“Go for the Barbecue, Leave with Art.”
Words Janine Stankus | Photos Baptiste Despois
If you visit Lockhart for their famous brisket or maybe to browse their cute shops, you might be surprised to find yourself in the center of an artistic hub: galleries on every corner, private chef pop-ups in sunny, art-filled lofts, music thronging from corner bars and upstairs lounges. Commerce Gallery owners Tamara Carlisle and Donna Blair even sell T-shirts proclaiming it: “Come for barbecue, leave with art.” It doesn’t describe a dichotomy, but rather a colorful community woven from diverse talents and a shared passion.
Donna and Tamara have become integral to that patchwork over the past nine years. Along with many creatives, they left Austin for Lockhart, lured by already-embedded talent, such as artist and gallery owner Marty Spellerberg, who threw some of the earliest art shows on Lockhart’s town square, and Christopher St. Ledger, their current artist-in residence, whose moody oil paintings capture something sublime in familiar subjects.
As real estate professionals, the pair saw the old bones of turn-of-the century buildings lining the square as a canvas for what could be. “I was inspired to bring more [art experiences] to Lockhart, to enjoy these old buildings and share them with the community, and to create a space for artists,” Donna recalls.
And so began an evolution. In 2019, they opened Commerce Gallery in a 119-year-old commercial building. In 2024, they opened a second gallery/retail store, Get Lucky, in a former pharmacy building also on the square. Then in 2026, they launched Art Loft in a rented second-floor former office with mini-galleries and a large dining area that’s become host to cleverly-themed dinners.
Donna and Tamara became plugged into the growing art scene and connected with the small business community, even launching a non-profit, Hello Lockhart, to bring in more foot traffic. More and more people came for the art, fell in love with everything the town has to offer, and the community kept growing. “It happened naturally,” says Donna. “Friends would come down for the First Friday art shows and…get a taste of the magic. The next thing you know, they’re buying a house here.”
“We’re not just gallery owners. We’re neighbors. We’re community members. We’re preservationists.”
That magic has transported many creative Austin residents. Recent emigres Tamara names include artist Taryn Wenske, who paints dark, dreamlike abstracts, Aaron Parsley, Texas Monthly Senior Editor who won a Pulitzer Prize for his first-hand account of the devastating July 4 floods, and his husband Patrick Kelleher, a conservationist and artist who paints ruddy West Texas landscapes.
Musicians have also flown in. Ben and Jenn Hodges moved their Fiddler’s Green Music Shop from Austin to Lockhart during COVID and recently opened the Case Room, a cozy cocktail bar with a jukebox and jazz nights. Adrian Quesada, of Black Pumas fame, made a home in Lockhart with his wife Celeste, an artist, activist, and real estate professional. And these are only a few.
As Tamara and Donna stride through the square, greeting neighbors and chatting about the characters in their orbit, it’s clear to see this is a community that thrives on the power of connection. “ We’re not just gallery owners. We’re neighbors. We’re community members. We’re preservationists,” Donna affirms. And Tamara agrees, noting how the arts and small businesses support one another. “I think that’s really important,” Tamara nods. “I truly believe it’s all of us in it together.”
Places to visit In the City of Art
Get Lucky Gallery
113 S Main St.
getluckylockart.com
@getluckygallery
Spellerberg Projects
103 S Main St.
spellerbergprojects.com
@spellerbergprj
Nightshade Gallery
400 S Main St., Ste. 102
underthenightshade.com
@nightshadeartgallery
Gallery Outside the Square
217 S Main St., 400 S Main St., #102
@galleryoutsidethesquare
Gaslight Baker Theatre
216 S Main St.
mygbt.org
@gaslightbaker
Fiddler’s Green Music Shop
108 N Main St.
fiddlersgreenmusicshop.com
@fiddlersgreenmusicshop
Hello Lockhart
hellolockhart.com
@hellolockhart
Contact:
Commerce Gallery
102 S Commerce St.
thecommercegallery.com
@commercegallery
