The People's Gallery Promotes Local Artistry At Austin City Hall

Trapped Breath Glasswork by Nicholas Dertien

Nicholas Dertien experiments with glass – “Trapped Breath”

If you’re an Austin artist, your work can be displayed at City Hall. All you need to do is apply…and be selected over nearly 400 of your peers.

Think you got the chops?

The People’s Gallery is in its 8th year at Austin City Hall and runs through January 10, 2013.

The exhibition exists to “showcase regional artistic endeavors and to encourage public dialogue, understanding, and enjoyment of the visual arts.”

It’s great to live in a city that values cultural depth and development, wouldn’t you agree?

Damian Priour Irish Rocks on Display at Austin City Hall

The late Damian Priour’s limestone and glass creation, “Irish Rocks”

Visiting The People’s Gallery

The People’s Gallery is appropriate for family outings, laidback dates or quiet time for yourself. Stop by Monday-Friday, 8 AM-7 PM for a self-guided tour of the art that’s displayed on the first, second and third floors of City Hall. Make it fun for your kids by encouraging them to participate in The People’s Choice contest, where they can choose their favorite art piece and submit a paper ballot. (Adults are allowed to vote, too!)

Art After Six is another opportunity for you to experience The People’s Gallery. Held on the first Friday of every month, Art After Six is your opportunity to hear from artists whose work you see displayed at City Hall. Visit AustinCreates.com for details on upcoming events.

One of my favorite parts of the 2012 People’s Gallery is the Mona Lisa Project, displayed on the 2nd floor. Photographer Rizo Pizzi teamed up with 16 female artists to create art pieces inspired by Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. You may have seen the Project on display at the Austin Museum of Art in mid-2011.

The Mona Lisa Project’s artists contributed pieces using different mediums – Valerie Chaussonnet utilized recycled steel

No matter what your artistic preference, you’ll find a piece that catches your eye at The People’s Gallery. The selections are incredibly diverse. Traditional and modern art is displayed in sculpture, wood, glass, acrylic and even some media that you don’t expect to see! The best part is that the talented artists are all based in Austin, TX.

2013 Call for Artwork

If you’re an Austin artist, The People’s Gallery is looking for 2D and 3D work to display at City Hall from February 22, 2013-January 10, 2014.

The submission deadline is November 2, 2012. Visit this site to read the Call for Artwork and apply. There’s also an Artist Info Meeting coming up at the end of September.