Austin art is the heart and soul of this city. Dallas has its shopping malls and sky scrapers. Fort Worth has railroads and industry. Lubbock has…sand.

Our art is what makes this city so characteristically weird and eclectic. From live music to oil painting – it doesn’t matter. There is nothing more Austin-esque than creating, appreciating and supporting local Austin art.

Luckily for us Austinites, the AMOA-Arthouse at the Jones Center is currently hosting its annual Five x Seven art exhibit and fundraiser. You can support one of most eclectic museums in town by purchasing inexpensive and handmade local art. Which is much better than sand.

The Five x Seven exhibit is based on a challenge. Years ago this Austin art museum challenged artists to submit works of art that were no bigger than five by seven inches. Over the years the AMOA-Arthouse has seen some impressive creativity flourish within those boundaries. I saw sculptures, paintings, photographs – you name it. Artists submit anything from glass work to 3-D photography. Pictures, drawings and paintings line the exhibit walls with small tags they are sold. The hundreds of pieces show off the wide range of Texas artists working today.

Personally, I loved the sculptures. The artists who put them together took a lot of leeway with the rules. Some pieces had 5″x7″ bases while their various other ornamentation branched outward. Other sculptures strove to see how much detail they could cram into a space the size of an index card. My favorite was a miniature reconstructions of a real-life living room, complete with fireplace! Other artists took the more abstract route and designed sculptures for you to mull around in your head.

You could spend an entire afteroon milling about the museum’s beautiful architecture. The Five x Seven event is held in the upper story of the Jones Center on Congress St. Its wooden vaulted ceilings perfectly compliment the museum’s otherwise modern style. The exhibit is spacious, so there is plenty of room to walk from piece to piece and find your perfect 5 x 7.

The AMOA-Arthouse’s Five x Seven exhibit will be open until Sunday the 22nd. All fundraiser proceeds go toward future museum exhibits and educational programs. You can visit the museum during its normal operating hours and decide which piece suits you best. Your pieces will remain on the shelves until Sunday, so other museums guests can enjoy the full exhibit.

The prices are perfect for people like me who don’t have an art collector’s budget, yet hate blank living room walls. AMOA-Arthouse members can purchase available pieces for $100 dollars, while non-members pay $150. Membership costs only $45, though, so its cheaper to get a membership and then buy the piece you like. Plus, you gain access to other cool museum events, like film screenings and lectures, through your membership.

The AMOA-Arthouse and its Five x Seven exhibit is one of the most characteristically Austin things going on right now. You really need to check it out before its too late. All of the artwork will remain on the shelves until Sunday, so spend some time at the Arthouse even if you are not a collector. If nothing else, you can marvel at the many different approaches taken by the artists. You may even find something that catches your eye!

You can find the AMOA-Arthouse at 700 Congress Avenue. The museum hours vary by day, so click HERE or call them at 512.453.5312 and tell them the Austinot sent you. Also, drop some money into their donation box to keep a good thing going.