Artstin, Texas by LASA Ezine

Artstin, Texas

Front Cover Goes Here

Austi n Ar t Dur i ng the Pandemi c

The Wor ld of Ar t Befor e and After COVI D- 19

Li mi tless Ar t

Ezine Fall 2020

Ci nema's Downfal l

Austi n Sans Li ve M usi c

Pattern Goes Here

TA BL E O F C O N TE N TS

Come Admire Austin's Art

13 8 5

The World of Art Before and After COVID-19

Austin Art During the Pandemic

Letters from the Editors

17 Artstin, Texas 4

Streaming Services Surge During COVID-19

27 20

Cinema's Downfall?

Statues of Austin

31 21

VIirtual Music in the LIive Music Capital of the World

Limitless Art

33 25

Austin Sans Live Music

7 Stages of Production

L et t ers f ro m t h e E d it o rs Aiden My name is Aiden Giroux and I am in the ninth grade at LASA High School. In my spare time, I like to record YouTube videos, hang out with friends, and play basketball and video games. Our group chose art in Austin because we had filled out a form about what we were interested in and Mrs. Giuletti put us together because we were all interested in art. I decided to cover the film/photography side of things because I love making videos on my YouTube channel (@Hard2Place) and no one else was doing film. I thought it would be cool to research other people who were working in film professionally.

Fiona

Hi! My name is Fiona Randazzo. I am a Freshman at LASA High School. I have lived in Austin my entire life so far. I have always loved drawing and painting and I consider myself an artist. I chose this magazine topic because it is very close to my heart. I chose to write the feature article about the art scene in Austin because it combined art and my hometown. I had always seen so much street art around Austin so I really wanted to learn more about it. In middle school, my art class participated in the East Side Studio Tour, so I also wanted to take a look at that.

Artstin, Texas 6

Franny Hi! I?m Franny Thompson. I consider myself more of a creative type than a math/science brained person. I am a hobbyist writer and dabble a bit in art. I am also an avid music listener! I listen to genres such as post punk, bay area punk, indie, alternative, scream rap, classical, rock, and kpop. Some of my current favorite musical artists are Pinkshift, Pinhead Gunpowder, Of Montreal, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, PRXJEK, Vivaldi, David Bowie, and (G)I-DLE. I chose a musical themed article because, well, when am I not listening to music? I chose an art themed magazine because as I said before, I appreciate the arts more than the sciences.

Javi

My name is Javi Glangchai, and I am a Freshman at LASA High School. I was born in Austin and have lived here my whole life. I love to swim, play soccer, and hang out with my friends. Our group chose to write about art in Austin because it is something that we all care about. Art is a significant part of all of our lives, and it is something that we wanted to write about. I chose to write about a local artist in Austin because Austin is very diverse in many ways, including art. I thought it would be exciting to see how the various art pieces I see have been made.

Jazmin My name is Jazmin Sanchez-Araiza. I am a ninth grade student attending LASA (Liberal Arts Science Academy). I was born in Phoenix, Arizona and ended up in Texas. I am the youngest of three. I personally don?t have any artistic hobbies unless you count bullet journaling but that doesn?t make me less interested in art. The reason why I chose to work on a Art and Film Magazine centered on the experiences and adjustments that many people have/are going through during this pandemic is because it gave me an opportunity to learn different perspectives of people that do some form of art in which they express a story, meaning, feeling, etc. My Feature Article Idea is based on two experiences during the pandemic that we?re facing at the moment. It?s an article about art and I enjoyed learning and interviewing the people for it. There?s not an actual particular reason why I chose the topic that I did. I just saw the ability and opportunity to create an article about two different experiences and I went for it. I hope it turned out at least somewhat good and that you enjoyed reading it. Anyways thank you for checking out our magazine! 7

A u s t in A rt D u rin g t h e Pan d em ic By Fiona Randazzo

You w alk dow n Congress Avenue. Then you stop

idea of doing a studio tour because w e w ere in

to admire some beautiful murals on the sides of

East Austin and had a handful of friends around us

buildings. You start to w onder about the artist

w ho w ere also artists and had studios, but there

w ho painted this masterpiece. How are they

w as not a w hole lot of aw areness about the artists

doing during this pandemic?

w ho w ere around us and also not a lot of opportunities to show our art.?

Art in Austin has suffered due to Heath Speakman, the co-founder and

the coronavirus. It has affected Big Medium, a nonprofit organization that runs the East and West Austin Studio Tours every year and it has also affected SprATX, a creative agency and artist netw ork that

?W h en I m oved h er e, peopl e wer e ask in g m e

connects artists w ith brands and

abou t th e ar t

opportunities for w ork. Artists in

scen e. An d I h ad

Austin have adapted to the challenges presented by the coronavirus in many w ays, such as

n o cl u e. I didn 't r eal l y k n ow if it

moving their w ork outdoors or online.

co-ow ner of SprATX, also noticed a lack of aw areness about artists in Austin w hen they started forming Big Medium and SprATX.

?When I moved here, people w ere asking me about the art scene. And I had no clue. I didn't really know if it had one. I know it had a music scene, you know , this w as maybe eight or nine years ago,? Speakman said. ?And

h ad on e."

I started kind of searching it out.?

- H eath Speak m an Shea Little is the Executive Director

Speakman explained that in the

at Big Medium. Little had been making

beginning it w asn?t meant to be a business, they

collaborative art w ith tw o other people w hen Big

just started out as a group of artists making art

Medium w as created. ?My w ife, Janice Wick, and

together. When they started getting attention they

an old high school buddy, Joseph Phillips,? Little

formed into SprATX.

said. ?The three of us got a w arehouse space to have our studio in and w e started collaborating together, making art together, and that led us to having a few show s. And then w e thought of the Artstin, Texas 7

At first they w ere just ?a collective of artists that just got together, and w e created large scale artw ork all the time.? Speakman said. ?And then

w e started realizing there w as a need for someone

around Austin, in the w indow s of buildings, on the

to kind of w ork w ith artists on helping them create

side w alls of people?s houses, and in other places.

a w ay to sustain themselves off of their artw ork, by

On the w ebsite, there w as a list and a map of these

show ing them business skills in the art w orld.? So,

locations around Austin, to present the opportunity

SprATX w as formed.

of a self-guided tour.

Big Medium?s first East Austin Studio Tour w as in

Some artists dislike the new w ays of the Studio

2003. After that, Little continued to make art

Tour and w ould prefer to do something in person,

collaboratively, but focused more on running the

but Big Medium prioritizes safety.

organization. Eventually, Big Medium formed as a non-profit. It continued to grow , and then they also

?Art?s hard to sell online and some artists just can?t

created the West Austin Studio Tour. This year?s West Austin Studio Tour w as postponed due to the pandemic.

?The East Austin Studio Tour now has a partner tour called the West Austin Studio Tour w hich happens in the Spring, and this year w hen COVID-19 hit, w e had to postpone the West Austin Studio Tour, and w e had to postpone a lot of our gallery show s,? Little said.

Due to the Pandemic, the East and West Austin Studio tours have been combined into the Austin Studio Tour.

?So w e kind of, combined the West Side w ith the East Side, so now w e?re doing the Austin Studio Tour, and it is a primarily virtual event,? Little said.

The Studio Tour w as from Nov. 14 to 22, 2020. On the Austin Studio Tour w ebsite, there w ere live streamed and pre recorded tours of artist?s studios and videos of artist?s talking about their artw ork. For the Studio Tour, there w as also art placed

Artist Tim Kerr's artw ork on display at the Yarborough Branch of the Austin Public Library from November 14 to November 22 as part of the 2020 Austin Studio Tour (Art by Tim Kerr, Photo by Fiona Randazzo). 8

Painting of a Spaceman w ith Floating Pizza, located behind Brick Oven Pizza at 1209 Red River Street (Art by Mike "Truth" Johnson, Photo courtesy of Pixabay).

Painting of a Human-Insect Hybrid behind Brick Oven Pizza at 1209 Red River Street. This w as painted by Ana Marietta for SXSW in 2015 (Art by Ana Marietta, Photo courtesy of Pixabay). Artstin, Texas 10

and w on?t,? Little said, ?but w e also believe that

artists have found w ays to adapt throughout

w e have to be safe, and w e don?t w ant to have a

these unprecedented times.

big event that leads anyw here close to the numbers that the tour used to have to go out and engage, so w e decided to go w ith a very much

?But w e've become more flexible. Flexible as far as w hat w e offer over the years, you know , w hen

virtual studio tour.?

The coronavirus had a large impact on the artists around Big Medium, more so than on the organization itself.

?We don?t generate a w hole lot of revenue from those activities, oftentimes w e put money into it, to make it happen, because w e think it serves our mission and supports the artists here. So

w e first started, it w as just painting

"Th ose ar e al l cl ear essen tial s, an d ar t ten ds to fal l to th e wayside. Bu t at th e en d of th e day,I wou l d advocate to say th at ar t is essen tial "

the artists really got hurt,? Little

-Sh ea Littl e

said.

Speakman also noticed a decline in business due to the pandemic. Many events consisted of show ing an artist?s w ork to a large group of people at a time, so w hen no longer able to do business as usual, the selling of artw ork w as disrupted.

murals. And now w e're all over the place anything can, you know , continue our design, it could be digital, it could be one-on-one consulting and things like that. It's not necessarily a live painting out in front of big crow ds anymore,? Speakman said.

The pandemic has changed so much about daily life. It has made people think a lot about certain topics. Little has thought about essential needs in today?s reality.

?It's interesting in this moment that the pandemic, because w e talk a lot about essential needs and obviously shelter, medicine, health care, food. Those are all clear essentials, and art tends to fall to the w ayside. But at the end of the day, I w ould advocate to say that art is essential, because a lot of those things w e do to take care

?Yeah, it's slow er.? Speakman said. ?The

of our needs but our mental health is a huge

in-person stuff that w e w ere doing, a lot of

need.? Little said. ?And I think, if you extrapolate

events w ith a lot of large crow ds and things like

the idea of art all the w ay to all the creative

that, putting artists in front of a lot of people at

practices, w e w ouldn?t have Netflix, or music, or,

one time, all of that is completely stopped.?

you know , all those things that are keeping us

Events like South by Southw est w ere major

sane right now , w e w ouldn?t have w ithout art, so

opportunities for SprATX to help artists get their

I w ould beg to say that art is essential.?

w ork out in front of large groups of people, and be noticed by large brands. These events being stopped negatively affected the artists. How ever,

C o m e A d m ire A u s t in 's A rt Here are 10 examples of Austin street art you can admire even during a pandemic. By Fiona Randazzo

Sources: -

do512family.com

do512.com

austin.com

spratx.com

google.com/maps

stagprovisions.com

cbsaustin.com

Artstin, Texas 12

Greetings From Austin Mural

You're My Butter Half Mural

Located at 1720 South 1st Street

Located on East MLK Blvd

Art by Todd Sanders

Art By Creative Suitcase Photo by Fiona Randazzo

Photo by Fiona Randazzo

Jeremiah the Innocent (Hi how are you) Mural

Lets Band Together Mural

Located on the corner of Guadalupe and 21st Street

Located at the corner of East 6th Street and Chicon Street.

Art by Daniel Johnson

Art by Federico Archeleta

Photo by Fiona Randazzo

Won't You Be My Neighbor (Mister Rogers) Mural

SMILE! even if you don't w ant to Mural

Located at 1421 South Congress Avenue

Located at the corner of Elizabeth Street and South Congress Avenue,

Art by Niz

Art by: unknow n

Photo by Fiona Randazzo

Willie For President Mural

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Mural

Located at 1423 South Congress Avenue

Located on Agave Print, at the corner of Cesar Chavez and Navasota Street

Art by Jacqui Oakley, Erick Montes, and Joe Sw ec Photo by Fiona Randazzo

Art by Sole Paints Photo by Fiona Randazzo

Love From Austin Mural

I heart Queso Mural

Located at 1920 South Congress Avenue

Located at 2606 Guadalupe Street

Art by Charly Copp

Art by Mike Johnson

Photo by Fiona Randazzo

of anything that has grow n

Th e W o rld o f A r t

cellularly like humans. During summer vacation, teachers w ere learning new w ays to effectively teach through online and not in

Bef o re an d A f t er

person after the pandemic got w orse. A teacher at Highland Park Elementary, teaching students from kindergarten to fifth grade, Robin Maca is one of the many

C O V ID - 19

teachers w ho has had to adapt to the handful of changes that have transpired such as teaching art By: Jazmin Sanchez-Ar aiza

virtually. She w as not the only one w ho had to make changes and adapt. A professional artist that paints and draw s visual examples of miraculous creatures consisting mainly of humans, Ian Ingram has also undergone dramatic changes. How have these adaptations on

A blue hand on the surface but purple on the inside, reaching out tow ards something, having its fingerprints levitate or pulled apart in a w ay. This piece is called "Undertow " (Photo and Art by Ian Ingram).

A shock, a w ave of inspirational explosions, compiled of confusion and frightened thoughts. A pandemic called COVID-19 turned the w orld upside dow n. Forcing the public to adapt to numerous changes in their lives and results w ere that months later people shared their Artstin, Texas 13

stories. Tw o stories that take place in different settings w ith contrasting backgrounds. The first one takes place in a classroom w ith students, operating differently than it usually w ould. The second one is in a studio w ith sculptures, and artw ork consisting of portraits

"I have learned that you can teach an old dog new tricks! I?ve been around for a while and been set in my ways. I?ve been doing the same things while teaching art in a lot of different ways but still in the same place. This has totally taught me a new way of teaching, connecting, and learning!" - Robin Maca

both ends been going for them? The hardest part for many teachers, including Maca, is learning how , specifically for her it w as the computer programs. The programs Maca consistently uses are Google Slides, Zoom, and Loom videos w hich is her favorite one. They do all w ork hand in hand w hen she is

During online school, teachers at

more than anything for Ingram,

Maca?s school, including her,

especially w hen looking back before

asked children to show their faces

the pandemic, he w ould t ake 3-4

or to at least show the art that

months w orking on one of his bigger

they create together in class

pieces. His studio practice changed

during Zoom. At the end of class,

due to his tw o children, ages 9 and

the children in Maca?s class show

11, and his w ife.

their w ork as proof of their participation, but there are some children w ho w ould rather turn their screen black and play video

"My art sort o f honors

games. This is somew hat

my own experience of

frustrating for Maca, but she

the world because I get that sense and it grows while I make my work. That?s a fantastic miracle of cellular circumstance that I get to be me. A

know s their parents.

The quietness and stillness for teachers during class time can be dreadful, since usually there is more background noise and commotion taking place, but there are positives to it. There are less distractions and side conversations w hich causes

?My artw ork has changed. In a

them to listen to the teacher better.

large part because I am a family

Normally for in school classes

man. The change is that I?m doing

people w ould get sidetracked a lot lo

smaller and faster w ork that I do

more.

w ith my kids. I feel like it?s sort of a profound environmental change that has to change your entire outlook and practice.? Ingram said. It?s a big physical change

w it h

okin

g di r ec t ly a t us riou s ex p r esa shift caused by si o n

a se

A profound feeling

in motivation that jumps inside, w here there is a w hole new set of rules aw aiting for Ingram. Due to "M i

n i l an dw ire

o t afelt w i tpeople pandemic, many have ur " hO

human being."

m ad

- Ian Ingram zooming in a room of 80-100 students. In order for Ingram to make one of his art pieces, he has to look at every little detail that the object or person offers. He w orks w ith a mirror instead of a photograph, and spends hours looking at himself or the object. He mostly does self

al f nd h laune a b f l h aA m . h is face

p ur p

portraits and enjoys investigating, magnifying, and in a w ay getting

ie Th is p

ce is c

all ed

hypothesized by anything that is grow n cellularly. 17 hot o

different types of w ays and feelings

actually observe their w ork and

tow ard it or in general but Ingram

check on them more w hich is

sees this more as an opportunity to

tough to do w ith online classes.

figure out w hat w e have been

it. Children in Zoom classes sometimes don?t realize that other people can

The pandemic for Ingram led

see them w hich brings about catching

him to experiment more w ith

children playing w ith their mouths or

colors, details, and

making faces at the camera, but Maca

complications and it?s the w hole

is sure to call them out on it. Maca?s

reason w hy he started w orking

kindergarteners and first graders

There is a significant difference

w ith w ood sculptures. As

caught on pretty quickly w ith the

betw een Zoom classes and in

Ingram?s children described it, a

w hole routine, different w ebsites,

person classes. For Maca, in Zoom

road trip created by a tortuous

new structure of class time, and the

classes, it consists of seeing more

online school experience caused

current set of rules. But some are still

about their homes and families.

him to paint a w ood fire, w hich

goofing off w hile others help each

While in person classes, although

is also a new experience for

other look for the Zoom button on the

more commotion and activity, even

him. Stepping a bit out of his

screen.

behavioral issues, she gets to

comfort zone but still enjoying

ignoring up until then. A surge of confusion and a disoriented mind comes in a form of productivity and excitement for him.

For many artists during the pandemic, figuring out a w ay to display or even generate a profit through the internet can be quite difficult. Pre-COVID-19 times, Ingram w ould price his artw ork for about 45,000 and display them in galleries. Now he is teaching art classes in his studio through his new ly made Patreon account w ith a monthly subscription for people that are interested in supporting his w ork, and displaying his artw ork through platforms like Instagram, his w ebsite, etc. ?You feel like there is more opportunity to mess up.? Maca said. Some teachers during these times have six students sitting in front of them w hile they also have 20 on the

Robin Maca standing in front of her w olf painting

screen but luckily for Maca she has an

during an art show opening in Austin Art & Frame

art partner that does the Zooming.

Gallery on Sunday, November 11, 2018. This is one of

The possibility of messing someone?s

her paintings that has been sold and a portion of the

grade up or attendance is still

sales go to help animal causes. (Photo by Robin Maca)

something to w atch out for. Limits and flexibility have been seen

Artstin, Texas 15

for Maca she has started w orking w ith paper, pencils, crayons and postponing w hen to w ork w ith paints and clay. In the beginning of the year Maca and other teachers

COVID-19 has struck everyone in

students to take home and w ork

different w ays and has affected all

on zoom w ith them. There are still

of us, but the beautiful w orld of art

a handful of fun art concepts to

is continuously adapting, changing,

learn about in her class.

learning all around us.

e id w it s d, s, i t h en e b ee t s r w op by ye Thi te h ry . " os ut ed g n ro o und an ssio lled ves l m n A a e a rro a re c hi co , in h p su w it ex e is le T har per c k b C a ea ie ara it h n p p w p w o . se e el 13 "In ad st 20 m pa d an

markers more frequently w hile

prepared supply boxes for the

(Phot o and Art by Ian Ingram )

A us m ou w an s i t T o th m Ko his f ho bu ilin Ch ru p le t t e g g si arc na iece f ro rf lie lee l on ver oal M u is m s c f ul pa lea , pa se" cal his om ly a pe f , st m led be in t r, an el, ad "O ar g d m d en e ad bu c w ur . a i e tte u th in r st 20 f lie ic, 09 s .

everyw here especially in school, and

S t ream in g S ervic es S u rg e It's no surprise that COVID-19 is drastically affecting streaming providers. But, in this case, it affected them in a good way, especially since everyone has a lot more free time to spend with their families at home. Here By: Jazmin Sanchez-Ar aiza

OT T A pp Sh ar e An online st udy done by Invoke found t hat 75% of t he respondent s are wat ching more st reaming cont ent t han before t he pandemic hit .

St r eam i n g Hour s

I= Incr ease % D= Decr ease % 3/ 20= W eek of Feb 3 5/ 20= W eek of May 11

Artstin, Texas 17

"People are t urning t o st reaming cont ent for light ent ert ainment as a alt ernat ive t o a diet of grim news coverage" - Jennafer St ahl

D u rin g C O V ID - 19 70%

Do Not Anticipate dropping or adding a new service as a result of COVID-19

12%

18%

Drop at least one existing service

Add at least one new service

Which paid service would you be interested in trying?

2% 3%

5% 6%

H: N:

PV: Y: O:

3% .5%

Sources: 1.

"The best video streaming services that are worth your time and money " . android.authority.com "Kagan Survey How Coronavirus Has Already Changed Media Consumers". spglobal.com "Streaming services continue to see shifts in viewing behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic ". comscore.com

S TA T U ES O F A U S T IN Lady Hare with Dog

This statue w as made by Sophie Ryder in 1998. A sculpture based off of Sophie Ryder's imagination of a human-hare hybrid

The Torch Bearer

Made by Ch Fonderia B

Represents know ldege to student

Artstin, Texas 19

Philosopher 's Rock

Made by Glenna Goodacres portrays the meeting of w riter J Frank Dobie, historian Walter Prescott Webb and naturalist Roy Bedicheck

Nightwing

Made by Dale W histler This sculpture w as made to honor the 1.5 million bats that spend their time under Congress Avenue Bridge

by Charles Umlauf, and ia Barraglia in 1963

ents the passing of dege from the teacher ent

Sources: -

https://austinot.com/famous-statues-in-austin

https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMWTEA_Lady_Hare_with_Dog_Austin_Texas

https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMFMYE_Torchbearers_sculpture

https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8KNF_Nightwing

Up close picture of tiles. (Photo Courtesy of JMuzacz)

L im it les s A rt by Javi Glangchai

Art is a form of media that can

cannot be done w ithout a canvas.

its surface, but for J Muzacz, there

transcend unbreakable boundaries

The fancy w ork brings attention,

is no limit.

like no other. Art can speak directly

but it has to be prepared on a

to the mind and heart of every

surface to bring that attention.

single person, no matter w ho they

The canvas for an artist can

Muzacz is an artist w ho currently lives in Austin. He has done many w orks around the w orld

are. It can survive for thousands of

come in all different shapes and

and continues to grow his

years and still be understood by any

sizes. It is w here the artist fills the

collection of w orks today. Muzacz

civilization. Art creates love and

emotionless blank plane w ith their

traveled abroad for seven years and

hate. Art is universal.

feelings and creativity to transform

learned many unique techniques

it into a masterpiece. The canvas is

and lessons along the w ay. While

meaning of the piece depends on

nothing w ithout meaning and

traveling abroad, he w as able to

the artist. How ever, A piece of art

purpose, like a lake w ithout w ater.

gain new perspectives and learned

The only limitation of the piece is

new w ays to approach art. Not only

When making art, the

Artstin, Texas 21

w as he able to learn, but along the w ay, he w as able to apply these new techniques to further his art style. Muzacz has done many mosaics before and has put lots of time into developing his w ork. Muzacz has to get creative w ith the objects he uses in his pieces. It is not as simple as mixing tw o colors because tile, glass or ceramic items are used. Before making a piece, Muzacz must know w hat colors he needs to use and w hat size they

"I'm decidin g wh at col or ,wh at br u sh , wh at k in d of gl ass, wh er e to pu t it, you k n ow, wh at m ater ial s to u se wh en it's don e. Th er e's so m an y decision s th at you ar e con stan tl y m ak in g th at you al m ost can 't even qu an tify it. "

need to be. It is not as simple as getting a few colors and then mixing them until it makes the right shade. There is lots of thought put

into this process. The trade-off for a more challenging setup is having plenty of space to get creative. Muzacz has gotten to apply his w ork to huge spaces. He is able to show depth and detail that people might not be expecting from the materials he is using. The size of the materials also matters. Smaller pieces allow for more detail, and bigger pieces allow for more substantial areas. Muzacz also does street art,

-J M u zacz

w here he uses spray paint. Street art is very similar to traditional art because they are

Tiles are being cut to be the right size and shape for the project. If the tiles are not cut right then it can be hard for the tiles to blend w ith each other. (Photo courtesy of J Muzacz.)

both very free rather than mosaics,

in a parking lot from eight at night

w here the majority of the w ork goes

until three in the morning. They

into preparing project materials. Like

w ould be out there for hours

in traditional art,

making

the art piece is

paintings as

made by moving the body and understanding how colors w ill mix and contrast. The spray paint can is like an extension of the body, just as the

"if you 'r e r eal l y passion ate abou t bein g an ar tist, you got to wan t to tr y to l ik e set you r sel f apar t an d do som eth in g differ en t."

brush is an

part of a show . They w ould make posters

-J M u zacz

painting. Muzacz's

"My w hole life, I'd never stop. That's like I said, that's the one thing I've done since basically, I became an adult, you know since I w as 18. And, uh, I don't see that ever changing. I'll probably make art till the day I die," Muzacz said.

super fast and then sell them for like 20 or 25 dollars each.

As a kid, Muzacz thought it w ould be cool to be an artist. How ever, in the place w here he lived, his parents and society in

How ever, he got bored w ith the size, the

extension w hen

developed from there.

technique, and the clientele and started to

first exposure to selling art w as in

try w orking w ith larger w alls. He

dow ntow n Austin on sixth street in

did murals style that started out as

2003. He w as apprenticing w ith a

graffiti style and aerosol spray

street artist and w ould be selling art

paint, and then everything

general did not encourage that. The w ay Muzacz grew up, he w as told that art w as not a legitimate job. He w ould do this on and off but did not overthink this as something he w ould be doing for a long time. For him, this w as not really considered a real job until he started making good money from his w ork. This w as a w ake-up call for him, and

Finished mosaic mural of "El Arbol." (Photo Courtesy of J Muzacz)

he knew that he could do this. Now Muzacz is very happy w ith his job, and w hen he looks back w here he w as five years ago, this strengthens his determination of being an artist. Grow ing up, he w as sw ayed aw ay from being an artist. How ever, he held on, looked forw ard, and kept ongoing. "I w as teaching from my house. How do you show someone how to use a paintbrush or how to draw this thing through a computer? You know , it's very difficult actually," Muzacz said. For Muzacz, COVID-19 affected his ability to teach art. Now , everything is done online because of

Artstin, Texas 23

COVID-19. This is especially difficult w hen trying to teach and learn. For Muzacz, this is the case. It is very hard to teach someone how to paint through a computer unless they already know w hat they are doing. This creates problems because seeing something in person is different from being told w hat happened. If someone already struggles w ith art, it is harder for them to get better w ithout the teacher being in front of them and ready to help them. "So don't do it for the money, do it for the satisfaction to do it because you don't know anything else cause you can't do anything else. It's not really a great

The Grey Ghost Mural, made from glass, ceramics, and porcelain, celebrates local blues player Roosevelt W illiams. (Photo courtesy of J Muzacz .)

reason, but I w ould just say, yeah, like w ork really hard. You know , think outside the box," Muzacz said. Muzacz did not w ant to be an artist because of the money. He did it because it w as w hat he w anted to do. Grow ing up being an artist w as discouraged for him, but he w anted to be one so that did not matter to him. He w orked very hard and grew his ow n style. That made him happy and it is something he w ould w ant to do for the rest of his life. Muzacz's art can bring color and purpose onto an average building w all. He can make an entire w all w orth of creativity and meaning that can speak to everybody no matter w ho they are and w here they are from. 24

WRITING

PITCHING

HIRING

AUDITION

REHEARSALS

LOCATING

BUDGET

COMMUNICATION

STICKING TO SCHEDULE LIGHTS SHOOTING

SOUND Artstin, Texas 25

DISTRIBUTION DVDS

STREAMING SERVICES THEATERS

POST-PRODUCTION MUSIC

EDITING

LEAVING

WRAP Sources:

MOVING SET

FutureLearn?s class on Film Production

Careers In Film?s lesson on Principal Photography

Central Casting?s 3 Stages of Film Production

DOUBLE CHECKING 26

?Go ahead, w rite the freaky ideas

C in em a's D o wn f all?

dow n! Get the w eird, bizarre thoughts dow n, f ill the movie w ith images that are strange, and make a movie that not everyone is going to

by Aiden Gir oux

like, but some people are going to love,? said Egerton. how people are w atching them,

W hen it comes to making

w hether it?s on a computer screen,

documentaries, how ever, a w hole

on a huge screen, outside at a

new set of talents is needed,

drive-in, or on their phone, w ell,

especially w ith the coronavirus.

that?s going to change.? COVID-19

W riting and acting are no longer

might just be the dow nfall of

important, and to f ilm one you need

cinemas and give rise to a new

the people the documentary is

medium.

about. W ith the focus more on

production has mostly halted, or has

Austin is one of the few cities in the

production and post-production

continued to a small extent.

USA, aside from Los Angeles, to

rather than pre-production, it?s

have a large f ilm industry. Austin is

diff icult to even start up a project to

home to a number of f ilmmakers

begin w ith.

from horror movie w riters to

Now that the coronavirus has hit, it?s

documentary producers. The three

even harder for artists to get by, w ith

stages of f ilm production are

less demand for art. Vanessa Reiser,

pre-production, production and

ow ner of Reiser Studios LLC, a local

post-production, and the main

studio that makes documentaries,

aspect that the coronavirus has

know s this all too w ell.

40 major Hollyw ood f ilm productions w ere, and still are, suspended this year due to the new coronavirus. 27 productions w ere delayed, but now are in progress again. W orldw ide, the f ilm industry has taken a massive hit as

Austin?s f ilm industry is struggling, but persevering as everyone tries to adapt to the new coronavirus. The biggest impact is on movie theaters and cinemas, because most people don?t feel the need to risk their lives to see a movie. That?s not to say that people don?t w ant to w atch movies, but streaming services such as Netf lix and Hulu are accessible in the home and are easily the safer option.

affected is production, i.e., on-set action, like shooting the movie and moving sets around. People are either postponing the production of

?W e, as human beings, are hungry for stories. Really hungry for stories,? says Ow en Egerton, a local

their f ilms or having to f ilm w ith masks on, w hich could potentially change the story of some f ilms.

tell our ow n stories back to us, stories that give an outlet to our fears or stories that just make us laugh ... How they?re consumed, Artstin, Texas 27

balancing your passion for your art w ith the reality of making a living off of it,? says Reiser. ?I think for me, that?s been the biggest challenge [in my f ilmmaking career], having the career that makes me proud of the

f ilmmaker and novelist. ?Stories that tell us about the w orld, stories that

?As an artist, you?r e alw ays

But w hat about w hen it comes to

w ork that I do and still ... raising a

w riting the f ilms themselves?

family w ith the money that I make.?

Pre-production has not taken as big of a hit, seeing as you can alw ays w rite from home.

It?s hard for f ilmmakers to know if their projects w ill make any money, so they w ork on many projects at

?I think now in the world, it just seems so clear to me how much we desperately need generosity, like a generous heart in the way that we interact with each other, and the way we talk with each other, in the way we argue with each other, in the way that we help each other in really hard times, and in the way that we understand each other, and so I think, for me, I kind of want to remind myself... as a filmmaker, that I should approach my art and approach other people's art with the spirit of generosity.? -Owen Egerton

Ow en Egerton, a local novelist/filmmaker, poses for a photo at the annual Film Festival and Conference in Austin, Texas on October 24, 2019. (Photo by 2019 Austin Film Festival and Conference.)

?Sometimes I?m like, ?Oh, gosh, that?s the best film I ever did. No, this one,?but usually what I?m thinking is, ?Oh, I hope I did well enough that they?ll let me do it again.?? - Owen Egerton

A cameraman wears a mask in order to practice his job safely. The coronavirus is still going strong in October of 2020, when this was taken. He is taking a photo of a mother, her son, and his grandmother. (Photo courtesy of Anna Frank of Pixabay, a royalty-free image company.) Artstin, Texas 29

once w hile they w ait for people to

nerve-w racking , and if movie

about Austin is that Austin [alw ays]

invest in one.

theaters go aw ay, w hat does that

f inds a w ay,? Egerton said. He?s

mean for the people w ho make

absolutely right. Austin w ill alw ays

f ilms??

persevere, and w ith a little effort and

?So, part of my job, w orking in the f ilm and TV industry, is alw ays having things that are in play

As cable TV becomes more and

because you just never know w hich

more obsolete, streaming services

one's going to get moved forw ard.

are grow ing more and more popular.

At some point they might go ?Oh, w e

Netf lix now has over 193 million

love this idea, let?s go w ith that one,?

subscribers, as compared to the

right now and another company

2019 estimate of 167 million. If this

might say, ?Hey! W e just found the

is the future of movies and TV, w ill

f inancing to make sure w e can make

people be forced to change aspects

this one,?? Egerton said.

of the w ay they make movies, and

He has w orked on f ive f ilms that made it to the screen, three as a

a lesser extent? If f ilm sets are going to require

favorite f ilm that he?s made, but

masks, w hich they should in order to

instead keeps pushing for his next

maintain the safety of the actors and

f ilm to be great.

people on set, the stories of

that?s the best f ilm I ever did. No, this

this.

maybe even the plot of their f ilms to

director. Egerton doesn?t have a

?Sometimes I?m like, ?Oh, gosh,

determination, w e?ll all get through

live-action f ilms might need to be changed.

one,?but usually w hat I?m thinking is,

?I guess my curiosity is how much of

?Oh, I hope I did w ell enough that

f ilms that are going to be in

they?ll let me do it again,?? Egerton

television that?s going to be

said.

produced now is going to have [the]

It?s hard to know w hat the long-term effects of the coronavirus w ill be on Austin?s f ilm industry, but cinemas are being forced to shut dow n, either by the government or just a lack of traff ic. ?I mean, one of the things a

A camera w ith a mask symbolizes the film industry in this trying time w e?re experiencing during 2020?s coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Aiden Giroux, November 5, 2020.)

coronavirus as part of the story. Characters w earing masks and things like that. So, I?m curious w hat the impact w ill be on the content of the f ilms that are going to be coming out,? Reiser said.

lot of folks in the f ilm industry are

From f ilm production being halted to

talking about right now is w hat's

cinemas closing dow n, possibly

going to happen to movie theaters.

permanently, the coronavirus has

W ill movie theaters be able to

taken a toll on the f ilm industry. But

survive this?? Egerton said. ?I love

Austin w ill manage to overcome it

movie theaters, [and] that is

all. ?One of the things that I love

V IRT U A L M U S IC IN TH E L I V E M U S IC C A PITA L O F TH E W O RL D Austin, often dubbed the live music capital of the w orld, due to events like ACL Fest, ACL live, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and SXSW , has shut dow n due to a pandemic. W here are artists performing now ? The Internet.

How Are Local Artists Faring on Virtual Platforms by Fr anny Thompson

Artstin, Texas 31

Willie Nelson

Asleep at the Wheel

142, 160

Gary Clark Jr. 4, 934, 271

3, 730, 131

The Black Angels

1, 639, 276 291, 049

Spoon

Shakey Graves

SPOTIFY LISTENERS 1, 755, 500

The 13th Floor Elevators

NUMBER OF MONTHLY

229, 334

Sources: -

Spotify.com artist profiles: Spoon Gary Clark Jr. Willie nelson Shakey Graves The Black Angels Asleep at the Wheel The 13th Floor Elevators

A u s t in S an s L ive M u s ic How the Live Music Capital of the worls has adapted to COVID-19 By Fr anny Thompson

With the recent release of Spotify Wrapped for Spotify users, many people have been reflecting on how their music taste has changed and evolved. As w ell, many have been thinking about music itself. This year, a lot of people turned to older music from past decades w ith the pandemic having temporarily stopped the flow of new music. So w hat happened to music this year? How have the music industry and music makers survived in the past year? And specifically, how have music makers created and w orked on music in a pandemic and in Austin? Austin is an incredibly diverse city, in terms of its music and in many other w ays. Notable artists from Austin occupy a w ide range of genres, such as folk, something you might consider stereotypical for this state, and indie rock, a genre a bit more representative of this city's personality. But music in Austin isn?t all about the people making music

Tina and Walt Wilkins at Waltstock in Fredericksburg, TX. (Photo courtesy of Tina Wilkins).

Artstin, Texas 33

and how they?re making it. It is also

know that a lot of our friends did

essential to consider the people

that w e did w hen w e couldn?t tour,

distributing the music and those

w hen w e couldn?t go out and sing,

listening. What is a concert w ithout

w e immediately jumped on the

its audience?

online platform so that w e could

Austin, actually, is fairly famous for its concerts. Dubbed the live music capital of the w ord, Austin holds several events such as ACL Fest,

connect w ith our people and our friends and fans and still do our singing and our concerts via Facebook,? Wilkins said.

SXSW and Fun Fun Fun fest. But

?Facebook Live has been just

w hat has become of the local artists

incredible. So I think that a lot of our

w ithout these characteristically

friends jumped right into that media

Austin events? How are musicians

as w ell, medium as w ell. Some folks

performing w ithout the ability to

also did these cool drive-in concerts. staying afloat during these times.

ensure a safe life audience?

?There is no adapting to anything as

It is important to look at the

unpredictable or as damaging as

different sides of the music. Laurie

COVID-19. I?ve observed so many in

Gallardo is a Show Host and a Senior

the Austin music community doing

Producer, at KUTX 98.9. She has

So w e kind of just all

more than 25 years of experience in hosting, editing, producing and public speaking. She is familiar w ith all aspects of radio, as w ell as being a great voice. She w as draw n into music and radio by her fascination w ith radio DJs as a kid. Tina Wilkins

of assistance ? in funding,

figured out w hat to do w ithout know ing w hat to do. We just figured out w ays to connect.

is a singer-songw riter originally from

impossible for our musicians to even survive. Livestream performances or socially-distanced show s can only go so far. They don?t go far enough,?

digital age, music is changing quite a

singing and performing for over 40

music industry, and each provides a

w hich is making it virtually

How ever, COVID-19 or not, in this

Texas for 16 years. She has been

large amounts of experience in the

employment and overall support,

she said.

Wisconsin but has been based in

years. Both of these w omen have

their best to adapt to the severe lack

bit. While plenty of people stream music and use physical music forms, And w hen things started opening up one can?t help but w onder, ?Are CDs they w ould perform and people's and records becoming obsolete??

different perspective of the music

backyards for small amounts of

industry.

people, you know like five to 10

So everyone has had almost a year

people. So w e kind of just all figured

stuck inside our homes. What have

out w hat to do w ithout know ing

musicians even been doing during

w hat to do. We just figured out w ays

this time?

to connect.?

According to Wilkins, quite a bit. ?I

But according to Gallardo, many

According to Wilkins, sort of. ?I definitely think that CDs are. We w ould sell a lot of CDs throughout our career and now w e?ve seen just a huge decline, in fact, my husband?s doing a record right now and he may

artists have had some difficulty

print out just a couple for people w ho still have CD players in their cars, but he?s going to go primarily vinyl and online. So yeah, I do think that things are changing. I believe that vinyl is outselling everything right now .? But w hat about radio? Is it not easier to press a few buttons in the car rather than hook up Bluetooth to play music? This logic is w hy radio is strong and w ill persevere through almost everything. Music makers like Wilkins agree.

There is no adapting to anything as unpredictable or as damaging as COVID-19.

?You know , radio is strong, radio is good. The cool thing is that w e can now create our ow n records and our ow n platform through small studios, home studios, singing online, selling music online. Radio is good because it reaches a vast audience and it helps your career. I think that they?re going to be around for a long time, I really do. I think that radio?s still going to be relevant, although there?s going to be different w ays that people get their Tina and Walt Wilkins performing. (Photo courtesy of Tina Wilkins). Artstin, Texas 35

music,? she said.

But, everyone hopes, this pandemic w on?t last forever. So from both perspectives, w hat w ill come out of this long spring break for Austin's music? In the music making department, Tina Wilkins believes that artists w ill be more creative in the distribution of their music. But of course, w e?ll get a couple new tracks. ?A lot of our artist friends have created more during this time because w e couldn?t go anyw here and really couldn?t do anything. So a lot of our friends created a lot of cool music, so that's going to come out of it. Also, singing online. I know that my husband and I are going to continue doing this because it's really cool. We can connect w ith friends across the w orld. So tw o things, positive artistry and also connection,? Wilkins said. And Laurie Gallardo, on the music distribution side of the industry, agrees. ?Nothing w ill stop the music. It?s terrifying and heartbreaking to see venues close, and our artists struggling, but in the midst of this chaotic mess, nothing w ill stifle the

Tina and Walt Wilkins at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, TX. (Photo Courtesy of Tina Wilkins).

creativity. Come hell or high w ater, music is forever.?

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