my situation, so I painted a painting under this title,” he said. “I think the painting imitates reality in a modern artistic style, mixing realism and modernity.”
Goyani’s work vividly portrays the artist’s transition between two worlds, capturing both challenges and triumphs on canvas.
“My message to the viewer, in general and briefly, is that the artist’s job evolves as they move from one environment to another,” Goyani said. “There are certainly positives and negatives. I try to provide the viewer with these differences and this change.”
Organizing an exhibit in less than a year since his move was daunting, but the artist sees the challenge as essential to his growth.
“It was undoubtedly a challenge to present an exhibition of 33 works in less than a year and find a place where I could display my work,” Goyani said. “But I was able to do this, and this makes me somewhat satisfied with the direction and path I am taking.”
Jackson, whose architectural career brought him to Las Vegas and Austin, said hosting artists is a way to refresh his own studio space and inspire community engagement.
“I’ve always helped artists, and they’ve helped me back,” he said. “This is an opportunity here to help somebody and maybe get my name out there, too.”
The exhibit is open to visitors whenever Jackson is working in his studio and may include additional social gatherings beyond the opening and closing receptions.
“We’re having an opening party and a closing party, and if it becomes a social circumstance, we might just have a party every Friday,” he added.
For Goyani, the exhibit represents more than just artistic expression; it’s an affirmation of resilience and continuity.
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “Despite all the difficulties I faced here, I refuse to give up or deviate from the path of art.”
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Tags: art, Mhmood Goyani, No Borders exhibit