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Austin creatives collaborate during The Experience event in Austin
Austin, Live Music Capital of the World, bounces with creative energy. Yet even this artist-friendly city struggles to financially support its expansive treasure trove of creative talent. That’s why I was instantly intrigued when I caught wind of the Creatives Meet Business mission to nourish Austin’s creative sector through impactful community and leverage entrepreneurial creativity. [Read more…]
Austin muralist Miles Starkey painted the fence outside Art for the People
Deanna “Dee” Serra founded Art for the People almost five years ago. She identifies as a collector, not so much as an artist. But she certainly has an eye for art. And her organizational prowess has allowed her to bring together a community of individuals who uplift each other. The gallery is truly “for the people,” by the people. [Read more…]
Live painters at Art Outside, an annual event produced by Art Seen Alliance (Credit: Laura Lea Nalle)
Editor’s Note: Art Outside has been cancelled for 2018 due to flooding. From the organizers: “We are working to find safe, available venues in Austin for select programming; stay tuned for announcements of potential shows featuring Art Outside performers.”
Art Seen Alliance has a core team of 14 people. You may not have heard of the organization, but there’s a chance you’ve interacted with one of its creations. The alliance has constructed a solar-powered carousel for General Electric, manufactured custom beds for The Austin Motel, and built a set design for Twitter to host a show during SXSW 2017. The group has its creative hand in about every local festival you could name.
Texas Monthly Live brings a full magazine issue to life on stage (Credit: Brandon Navarro)
Digital media changed the game for classic print publications quite some time ago. However, Texas Monthly, the revered magazine chronicling all things Texan since 1973, has actively embraced change by adding unique events and upping its online game using podcasts, videos, and a more robust social media presence.
Let’s dig into how Texas Monthly is not only staying in the game, but winning it.
Texas Focus panel with Film Programs Manager Rachel Manning on right (Credit: Bullock Museum)
Guest article by Janet Lee
Film is a window into other lives, whether they’re set in reality or an alternate universe. Movies provide various perspectives that are ultimately a reflection of our society. The Film Series Program at Bullock Museum delves into these perspectives, leading open and thematic discussions within the Austin community.
The museum’s mission is to create diverse conversations and narratives using the medium of film. And more importantly, to continue those conversations beyond the theater. Rather than simply hosting screenings, Bullock wants to collectively tackle myths, preconceived notions, and themes that are relevant and engaging. [Read more…]
Ysabel LeMay’s hypercollage art highlights the intricacies and beauty of natural settings (Credit: Danny Allegretti)
Austin-based artist Ysabel LeMay holds a singular space in the world of fine art photography, with her mystical photo creations. LeMay’s pieces invite, even compel, viewers to come closer, to step into a world where light, mist, fog, water, and life play together.
Our first love, Austin (Credit: Stuart Seeger via Flickr CC)
Our city is full of culture, thriving communities, and rich history. The stuff that makes Austin “weird.” Can you imagine The Continental Club in shiny, new digs? No, right? Its location and character are what make it special. While Austin continues to grow at break-neck speed, Preservation Austin strives to keep places like The Continental Club alive and thriving. This important organization has been “saving the good stuff” for 65 years now!
Daddy Otis’s “Free Hugs!” I hope you said that in your best monster voice, because I always do. (Credit: @knowatx)
Austin mural artists continue to inspire us with their creativity and massive pieces of art. At the recent ReCreate event, the final spray-out day at HOPE Outdoor Gallery, 50 artists painted every inch of wall space there. Hundreds of people came out to watch, admire, photograph, and say goodbye to HOPE’s famous location. [Read more…]
In 1894, Austin bought moonlight in the form of towers. Nowadays, these monolithic lamps are super impractical, but in 1895 they were a revelation. Moonlight towers, also referred to as moon towers, liberated citizens from the constraints of nighttime and heralded Austin as “The Coming Great Manufacturer of the South.”
Many speculated these lights would eliminate the need for police entirely. The carbon-arc bulbs were so bright, in fact, that locals worried about potential crop overgrowth and wore umbrellas at night to protect their skin.
The moonlight towers did not eliminate crime, nor did they cause vegetable hysteria. What they did was stir up a frothing pot of controversy. A small list of fatalities accumulated, as workers and ambitious young men climbed up and fell to the ground.
Miniature replica at Moontower Saloon in south Austin
Niz incorporates images from nature into her art, like this piece with owl wings and fox head and tail
Austin’s mural art covers the city’s walls, inside and outside bars, restaurants, schools, and museums. If you’ve spent any time in Austin, then you’ve seen the colorful creations of the following three artists. [Read more…]