Editor’s Note: After changing its focus to Peruvian fare in December 2016, Isla closed down in May 2017.

Austinites are familiar with the Warehouse District’s Péché, a distinct absinthe bar on 4th Street that celebrates pre-Prohibition era cocktails and French cuisine made with fresh, local ingredients. Owner Rob Pate emphasizes education and intimacy within the space, cultivating an atmosphere that encourages friendly rapport between bartenders and patrons.

But if you’re searching for a lively evening with friends, Peche’s sister bar will deliver. Directly next door to Péché, Isla is a vivacious Caribbean cantina. The same executive chef, John Lichtenberger, and pastry chef, Yolanda Diaz, serve simple but impacting flavor combinations. [Read more…]

Guest article by Sam Small

So you’re a street artist or know someone who is? If you’d like your art to be seen in one of Austin’s areas with the most foot traffic, here’s a mural competition for you.

Hyatt Regency Austin on Barton Springs Road at South Congress has a wall that is currently ordinary and not doing much at all. The 20-foot by 5-foot wall in question was going to get a fresh coat of paint when someone proposed, “Why not paint a mural on it?” The conversation led to the idea for a community competition, and that’s where you come in.

The Hyatt team wouldn’t expect something like this to be done for nothing. So they’re offering a prize for the winning mural proposal. The winner will receive his or her choice of a $1,000 gift card to Jerry’s Artarama (a local art supply shop) or two three-day passes to the 2016 Austin City Limits Music Festival with a complimentary weekend stay at Hyatt Regency Austin. Not bad, eh?

And here’s another thing about this wall. It’s on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Yes, the one that now goes in a loop from north shore to south and is frequented by one and a half million people every year. That’s 28,000 people a week or 4,000 people every day who would potentially walk by your amazing wall painting! Talk about prime gallery real estate.

If you’re not already known locally, you may be after this level of exposure. Austin is known for its street murals, from “Greetings from Austin,” (First Street and Annie in South Austin) to “i love you very much,” (Jo’s Coffee on South Congress) to “Hi, how are you” (W. 21st Street and Guadalupe). Your submission to Hyatt’s competition can include text or be pictorial only. Either way, the selection panel is awaiting your entry.

If you want to give it a shot, open up your Instagram account and upload a photograph of your mural art. Be sure to include the hashtags #HyattLovesATX and #Entry. You must be a local Austin resident or someone who can physically be in Austin to paint the mural. There’s no entry limit; just remember this is a family-friendly viewing area.

The deadline to enter is Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 9 p.m., so think fast. Instagram submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges based on specific criteria including uniqueness, creativity and appeal.

The winner will be notified by Friday, June 10 and must be able to complete their mural design on the hotel’s wall between Friday, June 10 and Monday, June 20. You can email Dorothy Hornbeck at dhornbeck@jameskorenchen.com with your questions and access the official rules here.

 

@theAustinot wants to know:

What is your favorite street mural or art piece in Austin?

 

Sam Small and his wife made the permanent move from London, England to Austin, Texas in 2014. Sam is a writer of songs, articles and screenplays and also runs a small recording studio in south Austin. 

Playwright Elizabeth Doss is comfortable in her petite frame and porcelain skin. She doesn’t hide behind caked-on cosmetics, jewels that sparkle or threads that scream “look at me.” The day we met over coffee, her solid cable-knit gray dress accentuated smoky blue eyes framed by shoulder-length blond locks and bangs, held back by a tiny green barrette.

As she began to speak about her upcoming play “Poor Herman,” her eyes began to shift quickly as one thought moved to the next, her hands expressively cutting through the air. It was obvious by her animation that this play is special–and close to her heart. [Read more…]

Editor’s Note: Levitation has been cancelled due to rain in the forecast and danger of flooding.

For one weekend in late April/early May, a private ranch next to the Colorado River transforms for a three-day psychedelic music festival and campground, complete with light projections, wooden swings, art, food trailers and incredible live music. People travel from around the world to come to this other-worldly event called Levitation. [Read more…]