• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Write
  • Intern
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact

The Austinot

Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.

  • Things To Do
    • Things To Do This Weekend
    • Things To Do This Week
    • Things To Do This Weekend With Kids
  • Discoveries
    • Austinot Loves
    • Activities
    • Day Trips
    • Local Business
  • Food & Drink
    • Food
    • Drink
  • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Film
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Theatre
  • Culture
    • Arts
    • History
    • Museums
  • Et Cetera
    • Non-Profits
    • Podcast
    • Archives

Umlauf Prize Honors UT Students and Charles Umlauf’s Innovation

October 25, 2016 by Kelli McDonald Leave a Comment

Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum Sign

Credit: Rebecca Belcher Photography

Near Zilker Park sits the iconic Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, a tranquil space dedicated to exhibiting Charles Umlauf’s dramatic bronze and stone pieces that combine themes of family, religion, beauty and Austin itself. While this charming piece of the city maintains a sense of old, historical Austin, Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum also embraces contemporary art.

The Umlauf Prize is one of the ways this local institution fosters the creation of artwork that is reminiscent of the thoughtfulness and skill that Umlauf employed. The idea for the prize originated in 2005 when former Umlauf Board Member Damian Priour and his wife, Paula, wanted to develop a way for the nonprofit organization to encourage new artists.

As Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum Executive Director Nina Seely explained in a press release, “The Umlauf Prize represents the future of emerging artists in our community and their work honors the legacy of Charles Umlauf.”

It’s only fitting that those who receive the award are graduate students at The University of Texas, since Umlauf taught fine art there for a total of 40 years. His career culminated in becoming Professor Emeritus (an honorary title gained at retirement to mark distinguished service) in 1981.

This Year’s Umlauf Prize Recipient

Echinda Labs

Blurring the lines of fiction and reality (Credit: Erica Nix for EchindaLabs)

Umlauf Prize juror Don Bacigalupi selected this year’s winner after visiting several artist studios at The University of Texas. He picked Elizabeth McClellan who created new work for this special exhibition. McClellan chose to weave together stories, installation elements and performances to form a concept called EchindaLabs.

Brochures, videos and interactions with actual “test subjects” will draw visitors into EnchindaLabs, where genetic modification has reached intriguingly unsettling heights. Guests of the installation can ponder the possibilities and ethics of how we will use science in humanity’s near future.

Like Umlauf’s work, McClellan uses the delicate curves of the human form to develop striking work. She has even created a website to encourage the smudging of imaginative art into reality. McClellan explains in her artist statement, “I use EchindaLabs as a container to explore questions around the possibilities of shaping ourselves and the paradox of being simultaneously cell and universe. The balance between what we are and what we want to be will determine how much we can change ourselves, which begs the questions–how do we know what we are to begin with?”

This Year’s Exhibition

Umlauf Prize 2016

You can learn more about these “genetic mutations” on Nov. 11 at Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
(Credit: Erica Nix for EchindaLabs)

Since 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, the organizations has decided to celebrate by putting together a show of new work by past Umlauf Prize winners. The honored artists include Gracelee Lawrence and Ryan Hawk, Adam Crosson, Stephanie Wagner, Katalin Hausel, Mark Schatz, and Holly Fischer.

The opening of the Umlauf Prize exhibition (including the not-to-be-missed EchindaLabs performance) will take place on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. The event is free for the public.

If you’re not able to attend opening night, the show will be up until Jan. 29, 2017. The work will mainly reside in the gallery, but several pieces will be installed in the gardens, as well.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum is located at 605 Robert E. Lee Road. Check the website for hours, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.

 

@MadameKLM wants to know:

When was the last time you visited Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum?

Filed Under: Arts, Culture Tagged With: umlauf, ut

Best of The Austinot

We always have unique content on The Austinot and we love to give things away. You know, like concert tickets, gift cards, and other cool stuff. We only send out our “Best of the Austinot” newsletter twice a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of The Austinot here!

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Connect with Us

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of A...

    Please enable JavaScript

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of Austin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Things to do

Things to do in Austin this week

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of August 8, 2022 include EPIC Sunset Bat Paddle, Carpenter Hotel BBQ Pool Party, and more!

Austin is now among the fastest-growing metroplexes in the US! Keeping up with the growth, luckily, there’s plenty going on in Austin all days of the week. There are things to do on Monday in Austin, of course, things to do in Austin on Saturday night, and everything in between! Some of you may be […]

Horse Riding Lessons in Austin - Texas Trail Rides

Horseback Riding in Austin: Horse Riding Lessons For Adults and Kids Near You

If you’ve always been captivated by cowboy movies about the Wild West and are looking for adult horse riding lessons near me, Austin is the place to be! There are a ton of places that offer horseback riding in Austin with a range of adult horseback riding lessons, including picking your own horse, learning different […]

Things to do in Austin

Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of August 5, 2022 include Saturday Family Funday, Back to School Bash, and more!

If there’s one thing about this city, it’s that there is always something going on. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of August 5, 2022, there’s plenty of fun to be had, including the First Friday Ghost Tour, Disney’s Newsies, and more! Top Pick for Summer Camps […]

Things to do in Austin

10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of August 5, 2022 Include Queer Yoga, Grounded Dance Cardio, and More!

  For summer camp information, check out our page for Best Summer Camps in Austin for 2022!  If you would like to discover more Things to do in Austin this Week & Things to do in Austin with Kids this Weekend, check out Facebook for immediate notifications.

Classic Game Fest 2022 in Austin

Classic Game Fest 2022 in Austin: A Can’t Miss Celebration of Retro Videogames

  Remember the good old days of videogames? You and your friends huddled around a tiny CRT TV kicking each other in Street Fighter, battling Bowser in Super Mario Bros, or blasting demons in Doom. Modern videogames offer best in class visuals and expansive experiences. But there’s nothing quite like blowing into a cartridge, slamming it […]

Recent Posts

  • 10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of August 8, 2022 include EPIC Sunset Bat Paddle, Carpenter Hotel BBQ Pool Party, and more!
  • Horseback Riding in Austin: Horse Riding Lessons For Adults and Kids Near You
  • Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of August 5, 2022 include Saturday Family Funday, Back to School Bash, and more!
  • 10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of August 5, 2022 Include Queer Yoga, Grounded Dance Cardio, and More!
  • Classic Game Fest 2022 in Austin: A Can’t Miss Celebration of Retro Videogames

Welcome to The Austinot

We are all about Austin: the vibe, the people and the uniqueness of the city. We love to explore. Get to know us! We’ll respond if you comment. Heck, we’ll probably invite you to come and hang out with us!

Follow along to help support and learn more about local businesses, artists, and events.

-The Austinot Team

Privacy Policy

Trending Posts

  • What’s Up With the ‘Live a Great Story’ Messages Around Austin?
  • Guide to Austin’s Dirty Sixth Street
  • 10 Best Lakes in and around Austin
  • Austin’s Speakeasy Secrets (Shhh): Floppy Disk Repair Co.
  • Day Trip in Austin: 10 Places To Visit Like a Tourist

Copyright © 2022 · Log in

wpDiscuz