Exhibit To Open Wednesday

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The Brownsville Museum of Fine Art will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its grassroots beginnings with an exhibit from its permanent collection.

Rene Van Haaften, the museum's executive director, tells the Brownsville Herald (http://bit.ly/1exCO7A ) that over the years, the museum's permanent collection has grown from a few works to more than 500.

The exhibit opens Wednesday and will continue into September.

The museum's beginnings date back to 1935, with the founding of the Brownsville Art League. The museum's website says that the group started with eight women who met to discuss their passion for art.

Van Haaften says the founding members all have paintings in the permanent collection while other works have been donated over the years.