Behind a nondescript black door in San Antonio's Midtown neighborhood lies a thriving community that pulses with life, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of art. Hausmann Millworks represents more than just affordable studio space; it embodies a family's commitment to nurturing artists.
At the heart of this ecosystem is Rex Hausmann, a painter whose casual demeanor ("I hate wearing pants. Shorts only!") masks a serious dedication to his craft and community. His playful exterior conceals a professional rigor that has recently earned him one of art's most prestigious honors: selection as a visiting scholar at the American Academy in Rome for Spring 2026.
For three decades, Rex's parents, Gene and Renee Hausmann, ran a successful architectural woodworking company out of the warehouses that now form the Millworks space. They had just closed the company when the Great Recession hit, leaving them with 50,000 square feet of underutilized space. Rather than see this as a burden, they saw it as providence. "We're grateful because we had 50,000 square feet of buildings in 2008, and we needed to repurpose them, and we basically said, ‘God, these aren't our buildings, they're yours,’" Renee recalls, surrendering the space to a higher purpose.
The transformation began organically when Rex asked if he could paint in the family warehouses. Another artist, David Almaguer, asked if he could join, followed by a welder and a carpenter. "I was sitting in front of the building in the car and God goes, 'Hey, dummy, you're supposed to do art studios,'" Gene remembers with a laugh. Today, The Millworks has evolved into a complex of over 65 studios spanning an entire city block and housing approximately 100 artists and craftspeople.
What makes the Millworks special isn't just affordable rent, though that remains central to their mission. It's the intentional community the Hausmanns have cultivated. There are no price tags on artwork, no pretentious gallery atmosphere. Instead, there's a fire pit, a garden tended with the same care Rex once gave his grandfather's pepper patch, and a constant flow of people creating, collaborating, and celebrating each other's work.
"Every time that artist comes to the door, they feel amazing about themselves," Rex explains. The community includes painters like Pam Sims Harvey, who started painting at 60 while working as a pediatric nurse, and Larry Shanks, a retired engineer who creates intricate wooden sculptures with mathematical precision. There are San Antonio Symphony members making music, architects sketching new visions, writers crafting stories, and a capoeira group that practices in the space.
The Millworks operates on principles that seem almost revolutionary in today's art world: 100% of sales go to the artists, with the family taking only rent. They've maintained this model for 17 years, even as rising property taxes threaten affordability. The family hasn't given themselves a raise in 12 years, choosing instead to reinvest in their artists' success.
"It's an act of joy and service," Rex explains, though he acknowledges the challenge of balancing idealism with fiscal responsibility. The family is now working to establish a foundation that will ensure the Millworks' long-term sustainability while maintaining affordable access to studios.
The Millworks' philosophy is simple yet profound: grow where you're planted. After being told he needed to leave San Antonio to be recognized as an artist, Rex chose instead to prove that great art could flourish anywhere. His persistence paid off with full scholarships to Savannah College of Art and Design, where he earned both his BFA and MFA, the latter through an unconventional arrangement that allowed him to stay home and tend to his growing community.
"We can grow where we're planted. We can be here. We are enough in Boerne and San Antonio. And now with the American Academy in Rome, that's validation on an international level," Rex reflects.
While their roots may be firmly planted in Texas, Rex has organized projects in France, Spain, Japan (with Amir Samandi of SOS San Antonio), and throughout the United States, always bringing along a caravan of family and colleagues. The principle remains consistent whether it's a show in Brooklyn, Miami, or Hong Kong: elevate the entire community, not just individual success.
Now, the Hausmanns' sights are set on Rome with Rex's selection to the American Academy. His path to this prestigious honor was winding and marked by some rejections, but ultimately shaped by what the family calls "divine connections"—from a friend sharing Rex's work with a curator at New York's Hispanic Society on an airplane to chance encounters on museum steps.
The American Academy in Rome, founded in 1893 by a group of American architects, painters, and sculptors, represents the pinnacle of artistic residencies. Rex will join a select group of scholars living and working in a Renaissance villa overlooking the Eternal City. True to form, he's planning to bring his family and organize projects for some of his friends at the Millworks while he's there.
The selection for the American Academy validates what the Hausmann family has believed all along: that home is enough and that growing where you're planted can yield extraordinary fruit. Rex's upcoming residency isn't just a personal achievement; it's proof that in a world where artists often feel they must choose between community and recognition, there’s a third option: growing both simultaneously, right where they are.
rexhausmann.com | hausmannmillworks.net