TRIBEZA November 2022 Art Issue

Austin real estate has a new home.

For the Savvy. For the Refined. Your Austin Luxury Expert.

Dara Allen enjoys an exemplary reputation among real estate professionals in her 23 year career. As Director of Luxury Estates, founding Sales Manager for Compass Austin, and founder of Dara Luxury Group, Dara Specializes in Austin’s most desirable luxury areas.

Dara is long-time member of Elite 25, giving her access to the elite and exclusive Austin real estate market that few are privy to. As a result, Dara’s clients receive the highest level of luxury real estate services in the city. Her unique marketing strategy has placed her in the top 1% of luxury estate sales in Texas. Bringing a particular “West Coast savvy” to all of her real estate practices, Dara previously excelled in the high profile markets of Los Angeles’ famed “platinum triangle” which include the exclusive enclaves of Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills. Her many celebrity clients include entertainment industry elite, star athletes and Grammy Award-winning musicians.

Now more than ever, access to the elite network of Austin through a luxury agent is vital to getting you the highest and most accurate price for your home.

Dara Allen

Luxury Estates

Photo by Genevieve Daniell

Photo by Hector Tednoir Martiinez

“ART IS COMING FACE TO FACE WITH YOURSELF.” — JACKSON POLLOCK “ART IS NEVER FINISHED, ONLY ABANDONED.” — LEONARDO DE VINCI “ART IS TO CONSOLE THOSE WHO ARE BROKEN BY LIFE.”

— VINCENT VAN GOGH

“ART IS WHAT YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH.” — ANDY WARHOL “ART IS THE LIE THAT ENABLES US TO REALIZE THE TRUTH.”

— PABLO PICASSO

No matter how you look at art, I think we can all agree that the art of cre ating, in any medium, is pure magic. In the November issue, our “Artist Eye View” series features seven local artists and their art — which comes to life through paint, plaster, paper, clay, photography, video and anything else they can get their hands on.

For B. Shawn Cox, his work is centered around vintage photographs, where he works to capture or interpret different moments throughout modern history. “I’m drawn to explore the ‘how’ and ‘why.’ Inspiration comes from the internal stories I imagine and tell myself, in an effort to understand those stories that others share and tell and the collective my thology we as a society express throughout our media, writings and art. I’m drawn to attempt to discern the underlying message or insight as well as the way that message is expressed, ” says Cox.

Taking a different approach to the creative process is Amanda Witucki. With a focus on using paper, Witucki is known for combining precision and repetition with color throughout her unique pieces. When asked what sparked the idea and passion around her paper paintings and canvas sculp tures, she says, “I’ve been working in the realm of papercraft for a long time, but it took many years to come to this iteration of what I now make. I had existed in the weddings and events world for a while, creating larger instal

lations and backdrops, and I struggled to make ends meet. A fellow artist friend recommended I create my paper modules smaller and attach them to canvas. Then it could be sold as permanent art instead of temporary instal lations, bringing me from the event industry into the fine art industry. That is the shortest way I’ve ever told that story, but I will say I’m forever grateful to that friend for her suggestion.”

We move away from the more traditional mediums to an entirely new canvas — skin. Our “Body of Work” series spotlights a full-body painter, a makeup and prosthetics professional, and a handpoke tattoo artist who each discuss celebrating the human form through their art.

For as long as she can remember, Anne Shackelford says she’s been paint ing bodies in her dreams, and she has sought out to make body art by rec reating those dreams and telling stories with an image. When talking about the process with her clients, she says, “At the ‘end’ of the creation, there is a transformation, for the whole of us. This beautiful experience — that we can never capture, never recreate — we can share. It is like visiting an epic mountain scene, then trying to take a photograph to show what you see. It cannot be done. Experience alone is what brings you liberation.”

Finally, we’re taking art to the streets in “Mural Mural on the Wall.” Street art is so much more than just a backdrop for your selfies and Insta gram reels. From flora to fauna and abstract to realistic, our streets are full of colorful pieces that add to the vibrancy of Austin. Check out eight local artists and their murals that grace our walls, power boxes, fences and more.

Put your creative hat on and start seeing art in a whole new light!

Carrie Crowe Executive Editor

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Carrie Crowe

ART DIRECTION October Custom Publishing

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Holly Cowart

DIGITAL EDITOR Meher Qazilbash

DIGITAL COPY EDITOR Avery Matschek

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER David Clough

COLUMNISTS

Kristin Armstrong Karen O. Spezia

WRITERS

Darcie Duttweiler Liz Harroun Meher Qazilbash Britni Rachal Riley Reed

COPY EDITOR

Ashley Brown

EDITORIAL INTERN Camila Solis

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Weston Carls Caity Colvard Holly Cowart Brian Fitzsimmons Jonathan Garza Brittany Dawn Short

CONTRIBUTING ARTIST Adrià Voltà

PUBLISHER

Mark Fisher

DIRECTOR OF SALES Krissy LittleStar Hearn

SALES CONSULTANT Ashley Beall

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Joanne Pyburn

PRINCIPALS

George Elliman – CEO Chuck Sack Vance Sack Michael Torres

706A West 34th Street Austin, Texas 78705 ph (512) 474 4711 | fax (512) 474 4715 tribeza.com

Founded in March 2001, TRIBEZA is Austin’s leading locally-owned arts and culture magazine.

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Copyright @ 2022 by TRIBEZA All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. TRIBEZA is a proud member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

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SAVE MUNY FOREVER GREEN TOURNAMENT & PARTY

The Muny Conservancy’s Forever Green Tourna ment and Party took place on September 9. Fol lowing a day tournament, guests enjoyed a BBQ dinner, beverages from local brands, live music from Jonathan Tyler, a silent auction with unique items and more. This event benefited the fight to preserve the iconic institution’s green space and accessible recreation for the community.

TYLER’S DAM THAT CANCER

Flatwater Foundation hosted its 13th annual TY LER’S Dam That Cancer event on September 12.

Over 220 participants paddled 21 miles across Lake Austin to raise over $1.2 million, with all funds supporting the foundation’s mission to cov er the cost of mental health therapy in the wake of cancer. Since its inception in 2010, Flatwater Foundation has covered over 55,000 hours of therapy for those affected by a cancer diagnosis.

LADIES LUNCHEON 2022

CureDuchenne, a global nonprofit focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, held the annual Ladies Luncheon on September 14. The city’s most influential women gathered at Austin Country Club to take part in the “An Af ternoon in Palm Springs” themed party, with fine dining, big hats and raffles. TV host and former Miss Texas USA Holly Mills-Gardner emceed the event.

SAVE MUNY FOREVER GREEN 1. Jonathan

Those That

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TRIBEZA’S FALL STYLE RELEASE

PARTY

Hearth & Soul hosted the launch party for Tribeza’s September Style Issue on September 15. The release event featured pop-ups from Say Cheese Photo Booth and specialty permanent jewelry brand Love Weld. The fashionable guests munched on bites from El Alma and Prep To Your Door and sipped on cocktails from Epic Western, wine from BOXT and fruity blends from Alchemy Organic Juice.

THE TEXAS TRIBUNE’S TRIBFEAST

On September 23, more than 450 elected officials,

innovators, philanthropists

media stars gathered at The Texas Tribune’s dinner, TribFeast,

support

by Erin and John Thornton

held

Distribution

of the annual festival, guests were treated

a program

the lasting

co-founder, Evan Smith, and heard from media legends

Woodward

the 50th anniversary of Watergate.

Carl Bernstein

FIERCE WHISKERS ANNIVERSARY

On September 24, Fierce Whiskers Distillery com memorated its first anniversary with festivities, including a limited edition bourbon release, tunes from DJ Kenny Duet, food from Le Beef and In terstellar, music from Molly Burch and a variety of cocktails. The bartending competition, in part nership with Liber & Co. and Virtue Craft Spirits, featured 10 local bartenders, with Tiki Tatsu-Ya’s Cory Starr taking home the Judge’s Choice award. Starr also took home the People’s Choice Award alongside Kinfolk’s Brian Bounds.

HARRY RANSOM FILM GALA

The Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin presented a star-studded evening on September 24 to honor and uplift historical film preservation and access. The center celebrated its 65th anniversary by cre ating an endowment honoring Robert De Niro, who attended as a special guest along with screen legend Meryl Streep and esteemed film critic and historian Leonard Maltin.

HILL COUNTRY HERB GARDEN GRAND OPENING

On September 24, Fredericksburg celebrat ed the grand opening of the Hill Country Herb Garden (formerly the Hill Country Herb Farm) at an immersive culinary-focused garden par ty. Part of the Elements Hospitality Portfolio, the Herb Garden is home to a newly remodeled restaurant, spa, gift shop and cottages, in addi tion to gardens of over 150 native plant species.

Lockaby

McMahan,

Lacambra

Kay Shehorn

WSL FLORALS AND FASHION LUNCHEON

The Women’s Symphony League of Austin’s Fash ion Luncheon took place at the Fairmont Austin on September 23. The vibrant schedule included a fall fashion preview from The Garden Room, along with honorable guest Lisa Rinna and emcee Wroe Jackson. All proceeds benefited the Austin Sym phony Orchestra and its youth education programs.

RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT REVEAL AND RIBBON CUTTING

The City of Austin revealed its Red River Area Improvements project. The positive changes for pedestrians included improved lighting, upgraded sidewalks, new street trees and more. Local community leaders like Mayor Steve Adler and COA Council Member Kathy Tovo also spoke about the beautification and safety enhancements to the district.

CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN AWARDS LUNCHEON

A full house celebrated the Champions for Chil dren Awards Luncheon, hosted by the Helping Hand Home for Children, which shined a light on community heroes for giving time and resources to improve the lives of children in need. DJ Bobby Bones and producer Eddie Garcia also shared their inspiring stories with the crowd. Over the last 10 years, the Home has raised close to $6.5 million.

FASHION LUNCHEON 1. Caren Burbach, Cecilia Abbott, Lisa Rinna, Leslie Ward, Paula Azar & Marsha Nichols 2. Avery de Jong, Suzon Kemp & Ireland Rose 3. Michelle Lupton, Katie Kaighin & Stephanie Stowell 4. Janet Hooten, Jennifer Hooten McCracken, Vivi McCracken, Caroline Hooten, Stephanie Hooten & Linda Lacy RED RIVER REVEAL 5. Donald Jackson, Taylor Brandeger, Jose Ibarra, Nicole Klepadlo, Kevin Sweat, Cody Cowan, Kathie Tovo, Sylnovia Holt-Rabb & James Snow 6. Ryan Garret, Michele Van Hyfte, Annie Arguello & Julie Fitch 7. Melissa Ayala, Elyssa Howard, Jared Stone & Guest HELPING HAND LUNCHEON 8. Joe Champion, Riis Lewis, Kelly White & Ella Lovins 9. Janet Hewlett, David Hewlett & Erin Hewlett 10. Christy & Mark Werner 11. Chet & Laura Garner 12. Joseph Chacon, Thomas Yacktman & Ellyn Yacktman

TOM JEAN WEBB

The landscape and iconography of the American Southwest has always been a muse for Tom Jean Webb. While growing up outside of London, Webb lived next door to his grandfather with whom he was very close and who imparted his interests in all things Americana; he wore cowboy boots, drove American cars, watched American westerns, and bought Webb his first Stetson. Webb was raised in a home of makers and has created all his life, so upon entering a contemporary art gallery for the first time he knew instantly that he was meant to be an artist. Stylistically and conceptually, Webb finds in spiration in the endless horizons of the American southwestern landscape and uses it in his work as a symbol for limitless possibilities.

Webb’s practice is multidisciplinary, ranging from paintings on canvas sporting fringe to stone slab sculp tures bearing noses, and is most identifiable by black contours outlining details populating the compositions. Using color palettes inspired by the desert, Webb creates rocky arid landscapes as scenes of contemplation for both the figures carved out by negative space and for the viewer. Webb poses his figures pensively, as though they are lost in thought while gazing upon the surrounding landscape. They are the only elements without color and lack any individualization, like paper dolls cut out of the frame, allowing viewers to take their place. In doing so, Webb creates both real and implied space for viewers to consider man’s emotional and physical relationship to the landscape.

Among the details one expects to occupy a desert environment, such as rattle snakes, stones, and cacti, Webb includes a reoccurring motif representative of transcendence; an arched threshold accompanies the

figures, like a portal that goes beyond conventional boundaries of space and time. This detail is seemingly indicative of Webb’s contin ual perseverance against boundaries, be they physical, geographical, or conceptual. Believing in our ability to manifest dreams into reality, Webb did just that when he moved to the United States despite lim itations -- whether they were mental blocks or the Atlantic Ocean. In his work, Webb transcends distinctions in discipline and in subject by exploring the fine nuance between dream and reality, tangibility and intangibility, sturdiness and fragility. By playing with the work as an object, in its final form and in the process through which the work is created, expanding upon the concept of space and objectiv ity, Webb encourages the viewer’s mind to go beyond the material surface to occupy the “space” of a painting.

Among his admirations for American culture, Webb favors the tendency in American artists to traverse boundaries in medium and discipline. Webb himself frequently veers between distinctions in his practice by combining media, varying materials, and collaborating with other artists. Collaboration allows Webb to im prove his own practice by creating an artistic dialogue with musicians, designers, and other creatives that allows for new ideas and provides an enjoyable space for fun and play. In his work, playfulness and pleasure is fundamental. Drawing from his childhood memo ries of working with fabric alongside his mum, Webb implements a childlike approach to his artistic practice with a goal of finding oneself through the creative pro cess in mind. For this reason, Webb finds inspiration from the late Texan artist Robert Rauschenberg who is best known for his three-dimensional combines which challenged distinctions between painting and sculpture, fine art and everyday objects. Ac cording to Webb, Raus chenberg’s work exudes a playful creativity that reveals the fun he had during his process. Webb channels this same ener gy in his own work by using formal qualities, like color, to illustrate the ambiance of the land scape he’s rendering and to reflect the emotion he’s feeling while creating.

tomjeanwebb.com

@tomjeanwebb

AVAILABLE THROUGH IVESTER CONTEMPORARY IN AUSTIN, TX. ivestercontemporary.com 916 Springdale Rd. BLDG 2 #107 Austin TX 78702

The Art of Letting Go

By Kristin Armstrong Artwork by Adrià Voltà Portrait by Laura Doss

IKNOW MYSELF WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT WHEN THERE IS A subject that makes me want to withdraw, it is an indication that it’s time for me to lean in.

I have been learning the art of Loving and Letting Go since 2003, when my little people — ages three, one and one — would go to their dad’s for E.O.W. (*every other weekend). Or, even harder, for holidays and extended time in the summer. Everything in me would want to grip and hold on for dear life, but what was needed was for me to release with love. At first, I smiled and held my tears for later, after they were gone. I did not know what to do with myself, in my silent, empty, clean house.

Over time I was forced to create a life and identity for myself, something other than Luke, Grace and Isabelle’s mother. I had to reclaim and inhabit Kristin. Over time I learned to appreciate the time with me, even if I always missed them. There is a tendency, if you are lonely in your marriage or have drifted from your purpose, to focus too much of yourself on your children, and there’s a high risk of getting lost in the in-between. A tendency to build a life around school schedules, errands, birthdays and holidays. A few hours of pre-school yields enough time to exercise, shower and hit the grocery store before returning to the pick-up line. Elementary school expands that time, but it’s possible we don’t expand with it. Middle school and high school are long hours with them gone, and on weekends they are busy with sports and friends. And then, in a blink, you move them into a dorm. If you haven’t been cultivating your marriage, your own life, your purpose or your Self, this can be a major upset. I see it all the time in friends and clients.

I say that with the highest level of compassion, because were it not for the gift of divorce (which only seems a gift in retrospect — I like to say “good gift, ugly wrapping paper”) I love my people so much I can see that I would have gotten lost in them, probably gripped them too tightly.

There was a time when one of my daughters announced she wanted to spend her senior year in Colorado where her dad lives. I felt the mayday of a complete tailspin, no way I could let my girl go when I only had one year left with her at home. My first reaction was admittedly not my finest. I clutched and refused and was angry; my immaturity made more evident in contrast to her calm. I realized that it wasn’t the miles that would put distance between us, it was my behavior. I regrouped, took her out to dinner one night, and told her I believed in her and respected what she thought was best for her. I over rode my small self, and I set her free. Watching her drive away on a morning in early June was gut wrenching, smiling and waving with tears streaming down my face. I will never forget the feeling, a physical ache, like a piece of me was driving away. I guess it wouldn’t qualify as courage if it weren’t hard and scary as hell. We were both courageous that day.

Years later, our friendship is a testament to the art of Loving and Letting Go. When we let go, we create the potential for a chosen return. Real re lationship and connection between parents and adult children is only and always free choice, not an entitlement or a response to guilt. It’s a return on investment of the highest order. A sacred gift not to be taken lightly.

I remember the morning my other daughter, my last chick in the nest, moved into college. I went for a run before we began our drive north, and felt the heavy feeling of a dam of tears threatening to burst. A white feather floated directly in front of my face; I grabbed it and smiled. Years later, that feather is still the bookmark in my journal. It remains a sign from the heav ens that I could, we could, do this. It was time to fly.

Recently, I received more education in the rigorous curriculum of Lov ing and Letting Go. Of setting boundaries with a shaking voice and a deep breath, allowing for freedom, respect and the space to grow up. I feel the familiar stomach-twist-heart-drop, which lets me know the depth of the les son — for both of us. The situation is different, but the pain is familiar. I think about her more times a day than I can count. I close my eyes and breathe through the pain-wave until it passes, and try to override my small self once again. I choose to send her love and light and belief, in place of resistance and worry.

I have to trust her to find her wings, even if in doing so she flies far from home. And as she finds her wings, I remember to spread my own.

My baby girl and I, still trying to feel our feathers. Still trying to balance our love for a nest and the freedom of the sky.

Fly baby, fly.

HOLIDAY GIFTS THAT BREATHE ART INTO ANY SPACE

Tastemaker Riley Reed shares coveted pieces by local artists that will bring meaning to your holiday shopping

Riley Reed is the creator of Woke Beauty, a creative studio offering photography, brand storytelling, and community building services, with a deep commitment to cele brating the resilience of women everywhere. She uses thoughtful photography and poetic prose to capture the world in a different light, one that centers life’s intersections and the curiosities behind our collective identities. For Tribeza’s Art Issue, we tapped the tastemaker to share local art pieces she’s admiring that make for beautiful, thought ful gifts.

IG Handle: @rileyblanksreed Website: wokebeauty.com

GRACIOUS GARLANDS

Beginning in the way-back of her suburban, Elle Worsham’s mother, Vicki, birthed Gracious Garlands in her neighborhood in Nashville over 25 years ago before her greenery biz grew beyond capacity. Elle has since adopted the brand and landed in Austin, popping up locally and shipping nationwide throughout the holidays. With family all over the country, my husband and I can’t be with everyone over the holidays. It feels meaningful to spread holiday cheer with a classic evergreen wreath. And I’ll take a slice of the Blue Ridge Mountains any day.

Ultimate Evergreen Mix Wreath ($89) graciousgarlands.com

HUMA BLANCO

Nestled in Hyde Park, Huma Blanco’s boutique is crafted to bring you the warmth of the brand’s designer, Adriana Crocco — a third-generation shoemaker with Peruvian and Italian heritage guides. My feet are long, narrow and particular; and I rarely wear heels. Huma Blanco’s Salvador shoes remain my go-to for all occasions. Comfortable and chic with a slight edge, I couldn’t ask for anything more in a shoe. Craftsmanship and raw beauty — steeped in materials like suede, alpaca and calf hair — is at the heart of each pair and honestly, I can feel it in every step. Salvador Shoes ($270) humablanco.com

PARKER THORNTON

One of Parker Thornton’s original pieces hangs in our dining room. It is a beautiful, delicate reminder of the power behind nature and our connection to it. Whether illustrative or photographic, all of Thorn ton’s work is deeply rooted in a curiosity, respect and appreciation for the outdoors. His photographs feel intentional, light filled and soothing. His illustrations have a three dimensional effect balancing light and shadow exquisitely. “The Southern Magnolia,” shown here, is available as an original drawing on paper. The Southern Magnolia Original Print ($390) parkerthornton.work

HIGH SUN LOW MOON

An eighth-generation Texan, founder Cassie Courtney has poetically explained, “The hill country is an extension of my roots and my roots extend into West Texas.” I love everything about High Sun Low Moon, and it has been incredible to see it expand into boutiques nationwide. In many ways, Courtney’s streamlined, ritualistic line is an ode to Mother Earth and a dedication to self love. My favorite product, The Golden Oil, is an “everything oil” suitable for ... well ... everywhere. It has gold and bronze mica, which is a finely powdered, iridescent, shimmery rock. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or someone you love. Golden Oil ($46) highsunlowmoon.com

KEITH KREEGER

I’ve never seen a piece of Keith Kreeger’s I didn’t want. Lucky for me, a few times a year I can expect limited edition drops of exquisite, hand-thrown ceramics. There’s nothing like the gift of a vessel, for flowers, sentiments or an elegant centerpiece. An artist, designer and maker, Kreeger has been making pots for over thirty years (let that soak in). He works to bring joy to any space through elegant porcelain pieces. A few select pieces are available online. Drops have a certain mystique to them, but a little birdie told me one is coming soon. Sign up for Kreeger’s newsletter on his site for early access. And here’s a peek for your eyes only.

Trio of Pieces from “Forming Connection” ($500-$800 each) keithkreeger.com

CLAIRE SOMMERS BUCK

Where do I begin? I have never witnessed jew elry representative of such depth and explora tion, handmade through a story. Independently owned with a humble studio based in East Austin, Claire Sommers Buck is committed to quality and integrity. It comes through in her naturally sourced gemstones and metals as much as her inspiring capsule collections. Inspired by Frida Kahlo’s painting ‘Roots,’ these beautiful jade earrings are the perfect gift to remind a strong woman in your life that every thing is interconnected.

Sacred Roots Earrings ($220) clairesommersbuck.com

GARMENT MODERN

A vintage collection curator, Masha Poloskova opened Garment eight years ago. Within the walls of the Austin boutique, “where clothing can be appreciated as wearable works of art,” you’ll find an intersectionality between timeless fashion and design. The collection is fresh, desirable, diverse in details and high in quality, with pieces reigning from a plethora of designers like Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Thierry Mugler. What I love most of all about Garment pieces is that while they are ele vated, they are also everyday. That aside, we all need a show stopping holiday dress. Look no further than this Tony Chase 80s beaded fringe dress.

Tony Chase 80s beaded fringe dress ($1,195) shopgarment.com

RF ALVAREZ

Nostalgic, vivid and archaeological, RF Alvarez’s paintings are simply enthrall ing. His work has this rare spell not just over the eye, but over the heart, stir ring past memories and compelling its viewers to recall deep human connec tion — to land, to one another. With roots in Mexico, Alvarez grew up in Texas, where he has found a distinguishable interest in translating the environment into one that feels welcoming, universal, communal and filled with color. His current exhibition, “The Invitation,” gives insight to the queer lived experience of the Texas and American landscapes of Alvarez’s origins. I’ve had the pleasure to connect with Alvarez and can promise that the charm and kindness you see on social media doesn’t compare to real life. Needless to say, when I collect one of his pieces, I’ll be checking off an item on my bucket list. I currently have my eye on “Into the Morning Light.” (Price available upon request) rfalvarez.com

MIRANDA BENNETT STUDIO

What do you give your minimalist grand mother who has everything she needs? A nat urally dyed silk scrunchie. The 90s are back after all, and she remembers them fondly. Not only functional, Miranda Bennett’s scrunchies are non-toxic, plant-based and representative of the studio’s commitment to zero waste practices. Her artful, perennial designs are designed, dyed, cut and sewn by a woman-owned team right here in Austin. Silk Charmeuse Scrunchie ($28) shopmirandabennett.com

FANM DJANM

When I wear my Fanm Djanm headwrap, I feel like a queen. It’s no wonder the meaning behind the name, written in Haitian Kreyol, is “strong woman.” The brand could stop at designing stun ning, handmade headwraps, but instead founder, Paola Mathé, and her team have expanded into creating an empowering, sustainable lifestyle brand — with a brick and mortar — right here in Austin. With bucket hats, bandanas, headbands, kaftans and other accessories, there is something for everyone. Beyond the store, Fanm Djanm’s social media presence empowers us to live boldly, whether in community, with a pop of color, or through an infectious laugh. Browse the dandi kaftan for the woman in your life who’s always looking for the next vacation.

Dandi Kaftan ($188) fanmdjanm.com

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

AUSTIN CURATED GIFTS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST THIS YEAR.

KINDRED SPIRITS

Everything beautiful should come with a beautiful story. It’s important to feel good about what you give, to yourself and to others. Every brand and product at Kindred Spirits is hand selected to meet the highest standards of quality, sustainability, ethical production, and positive social impact. They feature women- and minority-owned makers offering natural fiber clothing, sustainable and eco-friendly accessories and smallbatch organic apothecary. kindredspirits-shop.com @shopkindredspirits 1111 E 11th St, Suite 100 Austin TX 78702

FOY BY DR. COLLINS

Austin-based skin care queen and nationally renowned der matologist, Dr. Kristina Collins, started a skincare revolution with FOY, her game-changing line up of V care and skin care products. FOY facial skincare works like a walking instagram filter and her V care products are sure to summon your inner superwoman. Each clean, sustainable product arrives packaged beautifully with a goddess-worthy mantra and meditation, sure to make anyone on your gift list excited to nourish their skin and manifest their magic. Shop now at lovefoy.com or stop by Dr. Collins’ dermatology practice Austin Skin. www.lovefoy.com Instagram @love.foy

AMELIA RAY JEWELRY

It doesn’t get more Austin than Amelia Ray. As a UT student, Amelia experimented with 3D printing in architecture school where she discovered how to make jewelry with new technology. She mixed her eclectic vintage sense of style, carefully curated by countless thrift store rambles in Old Austin, with an architectural, modern sensibility to create a unique collection of earrings, rings, and pendant necklaces. Shop fine jewelry in solid gold and silver, or request a custom piece and work one-on-one with Amelia to design your forever jewelry.

ameliarayjewelry.com

@ameliarayjewelry

ADRIANA MARCELA CASTRO

Commissioned abstract artist. This holiday season give your home the gift of a sophisticated and sculptural custom made painting. Her work is characterized by a heavy application of color/impasto, resulting in palpable and powerful textures. adrianamarcela.com @artdrianamarcela

HEARTH & SOUL

Hearth & Soul is a gathering place and shopping experience where you can discover beautiful things for yourself, your home or someone spe cial in your life. They offer an easy way to shop for your friends, family, clients, and colleagues with complimentary gift packaging, enclosure cards, and the peace of mind that your gift will arrive on time. hearthandsoul.com @hearthsoulatx

BLUE SUEDE SHOES + WINE

Holiday shopping is more fun with friends and wine! Find the perfect gift for your girlfriends in Blue Suede’s best-in-Austin collection of stylish and fashion-forward shoes, bags, jewelry and more. Can’t decide or don’t know her shoe size? Pick up a gift card so she can choose - we’ve got you covered! bluesuedeaustin.com

@bluesuedeaustin

HANEY HOME CONCIERGE

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Is your “to-do” list growing out of control? If so, contact Haney Home Concierge! Carolyn and her team can help you with anything from running errands, to managing your home if you are headed out of town, to helping you coordinate a move, help wrap presents and so much more. Gift certificates are available and they make an excellent holiday gift.

haneyhomeconcierge.com @haneyhomeconciergeaustin 512-608-8872

REFINE AESTHETICS

Give the gift of glowing skin with a Refine Aesthetics gift card. refineaesthetics.com @refineaestheticsatx

ALICIA MIRANDA

VINTAGE

A nod to the past.

Alicia Miranda Vintage offers made-to-order, vintage-inspired fashion of exquisite quality. Their fashions accentuate the most beautiful qualities of a woman, and all designs are reminiscent of styles from past eras in modern sizing.

aliciamirandavintage.com

@aliciamirandavintage

ZILKER BELTS

If you’re looking for a true original with a real one-of-a-kind spirit, look no further than Zilker Belts. Hand-crafted by Argentinian arti sans, their belts and accessories weave together the best of Texas and South America. zilkerbelts.com @zilkerbelts

FINE LINE

Fine Line is Austin’s go-to for clean beauty. They carry a curated selec tion of award-winning skincare and makeup brands, including Indie Lee, Tata Harper, Ursa Major, and Ere Perez. All 100% free of toxic ingredients. Visit their shop on North Lamar to discover the perfect holiday gift.

visitfineline.com

@visitfineline

ALADOR JEWELRY

Give the gift of decadence this season with attainable fine jewelry. Sustainability focused, Alador Jewelry restores estate, vintage and antique jewelry made of solid gold, natural diamonds and gemstones. aladorjewelry.com @alador_jewelry

B. Shawn Cox

Centering much of his work around vintage photographs, B. Shawn

Cox works to capture or interpret different moments through out modern history. Paint, plaster, clay and anything else he can find laying around his house are often featured as part of his art.

You have degrees in both architecture and law. How does that affect your art?

“While creating and making art has been an on going thread throughout my life, the practices of architecture and law have opened unique busi ness perspectives and created technical view points adapted from both professions. Both took me from a small rural background into large cities and opened my eyes and mind to a bigger world and urban living. My work harkens to my rural ranching upbringing. The density and vi brancy of city life led to exposure to world class museums, galleries and diverse cultures. These things fed voracious visual appetite and created an urban, mature filter through which I view and examine the insights and visions linked to my formative years growing up ranching in dusty Monahans, Texas.”

By Britni Rachal / Portrait by Weston Carls bshawncox.com

Your work is described as currently exploring two paths. Can you tell us more about that?

“I see my role as an artist exploring both imag ery and materials used to create an expression. My painting-based practice involves reimagining vintage icon portraits into contemporary pat terned narratives. The folded paper assemblages transform the information on the paper as well as the paper itself into a module that’s issued to create a new expression. Each module is folded to link into a quilted/meshed construct challeng ing the original meaning. The work organically diverges into two main paths at this point and we shall see if the two paths converge or continue to diverge as both equally intrigue, challenge and engage me in different ways.”

What inspires you the most?

“I’m drawn to explore the “how” and “why.” Inspi ration comes from the internal stories I imagine and tell myself in an effort to understand, those stories that others share and tell and the collec tive mythology we as a society express through out our media, writings and art. I’m drawn to attempt to discern the underlying message or insight as well as the way that message is ex pressed.”

setting. I’ve explored visual concepts of gender equality, social role models and visually explore both personal and social myths associated with the Wild, Wild West from a cinematic perspec tive.”

What do you think makes a piece of artwork most powerful?

“Art can resonate with a viewer on multiple lev els. When the work triggers personal insights, ideas or memories while visually/texturally en ticing a viewer, a personal connection is made, at least for me. In a nonverbal way, the artist’s work engages the viewer. I believe the power of a work is measured by its ability to go beyond the carefully, masterfully crafted image or composi tion and transfix, transport or trigger the viewer to an elevated emotional, intellectual or personal level.”

What led you to pursue art as a profession?

We’d love to hear more about your most re cent Western-themed collection.

“In stark contrast to the sweaty, dusty ranch memories I created growing up, the ‘West ern’-themed series was inspired by an inquiry into the mythology of the westward movement with cowboy as an cultural/mythical icon — again viewed through the perspective of today’s multicultural, diverse culture, social perception and modern technology. The carefully selected icon of Cowboy/Cowgirl is appropriated from found media and stills from the past — isolat ed and integrated into a modern contemporary

“I have been since a very early age a maker, tin kerer and a crafter. The mental/technical skills of how to make do with what you have are part of growing up in a rural setting. Art as a profession was always an inkling in the back of my mind, while the pragmatic side of my reality pushed to ward more traditional career paths. In so many ways, the becoming an artist was circumstantial rather than planned. The proverbial Universe eventually prodded me enough to make the shift from a stay-at-home dad doing contract legal gigs to enter a studio tour about seven years ago.

The compulsion to keep making, evolving and exploring has fed that small show in our garage apartment with a few sales to a full-time studio practice where I consistently work more hours per week than I ever billed as an attorney.”

Werk Ethic

By Liz Harroun Photos by Weston Carls

THE AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR RUNS THE FIRST THREE WEEKENDS of November and offers people various new ways to experience art around Austin. Now in its 20th iteration, this year will feature over 500 Austin-based artists and collaboratives. This is the first year in which the former East and West Austin Studio Tours will be combined into a cohesive citywide event.   Big Medium, a nonprofit organization committed to supporting the artis

tic community, is the producer behind this huge annual event. To make the Austin Studio Tour possible, they partner with local artists and companies — sometimes forming unique collaborations. One example is a collaboration between Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. and a selected local artist to create a lim ited-edition beer to be served throughout the tour. Now in its fifth year, the Thirsty Planet Artist Series chose Annie Arnold to do the artwork this year.

“Annie’s work reminds us of all the things we love about this city. It’s play

ANNIE ARNOLD USES NEW THIRSTY PLANET BEER AS HER CANVAS FOR A CRITIQUE ON RAMPANT SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE

ful, colorful and honest,” says Brian Smittle, founder of Thirsty Planet. “Her embroidered scenes paired with garments feels like a modern take on years of collected patches, pins and t-shirts from live shows. Annie’s work is the perfect mixture of rock ’n roll and fun — a combination we could all use this year.”

Annie is fascinated by the growing cultural phenomena of narcissism, heightened by constant social media usage. Favoring craft techniques like needlepoint and crochet, her work explores our attempts at avoiding the shame of being ordinary as well as our general self-obsession.

Annie is working directly with Thirsty Planet’s head brewer Gabe Kuchar to create the beer, which is an “exercise beer,” something that’s meant to be light and refreshing enough to drink during or after strenuous activity. A big inspiration was Michelob Ultra, which often touts ads featuring athletes and fitness fanatics.

“One of the main reasons I’m interested in the Michelob Ultra concept for the beer is that it is based on the concept that ‘you can have it all,’” says Annie. I think that’s a really popular and sexy, yet problematic, message. So with the exercise beer, we can take two seemingly contradictory ideas — beer and health/wellness — and offer them both in one beautiful package.”

They named the beer “Werk Ethic” as a nod to the shortcuts and virtue signaling available through social media. The misspelling of “work” is meant to convey its slang definition — to put in the necessary effort to impress and inspire.

“To borrow a description I heard on a podcast,” says Annie, “the internet values the idea of the thing over the thing itself. So it was very interesting to me to do that here with the beer name. ‘Werk Ethic’ is an idle represen tation of actual work ethic. Yet it reinforces the idea you can have it all — you can show that you support working hard without having to actually break a sweat yourself.”

As far as the beer flavor profile goes, Gabe, who has been Thirsty Planet’s head brewer for over six years, was aiming for a light profile that’s easy to drink post-work out. He wanted to add something unique to the beer with the addition of green tea — lending an interesting flavor profile along with some extra energy from the caffeine. After testing a variety of green teas, he landed on the Young Hyson variety, which is light and delicately sweet.

The final product comes together wrapped in Annie’s custom artwork made specifically for this beer. The la bel showcases imagery of embroidered patches showing people being active while drinking the beer. She got the ideas for the different types of activities from common selfies and photos found on social media, poking fun at

the entitled but increasingly validated self-portrayals we put on the Inter net. While each of the patches shown is seemingly different from the others, they highlight how social media is really breeding less originality than ever.

“I’m interested in how our feeds begin to feed themselves. I’m critiquing the idea of sameness and how the more you click on something, the more you get of that thing. And so our worlds become very narrow and very par ticularized. It’s scary that we don’t encounter differences in a digital space as much as we do in a physical world, and that we’re not forced to consider opinions we’re not interested in or deal with people who are not like us. The algorithm just feeds us more of what we already know and like.”

Annie likes incorporating crochet and embroidery in her work, includ ing that on the beer label, because she feels they evoke feelings that can help people consider their relationship with social media — forcing us to consider the connection between time invested and meaningful outlet.

“I’m interested in where the digital space and the physical space rub up against each other,” says Annie. “And so I use embroidery because I feel like it can be representative of how much time we’re spending on social media — making the invisible scrolling more visible.”

The Werk Ethic beer will be served up for free across the Austin Studio Tour all through November. So not only will patrons get to enjoy a light and energizing beer, they’ll also get a taste of Annie’s humorous critique of the over-consumption of vapid social media content.

bigmedium.org/thirsty-planet2022

PHOTO BY KIM FRAN Ç OIS.

Body of WORK

Full-body painter, makeup and prosthetics professional, and handpoke tattoo artist discuss celebrating the human form through their arts

By Darcie Duttweiler

Makeup and visual effects artist Meredith Johns describes her work as “transforming people into works of art.” Through custom prosthetics, wigs and intricately applied makeup, she is able to use the human body as her canvas, whether it’s creating zombies or spooky monsters or pretty much anything in between.

Meet body artist Anne Shackelford, who will create an entire photo shoot designed around the painted body. And handpoke tattoo artist Ash ley Swarts permanently applies her artwork one needle prick at a time.

These three artists prove that your body of work can be just that.

Johns’ creations can be seen in a wide array of movies and television shows, from her Emmy Award-nominated work in “Temple Grandin” to “Machete Kills.” After growing up in a family of artists, Johns originally set out to become a graphic designer. However, she volunteered for a zombie movie, and, as they say, the rest is history.

“I was transfixed on the magic of special effects makeup and how you could change somebody into almost anything your heart could desire,” she explains.

It was that zombie movie where she met now-business partner Carolyn O’Hara, and the two of them started Hawgfly Productions, a special effects, makeup, prosthetic and costuming company that has worked steadily ever

Slowpoke

since on local TV shows and movies, like “Stoker,” “The Leftovers,” “The Long Road Home” and “The Son,” where Johns taught Pierce Brosnan how to scalp someone.

In addition to their cinematic cre ations, Hawgfly also offers a wide range of services to help bring ideas and visions to life. They create cus tom designs for bodypainting and makeup for events, photoshoots and private clients, as well as craft cus tom prosthetics and wigs to enhance those designs. In addition, they fab ricate costumes and props for co splayers, productions, events and private clients. Johns has competed three times in the World Bodypaint ing Festival Competition, where she placed second in the word in 2021 for SFX Makeup and fourth in the world for both SFX Makeup and SFX Bodypainting in 2022.

“I really love that the whole piece is only alive (except in pictures) for a short amount of time and then it’s gone,” Johns explains. “It teaches you to live life in that moment and then start creating the next. There’s something oddly beautiful about the impermanence of a makeup or bodypainting look.”

While Johns’ body of art is fleeting, handpoke tattoo artist Swarts’ work is decidedly more permanent.

Although she now owns Slowpoke Austin, Swarts did not set out to be come a tattoo artist. While living in Marfa, she was hosting tattoo artists in a shop attached to her partner’s restaurant, Al Campo. She deter mined she could better manage the business if she had more personal

knowledge of the craft, and fell in love with handpoked tattoos.

“I had no idea tattoos could even look the way these did – they’re deli cate and so reflective of the individual artist’s style,” Swarts says.

For those not well-versed on tat toos, the “normal” method of getting a tattoo is done by a machine connected to a needle that’s then dipped in ink. A handpoked tattoo is made in a sim ilar fashion to stippling. Dot by dot, the artist builds up lines and shading, and tattoos can typically take hours to complete by using a single needle.

While Swarts has been tattooing since 2019, she still considers herself a mixed media artist. After gradu ating with a Bachelors of Fine Art in printmaking, she had a studio in downtown Las Vegas where she sold her prints, paintings, collages, and also did graphic design work for local bars and restaurants. But, she says, learning to handpoke tattoos opened up a whole other artform to her.

“I’m interested in the unique chal lenge of a 3-D and irregularly shaped canvas that is the human body,” Swarts says. “I also believe tattooing in general is an intimate act, and I enjoy the way that holding a needle in your hand and poking directly into someone’s skin reflects how personal it is.”

Much like Johns, Shackleford paints her creations on the body.

As long as she can remember, she’s been “painting bodies in [her] dreams.” She sought out to make body art by recreating those dreams. As she likes to put it, she “tells stories with an image.” Shackleford is typically ap

"I m interested in the unique challenge of a 3 D and irregularly shaped canvas that is the human body"

Slowpoke

"I pray my artwork can raise our vibrations, uplift our hearts and bring us harmony."

proached by clients who have their own unique visions for a photoshoot, whether it’s a superhero motif, a celebration of their body, or paying trib ute to their cultural heritage. She will meticu lously spend hours hand-painting the body and direct a photo shoot to bring both her and her client’s greatest fantasies to life. These sessions produce artistic and striking images that, while the paint is fleeting, can live on well after.

“At the ‘end’ of the creation, there is a trans formation, for the whole of us,” Shackleford ex plains. “This beautiful experience — that we can never capture, never recreate — we can share. It is like visiting an epic mountain scene, then try ing to take a photograph to show what you see. It cannot be done – experience alone is what brings you liberation.”

In addition to her gorgeous body painting, Shackelford is using “elemental bodies” in her mixed multimedia work. She uses sound, prayer,

smudging, essential oils, sacred geometry, man dalas and natural elements to “infuse [her] art with positive vibes.” With her pieces of art, she in vites the buyer into Chrysalis Studio to help them resonate with the work through oracle cards readings and EFT (emotional freedom tech nique) tapping to assist their personal journey.

“As a creative, I hold sacred space so you may meet and resonate with your higher self,” she says. “My heart wants so much to unite us with the beauty and joy inside each and every one of us. I pray my artwork can raise our vibrations, uplift our hearts and bring us harmony.”

Check out Shackelford’s work during this month’s West Austin Studio Tour at Chrysalis Studio. hawgfly.com slowpokeaustin.com chrysalisaustin.com

Hawgfly

Ryan Davis

With artwork centered purely around paint, Ryan Davis is a University of Texas graduate.

Deep and intentional, Davis is known for taking a unique and vibrant approach to artwork.

What inspires you to paint so vibrantly?

“I think it started with being fascinated by the explosion of color a loaded watercolor brush de livers to wetted paper. I had a natural impulse to let the color ‘speak’ in its purest way. I was looking at Georgia O’Keeffe watercolors and I was obsessed with how bold and clean the color was; it felt almost irreverent in a way — there’s not this sense that she had to hold back. When I started painting as a teenager with the intention that I would try to make art, I tried to reach that effect that O’keeffe achieved. I never got there, but I think that’s how my color language began.”

Do you ever stray from your typical types of painting?

“Every once in a while. I do at least one batch of watercolors every year. In residencies I tend to do watercolors as well. I spent a lot of my early years

By Britni Rachal / Portrait by Weston Carls ryandavisart.com

making lithographs, and I had a phase of mixed media drawings on paper that used every mate rial I could think of to throw at the work. I did a group show utilizing a batik process in 2017, and have worked with monoprinting, which I re ally love. I also had a pretty intense photography phase, meaning ‘art’ photography that I’ve pret ty much abandoned. But essentially I’ve always worked within the bounds of the 2D world.”

When did you first start painting? What inspired you to become an artist?

“I started painting in an intentional, ‘idea-of-artway’ when I was 13 or 14, somewhere in those teen years when I really started thinking about the creative life. It suited me and it felt very natural and worth doing — to participate in the creation of culture in some way. It felt like one of the most important aspects of life, immensely challenging and gratifying at the same time. The deepness of it could sustain a lifetime, I thought.

I would look at these impressionist painters and get the feeling of painting stirring in my soul. I wanted more of that; it was exciting and vital.

And so I kept on going in that direction, even though I wasn’t sure where it would lead. The willingness and ability to create works over time, along with the time investment and tolerance to failures and difficulties, establishes a working momentum, a practice, which is more important than inspiration.”

What should people consider when shopping for a new piece of artwork?

“It’s important to get the scale right. Hang ing work is a contextual challenge; you have to consider the surrounding textures, colors and lighting situation in your home. A big work can crowd a wall or command it; a small work can provide the perfect accent. It’s also good to do your homework on the artist; knowing their

story can go a long way to understanding where you fit as a collector in the scheme of the larger art world. Collectors become a part of the story, and as a collection grows you learn where you fit in the narrative. You learn about what you val ue; you build a small world. And of course, you may build a type of investment portfolio. Seeing art in person is always better than shopping on line. When you go to galleries you have a chance to connect with the gallerist or maybe even the artist and the community. Go to shows! The best feeling is discovering a piece you love out in the wild and acquiring it right then and there.”

What are some of the favorite trends you are seeing this year within painted art?

“I wish I knew more about it, honestly. Figu ration is still in, especially with fauvist color schemes and stylized figuration. I see a lot of fuzzily-painted, atmospheric, low contrast color abstracts that remind me of a Bonnard palette. Ghostly and whisper quiet. I see a lot of work that seems inspired by Matthew Wong (not a bad thing). Simple, elegant, hard-edged abstracts. Squiggle paintings. Effusive gestural abstrac tions with lurid or floral color schemes. Geomet ric paintings that almost have an in-your-face spirituality or alien quality, just a notch shy of psychedelic.”

What is one of your favorite exhibits that you’ve done and why?

“I don’t show too much. I quite liked my last solo show in January 2020 at Ivester Contemporary. It took place during a tough spot in the pandemic in Austin, so I didn’t really promote it. But it was cool to see works from the last five years all hung together and talking. Seeing that reassured me that there was progression in the work, but also that each painting was a facet of a longer-term project that made sense.”

JAMIE HERLICH MCLALWAIN

By Liz Harroun Photo by Brian Fitzsimmons

FOUNDED IN 1932, ZACH THEATRE IS THE OLDEST THEATRE COM pany in Texas and has touched countless people with its experiences created to inspire and engage. ZACH serves 140,000 patrons annu ally, many of whom are children and youth who participate in the education and outreach programs. The people at ZACH make the magni tude of its mission and influence possible. Over 300 actors, musicians and designers come together each year to create the plays and musicals suited for diverse Central Texas audiences. This talented crew works tirelessly with the support of two critical leaders. Dave Steakely, who has been with the com pany for over 30 years now, serves as producing artistic director. And by his side is the managing director, a position Elisabeth Challener has undertaken for the last 15 years. However, with Elisabeth moving on to co-found a new Broadway production company, she was recently replaced by Jamie Herlich Mclalwain.

Jamie is a Seattle native whose education includes a Master of Fine Arts in Arts Leadership from Seattle University. She has been a performing arts professional for the last 20 years, in a variety of organizations including Se attle Repertory Theatre (Seattle Rep), Seattle Opera, Edmonds Center for the Arts and New Century Theatre Company. Her particular areas of focus were resource development, board management and relations, finance and organizational strategy.

Most recently, she served as the chief advancement officer at Seattle Rep, the largest nonprofit resident theatre in the Pacific Northwest. She was re sponsible for all fundraising as well as driving growth while ensuring longterm sustainability amid that growth.

“In some organizations, this kind of role is very singularly focused on fundraising,” says Jamie. “But the way my position evolved was as a strong partner and ‘right-hand person’ to the managing director to the extent that I was deeply involved in all aspects of the theatre well beyond my immediate duties. That positioned me perfectly for this transition as it is a very natural next step.”

The performing art industry was devastated by the COVID pandemic and is still slowly recovering. However, Jamie’s predecessor Elisabeth left ZACH in as strong a position as possible.

“Elisabeth was known for her ability to keenly balance the artistic mission and fiscal stability of the organization,” says Jamie, who didn’t work with her closely but was familiar with her work in the field from afar. “She also left a legacy in the Topfer Theatre, as she ran the capital campaign for that build, as well as growing ZACH to inhabit its newly expanded footprint thereafter. I have great respect for all that she accomplished here in the fifteen years she was here.”

Jamie is thrilled to be in Austin and building upon ZACH’s enduring legacy. “I am so excited about being here,” she says. “ZACH is a well-respected theatre that produces both playful and thought-provoking productions for audiences of all ages. I’m eager to be a part of building back the organization post-pan demic, and setting and striving for an expanded vision in the years ahead.”

During the COVID shutdown, performing arts organizations closed down first and opened back up last. Nationwide, audiences are not yet com ing back at the same levels as they did before. Workers have left the industry altogether, making rehiring much more challenging.

“Our field has never experienced anything like this before,” says Jamie. However, she’s ready to take on the challenge. “I get to tackle all of this in partnership with a deeply dedicated and committed Board of Trustees and staff. They are all fantastically talented and incredibly engaged, and that col laboration will be very fulfilling. Plus, the work on stage! At the end of the day, that’s the entire reason I am here — it’s incredibly gratifying to know that what I do serves audiences and artists alike.”

Jamie is looking forward to getting to know the team more as they work together in revitalizing this iconic theatre. ZACH is a creative hub that brings lovers of theatre and music together from around the city and beyond.

“You can come to have a lot of fun, grab a cocktail and be entertained, but also to reflect on the complex and challenging conversations that are hap pening across the country,” says Jamie.

ZACH is committed to serving Austin’s creative community, hiring locally wherever possible — including Austin-based designers, creatives and actors.

“It’s exciting as an audience to see familiar faces and names that remind you of ZACH’s deep roots in this city,” says Jamie. “And the mix of program ming from family shows and classes to well-known musicals to thought-pro voking plays is really unique and interesting. Austin was built on a founda tion of music and art, and ZACH has been a big part of that over the last 100 years. It truly is theatre of, by and for the people of Austin.”

zachtheatre.org

YOU CAN COME TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN, GRAB A COCKTAIL AND BE ENTERTAINED, BUT ALSO TO REFLECT ON THE COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Amanda Witucki

An artist with a focus on using paper as a medium, Amanda Witucki is also the founder of The Secret Prezzie Project, a social experiment/kind ness project that launched in 2014. She is also known for combining precision and repetition with color throughout her unique pieces.

Inspiring hope and connections is an important part of the Secret Prezzie project? Can you elaborate on that?

“The goal of the Secret Prezzie Project is to in spire a feeling of magic, wonder and love. Imag ine you’re walking down the street and you’re stopped in your tracks by an impeccably wrapped gift with a tag that’s labeled ‘Hey, stranger, this present is for you!’ Surely this can’t be? A FREE wonderfully curated and beautiful gift for you? Oh, but it is, stranger. We live in a world where

By Britni Rachal / Portrait by Weston Carls papercommittee.com

nice things don’t happen ‘just because’ and I’d like to change that. This project combines my love of wrapping gifts, supporting local artists and a hint of vandalism (I sprinkle handmade confetti around each gift once it’s dropped). Each present contains goodies from local artists, and each box is hidden in plain sight in front of a mural. Not only does this project help re-instill our faith in humanity by offering a no-stringsattached gift from a stranger, but it also connects the people of Austin to its thriving community of creators.”

What inspired you to create such an uplifting artistic product?

“This project has changed throughout the years. In its original form, the prezzies were themed and contained new and gently used items from my home. It was a way for me to rid my closets of my rarely used craft supplies and other things, but also spared these items from going to a land fill. I handmade labels for each of the items, and put personal details in the gifts. As time went on and I transitioned into making art full-time, I decided to fill the prezzies with goods from local makers and artists to help spread the word about fellow small businesses. Highly thoughtful mar keting, if you will.”

this iteration of what I now make. I had been existing in the weddings and events world for a while, creating larger installations and back drops, and I struggled to make ends meet. A fel low artist friend recommended I create my pa per modules smaller and attach them to canvas, then it could be sold as permanent art instead of temporary installations, bringing me from the event industry into the fine art industry. That is the shortest way I’ve ever told that story, but I will say I’m forever grateful to that friend for her suggestion.”

People are encouraged to participate in the movement and post in different cities across the country. What is one of the most impactful stories you’ve seen?

“I’ve taken prezzies with me when I’m on vaca tion to try and spread the movement outside the city, but so far no one has contacted us or told us about any prezzies outside of Austin. My hope is for this project to gain momentum and spread to other cities.”

We noticed the artwork can be really large and used in some festive ways! What are some of your favorite creations?

What are some of your favorite products that have been featured in the Secret Prezzie?

“I have had many of my favorite Austin artists donate to the Secret Prezzie Project — Molly Knobloch’s abstract paintings, Maridad Studio’s playful watercolor pieces and Kathy Phantastic illustrations are some of my favorites.”

What sparked the idea and passion around paper paintings and canvas sculptures?

“I’ve been working in the realm of papercraft for a long time, but it took many years to come to

“I love how impactful a large installation can be, so most of my favorite pieces of work are the in stallations. Last year for the Austin Studio Tour, I made an installation that was inspired by dif ferent pasta shapes: lasagna, farfalle and spa ghetti. I love creating playful pieces. My all-time favorite was an installation for my very first art show last year. I folded over 400 large origami shapes to create a giant, elegant hanging piece. I’m currently working on a project that involves over 25 artists who have been given total creative freedom to adorn a house on the eastside before it gets demolished later on this year. I have a feel ing this one will be another favorite.”

Broad City

FEMALE ARTIST COLLECTIVE FOUNDERS PROVIDE A COLLABORATIVE SPACE FOR OTHER WOMEN MAKERS

By Darcie Duttweiler Photos by Caity Colvard

SINCE STARTING BROAD STUDIOS IN 2018, THE female artist collective has expanded to Broad Club House, where classes are taught on pottery and ceramics, as well as the Broad Shop, where the three founders — Genna Williams, Kara Pendl and Hallie Shafer — celebrate local makers by providing them an affordable space to sell their wares. It’s a pretty impressive expansion in four short years, with, you know, the pandemic and all, and especially considering that Broad Studios was formed out of the sheer need to split rent on an art studio space.

But the blossoming Broad Studios empire is just getting started.

Originally six artists were part of the collective when it opened, consisting of fiber artists, silk dyers, painters and ceramicists. The founding “broads” of Pendl, Shafer and Wil liams are all professional ceramic designers, and create their art in their studio space and sell in the storefront Broad Shop, which opened this past summer. Other broads come and go, and they typically have another artist or two in house, but the three founders are a tight-knit crew who cite “divine interven tion” for bringing them together.

“It did come from necessity at the time,” Williams says. “All of us being under the same roof, we had so much admiration and respect for not only each other but also everyone else’s work; that really is the reason that all of our businesses thrived that time. We were going from a solo practice to really feeling like a collective and feeling like one group unit.”

While the trio did not originally set out to create an all-woman art collective, they admit the notion came about so organically it was hard to deny the strength of “femme energy” in the studio. Shafer says, “We were thinking of where women belonged and carving a space for ourselves in places women have been overlooked, and art is absolutely that space.”

As for the name, the founders admit they had many meetings to discuss what to call themselves before landing on Broad Studios. Shafer says it’s a double meaning regarding the “breadth of the artists,” while Williams chimes in that she “loved the impli cation of the word. It’s not just a woman. It’s a take-no-sh*t, badass woman, in my opinion.”

The founders of Broad Studios admit they don’t have an application process to be a “resident broad,” because they’ve always found it to be purely organic. They enjoy getting to know each artist first, along with their art, before welcoming them into what Pendl describes as a “sacred space.” Along with the studio space, each resident receives help with mar keting, events and a spot in the Broad Shop, which currently runs on a shelf-rental model to help artists save money on selling retail to wholesale channels.

“We saw that as an opportunity to create a space just fea turing local artists, because we have so many talented artists here,” Williams says. “For people who already have lived in Austin forever, who are just moving to Austin or for people who are visiting Austin, I think that it’s really important to know the artists in your community and to be able to support them.”

In addition to the studio and retail spaces, ex-elementary school art teach er Shafer took it upon herself to oversee the opening of the Broad Studios

Club House, where she teaches ceramics during workshops, six-week-long classes and date-night sessions. While all three of the ladies came to ceramics in their own unique ways — Shafer from study ing abroad in Italy, Williams from her dad’s “weird-ass ceramics” littering their home, and Pendl from creating an out let away from her normal day job — the trio says they view the classes at the Club House as a “catalyst for community,” in that it’s so much more than just getting your hands dirty on a pottery wheel.

And it’s the sense of community the founders of Broad Studios care most about. From their events and markets, like this month’s East Austin Studio Tour, which they go all out for, to their local art shop, Pendl, Shafer and Williams prize their “deep, rich connec tions” above all else.

broadstudiosatx.com

WE SAW THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SPACE JUST FEATURING LOCAL ARTISTS

PREVALENT PIECES OF ART

View, collect and mingle with fellow art enthusiasts at Austin’s Best Art Galleries

BY MEHER QAZILBASH

Scattered around Austin is a funky variety of art galleries displaying the works of both globally recognized and locally renowned talent. Here are some of the best places in the city for viewing, collecting and mingling with other art lovers.

BIG MEDIUM GALLERY 

916 Springdale Road, Unit 2

A part of Big Medium, a nonprofit that offers support to the contemporary artists of Austin, the Big Medium Gallery is a versatile exhibition space positioned inside creative hub Canopy. Wander through the warehouse to see works from the city’s most promising talent, and make a day out of your visit by checking out Canopy’s other eclectic gallery choices. bigmedium.org

WONDERSPACES 

1205 Sheldon Cove, Unit 2-A

A remarkable and unconventional exhibition space, Wonderspaces invites the public to not only view the art, but also interact with it. Thanks to innovative technology, attendees can explore different textures, colors, sounds and more at the highly sensory shows. Visitors enter into a new world when they visit Won derspaces, where they can turn the act of consuming visual art into a fun and collaborative experience. austin.wonderspaces.com

WOMEN & THEIR WORK 

1311 East César Chávez St.

Since 1978, Women & Their Work has celebrated historically underrepresented groups in the art world. The East Austin-based nonprofit organization high lights emerging female artists and promotes them to a national stage through a plethora of art showcases and free event programming. On a mission to encourage a dialogue between creators and visitors, the team at Women & Their Work welcomes all guests to enjoy their ever-changing exhibits. womenandtheirwork.org

PHOTO BY DANIEL FUNKHOUSER.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA VANDERHIDER.

ART GALLERIES AT BLACK STUDIES 

Idea Lab: Gordon-White Building, 210 West 24th St. Christian-Green Gallery: Beauford H. Jester Center, 201 East 21st St.

Art Galleries at Black Studies is a center for archival works and contemporary art, located on UT’s campus. Featuring two sep arate gallery spaces, the Christian-Green Gallery and the Idea Lab, AGBS is home to creative art and historical materials that tackle prevalent social issues. Visit to become informed, inspired and engaged in critical conversations. galleriesatut.org

CLOUD TREE STUDIOS & GALLERY 

3411 East 5th St.

In 2016, wood artist Brian David Johnson refurbished a Quon set hut originally built in 1948 to create Cloud Tree Studios and Gallery. With a diverse selection of stunning artwork and events like comedy shows and intimate music performances, Cloud Tree is one of the city’s coolest cultural hubs. cloudtreestudiosandgallery.com

SAGE STUDIO 

916 Springdale Road, Unit 2

Functioning as both a nonprofit studio and gallery space, SAGE (Supporting Artistic Growth and Entrepreneurship) enhances the careers of artists with disabilities by giving them a place to work and a platform to showcase their craft. Located within Canopy, visitors can ad mire the imaginative displays and support programs that contribute to identity and career building.

sagestudioatx.com

COURTESY

PHOTO BY JENNA MCELROY.

PHOTO

AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY GALLERY 

710 West César Chávez St.

On top of the thousands of books the Austin Public Library holds, this beautiful downtown structure is also home to compelling expositions on rotation in its art gallery. Observe the creative expressions in the naturally lit room overlooking Lady Bird Lake on your next library visit, which should also include a meal at the sophisticated and delicious Cookbook Bar and Café. The pieces on display at this location are not for sale. library.austintexas.gov/central-library

MASS GALLERY 

705 Gunter St.

For over a decade, this nonprofit gallery and project space has brought Austin’s most curious and experimental contemporary artists together. Hosting a wide variety of stimulating programming, including expositions, film screenings, music performances and more, this is the perfect spot for those looking to get involved in the community’s arts scene. massgallery.org

WEST CHELSEA CONTEMPORARY 

1009 West 6th St.

With the spirit of a New York gallery, West Chelsea Contem porary is a haven for avant-garde styles. Those with a taste for modern, pop and street art are in for a treat, as West Chelsea has works from Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama on display. Browse through the cutting-edge visuals and take advantage of offerings like expert art consulting, delivery and installation and custom framing. wcc.art

AUSTIN ART

GARAGE 

2200 South Lamar Blvd., Unit J

With a distinctly “Austin” feel, this garage situated on South Lamar sheds a spotlight on the abundant and eccentric local arts scene. Composed solely of works from Austini tes, Austin Art Garage offers a wonderful variety of pieces at an accessible price range, encouraging everyone to grow their collection. austinartgarage.com

LINK & PIN 

2235 East 6th St.

A newer gallery concept, Link & Pin prioritizes the artists’ own visions. Guests can get a glimpse into the world of the makers with intriguing shows always on rotation, and relatively affordable works available for purchase. In addition, Link & Pin’s informative talks and entertaining receptions are not to be missed. linkpinart.com

PHOTO BY JAKE BRRYER.

PHOTO BY LESLIE KELL.

PHOTO BY CAMILLE EASTON.

AO5 GALLERY 

10000 Research Blvd.

Formerly on South Lamar, the relocated Ao5 Gallery now graces The Arboretum, a multifaceted shopping center north of downtown. Known for high-quality selec tions of original artwork from all over the world and professional custom framing services, Ao5 is an art collector’s dream. Look out for their large collection of pieces from Dr. Seuss. ao5gallery.com

GRAYDUCK 

2213 East César Chávez St.

This charming century-old refurbished home in East Austin hosts many thought-provoking contemporary art pieces. Known for its friendly, knowledgeable owners, grayDUCK is an intimate setting for art lovers to experience compelling creations and partake in intriguing discussions. grayduckgallery.com

WALLY WORKMAN GALLERY 

1202 West 6th St.

One of the most distinguished art spaces in Austin’s arts district, the Wally Workman Gallery is based in an elegant 120-year-old house. Inside, guests can explore the two-story space and get an intimate look into featured artists’ works and craft. In an effort to progress the careers of Austin creators, regular month-long solo shows are held, giving artists signifi cant exposure to audiences. wallyworkmangallery.com

PHOTO BY HECTOR TEDNOIR MARTINEZ.

Alex

Proud to produce unique art and pho tography, Alex Parker is known for stepping outside the box and creating her own trends with a focus on photog raphy, video and tattoo art.

times in the past six years of freelancing where I felt like I wasn’t going to achieve the things I wanted to, but I have achieved almost all of them and more. I guess something that I am excep tionally proud of from this past year was being published in a National Geographic book writ ten by Jessica Nabongo. The book is called “The Catch Me if You Can.” My photos from a trip I took to Saudi Arabia with Jessica are seen inside, and also printed on the back cover of the book. I think any photographer would say that having an editor from Nat Geo reach out to buy your pho tos is a big career highlight.”

understand the technical side of the work. Con straints get placed on the photog and it makes it’s really difficult to do good work. Make a detailed mood board, research the photographer before hand so you know their style works for you and trust them to do their job.”

How is your own personality best seen in your pieces?

What inspired your interest in photo and video art?

“I grew up traveling a lot with my family. I vividly remember asking my parents to buy me dispos able cameras for our trips. I found that images told the stories of my travels way better than I could through the use of words. Especially when you are young. Your storytelling skills just aren’t quite there, and it is sometimes hard to put your experiences into words. I learned then the power of imagery and how it can aid us in explaining ourselves.”

We’d love to hear more about a recent piece of work you are most proud of. “Oh gosh. Honestly, I’m really bad at this. I think on a big picture scale I’m just proud of the life I have created for myself. There have been many

Where do you draw your inspiration from? “Travel. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe inspi ration comes from everywhere at any given mo ment, even if you don’t always realize you are be ing inspired. But for me, I feel like my best work, whether it’s drawing, photo or video, comes out when I am exploring a new place and immersed in different cultures. I feel really stagnant as a creator if I’m not trying and seeing new things. I think that childlike wonder of experiencing things for the first time is something I am con stantly chasing.”

What’s your best advice for clients looking for great photos and video?

“Don’t just look for a good deal. Photo and vid eo is a crazy space to be in right now. With the technology changing constantly and nice cam eras being pretty accessible to anyone with a little extra cash, everyone and their uncle is a hobbyist photographer. But just like anything else, you get what you pay for. Just because you CAN hire someone who is new to the space for half the price of a professional doesn’t mean you SHOULD. I would also say trust your photog rapher. So many times clients will have in their head something very specific but don’t always

“In my photo work, my personality definitely takes more of a backseat. I’m usually photo graphing super talented people expressing them selves. I have found that if I try to put too much of my own flare on the images everything feels a little watered down. Concert photography is crazy as a creator because your art cannot exist without the art of the performer, music director, set designer, lighting director and usually oth ers. Most of the time you don’t even get to talk to these people before the show, so you have to adapt quickly. Once that show starts you have a finite amount of time to capture the moments. I try to do that in a way that honors all the hours of work put in by the artist and the crew.”

What is your best advice to others when trying to express themselves in an artistic way?

“Don’t get bogged down by trends. If there is a technique that truly calls to you and you genu inely feel like it is helpful to express yourself, go for it. But don’t do things in your art just because everyone else is. Also, something that I have to remind myself constantly is don’t overthink it. Just put the art out there. People can’t appreciate your work if you don’t put it out into the world. You are never going to be perfect, and your art will never be loved by every person in the world. Your art will speak to the people who need it and even if that’s just one person, that is something to be proud of.”

By Britni Rachal / Portrait by Weston Carls instagram.com/alexparkermedia

Custom Curated Art Collections

COCOLLECT IS BRINGING HIGH-END ART TO AUSTIN HOMES

By Liz Harroun Photos by Brittany Dawn Short

MOST OF US USE MEMBERSHIPS FOR CERTAIN benefits we might not otherwise be able to ac cess. What would we do without our gym ame nities, streaming services and grocery delivery — all readily available in exchange for paying a reasonable monthly fee? Now CoCollect is using that same model to bring museum-quality art collections to members’ homes. CoCollect custom curates art collections, installs them in Austin homes and then sends text messages that tell members about the art hanging in their homes.

The woman behind this new way to experience art is Keli Hogsett, a 35-year-old mom of three boys who was born and raised in Austin. After graduating from the University of Texas, she knew she wanted to raise a family of her own in Austin someday. However, she also wanted to experience something different first. So she spent time living in San Francisco and Denver, where she worked at fast-paced agencies on global brands.

“The inspiration for CoCollect was a slow burn as I expe rienced the same problem over many moves,” says Keli. “One thing I know about myself is that I am in a better mood if the space I live in is well-designed, inspiring and interesting to me. So with each new place we moved into, I would want to quickly feel settled and take careful consideration on the interior de sign of our space.”

Keli moved a lot throughout the years — from rental homes occupied for only a year or two, to owned homes that she and her husband remodeled, and finally to their current family home in Deep Eddy. Getting art on the walls in the way she wanted, especially amid all of the moves, was always a pain point.

“Art is one of the only things that is still purchased with the intention of keeping forever,” says Keli. “It’s one of those things you want to connect with and love so much that you’re excited to stare at it for the rest of your life. However, building that kind of meaningful collection is not only overwhelming, if you don’t know where to start, but it takes time, education and patience.”

When visiting friends’ homes, Keli found that others were struggling to make lifetime art purchases with limited time and knowledge, and they too had blank walls to show

for it. Some compensated with temporary, but still costly, decor prints from big box retailers. This meaningless art might have taken up some space on the walls, but did very little to achieve the long-term aesthetic that home owners were going for. Keli empathized with how difficult that process was for people with full-time jobs and kids, making time and patience precious resources.

“I started considering a way that we could get people to fill those blank walls as quickly and conveniently as people wanted to, but with original art that supported our actual arts community,” says Keli.

After realizing nothing that filled those needs exist ed, in 2021 Keli founded CoCollect to give more peo ple convenient access to having high-end original art in their homes in a relatively quick time frame along with education about that art. Her ultimate goal is that more people not only live with fine art, but they become life long supporters of the arts.

“Art is an important visual language that can greatly influence and inspire our daily lives,” says Keli. “Visu ally connecting with a work or thinking it’s beautiful is just the first part of it. Knowing about the artist’s life, why they created it, the concept they’re communicating, the process, and also how that artwork speaks directly to a viewer’s personal experiences are all combined into why a collector may find an artwork mean ingful. Artworks become visual bea cons of those concepts and ideas in our space, whether they bring us positivity and joy, or challenge us.”

To connect CoCollect members with their art in this deeper way, every other week they get a short educational text message with an interesting “dinner party fact” about one of the artworks in their current collection. They are also able to purchase artworks in their collection at any time and, if they’re not ready to purchase at the end of the year, they can extend their collection into the next year or swap their collec tion for new artwork.

CoCollect sources artwork directly from artists, galleries and private col lectors in collaboration with curators

and advisors. This offers members a unique mix of artwork that might oth erwise be unavailable to them. The artwork ranges from local artists living and working in Austin to well-known artists that have been collected by the world’s top institutions (including Andy Warhol and Picasso!).

CoCollect is well on its way in its mission to help people live with and learn about art. Their beta collection sold out, supporting an initial 20 members. Just last month, they opened a new larger collection with an additional 500 pieces to accommodate new members. New memberships are in high de mand, with a growing waitlist, so CoCollect plans to continue expanding their collection.

“Learning about art allows us to connect with it and connecting with art helps us recognize its value,” says Keli. Thanks to Co Collect, that deeper intimacy with art is now made easier for those of us in Austin.

cocollect.art

Alia AliGlitch. Edition 1/52021 Pigment print with UV laminate mounted on aluminum dibond in white wooden float frame 33x33

Alexandra Valenti

“The Eureka Moment Happened in a House” 2022 Acrylic on Canvas, 55x32

Sara Ferguson

“Lucid Series” 2021, Guache on paper, 20x16

Sari Shryack

An oil acrylic painter and a graduate of Drury University with a degree in Fine Arts, Sari Shyrack is known for producing colorful paintings.

Different subjects and techniques are featured throughout her portfolio, including landscape, still life, portraits, disco balls and memes.

We’d love to hear more about the meaning behind the name of your business.

“Not Sorry Art is a play on my first name, which many people have mispronounced over the years as ‘sorry.’ Sari rhymes with Mary, not sorry. Lol.

That’s how I conceived the business name, which also conveys that I make art unapologetically — I paint with a lot of bright colors and embrace my femininity without apologizing for it.”

We’d love to hear about some of your recent collections.

“I’m kind of always balancing a series of collec tions since I paint a variety of subjects. This year I’ve released a collection of disco balls on round

By Britni Rachal / Portrait by Weston Carls sari.studio

wood, my second such collection of disco balls. I started painting this series in 2019, and it’s been really fun expanding on the initial concept with brighter colors and a larger scale. I’m working on an 80” disco ball right now that’s taking up a good portion of my studio.”

In your opinion, what makes a piece of artwork most powerful?

“For me, the most powerful art I can make is art that functions on multiple levels. As artists, most of our art is seen exclusively on social media, and the ephemeral nature of that setting rewards work that is eye-catching and unique. Artwork in an algorithm setting jostles for attention in a superficial way, but if I can use that introduction to start a deeper conversation about the meaning behind my work, then I have harnessed a more powerful version of my craft.”

You specialize in acrylic and oil paintings. What sparked the passion for that type of art?

“I had a great painting professor in college whose inspired teaching style really pushed me toward the career I have now. We learned with acrylics in his classes and so that was my first medium and the one I used almost exclusively for the first several years of my practice. I’ve incorporated oils in the last several years as a way to play with different textures in my work while enjoying the slower dry time of the medium.”

You also run “Not Sorry Art School.” Can you tell us more about that?

“I always knew I wanted to teach, as I love shar ing in the joy of painting. The jumping off point for me in creating Not Sorry Art School hap pened a few years ago when I posted a painting and a follower expressed that they couldn’t ever hope to paint like that. Knowing all the time and

practice I had put into the craft and where my skill was then compared to when I first started, I completely disagreed; I really believe that any one can learn to paint, but the time and financial commitment is a huge barrier for people. So I de cided to create an online art school that covers all the techniques I use in my practice — from the fundamentals of painting to specific technical skills — in a format that allows everyone to go at their own pace. It’s been really rewarding seeing it grow the last couple years.”

Tell us more about your views of consumer culture and how that pertains to your work.

“I like to incorporate elements of consumer cul ture from the past and present in my work for multiple reasons. I grew up below the poverty line, and coming from that I’ve seen that society’s disdain for parts of consumerism leans heavily on the aspects associated with low income peo ple. Things like fast food and dollar store toys are sneered at as mass-produced and wasteful — el ements of low society that should be condemned. You learn about the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ places to shop according to society from a very young age, and I experienced the effects of classism throughout my early life. When the poor are be ing blamed for the ills of consumer culture while the wealthy fly private and spend lavishly on things they don’t need, you know there’s some thing wrong with that line of thinking.

“So I like to paint objects and items from my childhood that comment on this class discrepan cy in a way that sheds new light on what might have previously been labeled tacky or unworthy of art. For example, when I paint a giant Ring Pop still life, it’s a nod to a popular candy from my childhood but also a commentary on the definition of beauty of things. An object isn’t any more or less aesthetically pleasing based on its price tag.”

The Art of Video

RE-LAUNCHING A PIECE OF AUSTIN’S PAST

By Britni Rachal Photos by Brian Fitzsimmons Mural by Jason Eatherly

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIDeos currently sitting in a storage site in Central Austin are expected to get a reboot sometime in 2023. Videos from around the world — of all genres and some rare — are part of I Luv Video’s former collection. Once touted as the oldest and largest video store in the world, two years after closing, the videos will now be used as part of a nonprofit community group, a business concept from entrepreneur and attorney, Macy Cotton.

“My husband and I were talking about what we would do if we could do anything in the world. I Luv Video was a special place for us when we first moved to Austin and didn’t have a lot of money. It was a nice date night,” says Cot ton who used to frequent the store almost weekly upon arriving to Austin in 2017. “We’d pick mov ies that I had never heard of, and we also got to learn a lot about film.”

White connected with Conrad Bejarano, the former owner of both I Luv Video and Austin’s Spider House, who loved the passion behind the idea and had only one stipulation — he wanted to make sure the videos from his beloved collec tion are available to the public.

“This can bring a lot of joy,” says Bejarano, who describes being in the video industry in the early 1980s as unintentionally getting into the ‘culture business.’ “There’s always going to be some sort of turmoil in our world. It’s the little things that

bring a smile to your face, and at the end of the day, that’s what counts. If it’s watching a movie, that’s what’s important. That’s what is special about old video stores.”

The revamped concept — now called “We Luv Video” — is already reg istered as a 501c3. Membership is expected to be based on a subscription model with different tiers of membership available depending on how many videos you’d like to rent per month. With accessibility in mind, the lowest membership would be $10 per month, and people who wanted to volunteer at the store would receive a free membership. To create a so cial atmosphere, rental space for movie screenings is also expected to be available, along with membership loyalty events and parties. Aspects both Cotton and Bejarano expect will still be popular.

Right now, finding a place to rent is the biggest challenge for Cotton and her team. We Luv Video’s business model is based on a Baltimore nonprofit video store, Beyond Video. A much smaller city with lower real estate costs, Cotton still believes the video store will succeed in Austin due to what she calls a “built-in video store lover infrastructure.”

“No one on our board or our team expects to get paid for this. We want to be 100% volunteer run, which does cut back on costs,” says Cotton. “There are things you can’t find on streaming. Maybe things you’ve never heard of or unique foreign films. Because of licensing reasons, things can also be pulled quickly, and for that reason, I think protecting physical media is more important than ever.”

“I Luv Video provided film and culture and community for the last four decades in Austin,” says Bejarano. “Now, with your help, We Luv Video will bring to life the mission, the art and the love of the movie community, along with the importance of physical media, while helping to educate fu ture film creators for decades to come.”

To help raise funding for the cause, Cotton has already scheduled what she describes as an “old school comedy telethon” with a movie-theme for this fall, along with several movie screenings at Central Machine Works and Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches to raise awareness.

weluvvideo.org

Angélique Ferrão

Angélique Ferrão first pursued art after immigrating to New York City at age 15 and working multiple jobs while attending school. While art was once just a hobby, she says the death of George Floyd in 2020 compelled her to quit her job and start a portrait series centered around the Black Lives Matter movement.

You are known for using a variety of mediums and loving “working big.” Can you tell us more about that?

“I studied photography under Roy DeCarava and have indelible marks left from learning un der such a great artist. I had no qualms butting heads with him on darkroom printing practices, but we were always in sync on portraying our photographed subjects with respect. While pho tography did not teach me how to work big, it

By Britni Rachal / Portrait by Weston Carls angeliqueferrao.com

taught me how to approach my subjects and to be aware of the power dynamics involved. Street art is what got me working big. I started as a teenager in NYC with spray cans and markers. Then I got an art studio in Long Island City close to the (now demolished) 5 Pointz building. There I did small murals, stenciling and wheatpasting. When I moved to Austin, I used a lot of house paint for commissioned murals around the city. Working on large walls made working on large oil paintings a fluid transition.

“My love for working big comes from enjoying the innate body kinetics of using my whole body gesturally like a sweeping dance over the canvas. You have to have complete confidence in your movements.”

For various collections, where does your inspiration come from?

“It comes from talking to strangers. I’m curious about their childhoods, family structures, cultur al dynamics, socio-economic backgrounds, per sonal and generational traumas, achievements, motivations and ways of thinking. I am also fas cinated with ideas. I love coming across a jumble of disparate information and finding an elegant solution or connection. One thing that repeats in the chaotic noise of humanity’s experiences is the common thread of how starkly similar we all are. I guess, funny enough, I am inspired by the varied yet kindred.”

Tell us a little more about your attention to detail.

“It’s beautiful and brutal. I get very focused and very, very intense.”

Out of all your collections, what has been your favorite and why?

“My current series. It has forced me from the outskirts into the fray and taught me not to be a

shy outsider, that I have a responsibility to some thing larger than myself.”

A lot of your paintings focus on oils. Can you elaborate on why?

“I taught myself how to paint knowing only the ‘fat-over-lean’ principle. There’s been so much joy learning from the many trials and errors. I’ve been painting in oils for a while now but feel it will probably take thirty more years to master it. It’s humbling knowing I am playing a long game where there are no quick fixes, no shortcuts. It’s been the most challenging and fulfilling medium to work with.”

How do you best put your personality into your work?

“My personality is analytical, creative, logical and empathetic. I’m instinctive and intuitive when I work, but I also draw on a lot of information I’ve methodically gathered.”

You have several works in progress on your site. We’d love to hear more about them.

“The works are from an oil on canvas series close to completion entitled ‘Everyman.’ It contains ten portraits of black men in Austin from a wide array of backgrounds, interests and careers. The series celebrates black culture in Austin and wills inclusivity into the city’s visual lexicon. It also ex amines complacency in the fight for racial justice within other minority groups, especially within the South Asian community. Angélique Ferrão first pursued art after immigrating to New York City at age 15 and working multiple jobs while attending school. While art was once just a hob by, she says the death of George Floyd in 2020 compelled her to quit her job and start a portrait series centered around the Black Lives Matter movement.

Austin Playhouse’s Permanent Roots in Northeast Austin

PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR LARA HADDOCK TONER

BELIEVES NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN AUSTIN’S PERFORMING ARTS SCENE

By Liz Harroun

WE HAVE ALL OVERHEARD (LIKELY MANY TIMES) SOMEone talking about Austin’s “good ol’ days.” When there was no traffic or chains or Californians. Whether we like it or not, the fact is that inevitable change has been accelerated by un precedented growth here in Austin. In the decade ending in 2020, Austin was the nation’s fastest-growing metro, growing by almost a third, or over half a million new residents, during that time.

This growth has put outward pressure on the city limits, as central hous ing has become too expensive or simply unavailable. Local establishments have started opening locations on the outskirts of Austin proper and in the surrounding suburbs to meet the growing demand as people are living farther from downtown. However, performing arts es tablishments have yet to catch up to the growing, more dispersed populations of Austin — partially due to the fact that people haven’t been returning to theatres in full force since the COVID Pandem ic. However, with theatres now opened back up and more people in Austin than ever, Austin Playhouse is ready to change that.   Austin Playhouse is entering their 23rd sea son as a professional theatre in Austin, so they are no stranger to this city and its recent growth. They produce a variety of plays, with a focus on new play development, so they have done a lot of world and regional premieres. There is also a theatre for youth program, free for Title I students, who come to the theatre so they can experience it, often for the first time.

AP’s acting company is one of the things that distinguishes it from other groups in Austin. They are one of three professional theatre companies in Austin (along with ZACH Theatre and Austin Shakespeare) affiliated with

Actor’s Equity Association. This helps ensure better wages, working con ditions and benefits for actors. There are about 30 members in AP’s active acting company, which is the core of their artistic team, along with seven full-time people on staff.

Dan Toner founded AP in 2000, after working in the performing arts in dustry for many years. He recently retired, and his daughter, Lara Haddock Toner, who has worked at AP for a decade now, serves as the producing ar tistic director. As her father was entering retirement and she was stepping up into this huge leadership position, the pandemic hit. They had to quickly pivot in order to stay open at all.

“During the pandemic we did a whole virtual season,” says Lara. “I learned video editing, which was not something I planned to do that year. But it was really fun! I wish the skills we had to develop weren’t because of a pandemic, but now we are a lot more agile with online offerings.”

Thanks to the pandemic, they now have online streaming versions of plays and live screenings — so offerings are more diverse than ever. However, AP is eager to do much more than just survive the pandemic.

For the past couple of decades, they have rented various locations for their productions, including a World War I flight training facility at Penn Field, a giant tent in the Mueller redevelop ment, and Austin Community College Highland. When the pandemic hit, they left a rental space complete ly and are now in the middle of a capital campaign, where they are raising funding to finally build their very own permanent space.  Lucky for many of us, that space is located in northeast Aus tin, on Anderson Lane along the 183 frontage road, where AP has already purchased a 2.8-acre proper ty. The towns on the northern outskirts of Austin — including Cedar Park, Leander and Round Rock — have outpaced even the city’s growth in the past decade. The location of this theatre, farther north than any others in Austin, will provide conve nient access to high-quality performing arts for those boom ing populations. AP already owns the piece of land, and the addi tional funding raised by the capital campaign will be used to complete the construction of the facility itself. The rise in real estate and construction over the past few years has caused a venue crisis in Austin, with a lot of the spaces that have historically been homes to theatres going away.

“The goal of the capital campaign is to have a permanent, sustainable

Marina DeYoe-Pedraza and Sarah Chong Harmer in Previews of Departing Attractions by Lowell Bartholomee

Ben Wolfe in The Catastrophist

home for Austin Playhouse,” says Lara. “It’s a secure space not just for our theatre but also for other arts organizations. It’s now or never for making this investment in these cultural buildings because it’s not going to get any easier to build in Austin, and we don’t want to lose any more local companies because they can’t afford their building anymore. So primarily, this new space will really benefit families and everyone moving to Austin that want it to be — not just the live music capital of the world — but an artistic capital, with a really vibrant performing arts scene and visual arts scene. And that’s what we’re envisioning for our new space: that it will be this hub of artistic activity.”

The capital campaign committee is working diligently to secure enough funding, especially as construction costs have unexpectedly risen since the land was acquired in April 2019. Designed by Forge Craft Architecture, the new arts center will serve as a creative hub for Austin artists and provide huge growth opportunities for both Austin Playhouse and its partners. The facility will include two stages — a 207-seat main stage and a 99-seat black box stage. There will also be flexible spaces for performances and events in cluding a large classroom, rooftop terrace and outdoor patio. The new space will also have support facilities like offices, a scene shop, a costume loft and backstage dressing rooms, as well as ample flexible office space that will be available for rent. They are also hoping to add a small outdoor amphitheater on the property, which would be especially useful with the concern since the pandemic.

In the interim, they moved into the second and third floors of the Universi ty Baptist Church in August, where they will be opening their first post-pan demic season in November. This space was originally built as a theatre in 1950, and Playhouse is excited to renovate it so that they can restore its origi

nal purpose but with modern functionality.

“For this space, we really want it to be available to as many people in the community as possible,” says Lara. “My hope is that when we leave it stays a community asset and that another group can step in and use it.”

And while an opening date for the new northeast location has not yet been determined, in the mean time you can expect lots of exciting productions from Austin Playhouse in their final temporary space. Their upcoming four-play season will start with a comedy called “The Play That Goes Wrong” followed by a world premier from a fantastic new playwright, Paula Vogel’s “Indecent,” and finally a musical called “Big Fish.”

“Over the past couple of years, we didn’t have that same connection with our audience, which is what everyone wants from live theatre,” says Lara. “So we built a season that really leans into celebrating that joy of connection and magic of theatre.”

As far as the post-pandemic theatre industry goes, it’s still not the same as before. “In-person attendance isn’t fully back yet, so we’re budgeting a small er subscription base and attendance,” says Lara. “A lot of people are doing shorter runs. I’m hopeful that we grow back. But what I’m finding is that some folks don’t understand how much theatre is still impacted by the pan demic.”

AP still has to regularly test company members, adding expenses and complexity. Masking is still common during rehearsals. And if a member of the cast gets COVID, they can’t perform. In the past few months, there have been several productions that have had to cancel weeks of their run or close early due to positive COVID tests. Some patrons still want fully-masked per formances, so Austin Playhouse is offering a couple of productions in their upcoming seasons where all audience members are required to wear masks. Looking forward, the investment in the new space is one that will contribute more variety to the artistic ecosystem in Austin, encouraging people to return to the theatre in new ways.

“Austin is a town we all know and love,” says Lara. “It’s grown so much, and a lot of the cultural infrastructure hasn’t grown along with it. It’s wild to me that Austin doesn’t have several large regional theatres operating in a town this size. And I think we’re set up in a great position to show folks the benefit of having multiple posts right now. I think that once Austin realizes that we can have a much more vibrant artistic scene and that we’re able to support that, it’s going to make a fantastic impact on people’s lives.”

austinplayhouse.com/building-campaign

Cast of Austin Playhouse’s production of “Shakespeare in Love”

Darvin Jones

Specializing in murals and artistic wall finishes, Darvin Jones has more than 20 years of experience in producing custom work. Working in-depth with each client, Jones takes a personable approach with each client, focusing on everything from inception to actualization, while combining new techniques with traditional craftsmanship.

In your opinion, why are murals important, particularly in a city like Austin?

“They are important due to a host of benefits in cluding, they increase the overall attractiveness of the spaces where they are painted. They ben efit Austin through increasing art in public plac es, community representation and celebration, which carries a lengthy history as an artistic tra dition. In Austin, murals can be very beneficial economically for the local community for busi nesses, government institutions and tourism. They also give Austin another level to its identity in its growth culturally and socioeconomically. For example, it’s great to see Austin grow in its local public art with murals to build its reputa tion as a visual arts city as well as its reputation for having a strong music scene. As well, murals

By Britni Rachal / Portrait by Weston Carls darvinjonesdesigns.com

increase appreciation for the arts, which leads to more support for the local arts.”

What is one of your favorite pieces you’ve worked on?

“Difficult question because there have been so many murals produced over the years. Howev er, a large-scale mural project including multi ple locations on the property for the Mosaic in Mueller. This is due in part to the scale of the main walls (four stories), but mainly because the building was one of the first to be built in Muel ler. It required a lot of moving parts, including getting the board of directors to agree to having such a new contemporary artwork on the build ing, yet it symbolizes a sign of the times with keeping up with the progressive trends happen ing all around Austin.”

What should businesses looking to make a statement or advertise via a mural consider as they enter a creative process?

“That it’s crucial to be clear on what their in tent is in the statement and/or marketing they are wanting to make. With clarity, the process is more focused, relaxed, seamless and enjoyable. However, from my experience, more than half of the work involved is in being able to be a keen listener, play designer and help clients arrive at their desired product.”

basically comes down to the natural progression of evolving as an artist — pushing boundaries of not only artwork but also ways in which cer tain materials are applied and used and to what (design/historical/cultural) aesthetic they are meant to achieve. It’s also a natural evolution as a direct response to the wide variety of work that I do, which spans commercial art, restoration, finishes, decorative painting and contemporary abstract painting, which all have their own sub sets of materials and processes used.

“The experience working with multifaceted projects with different environments, wall sur faces, lighting, shadows and materials began to inform and shape my studio canvas work, and in a circular fashion my contemporary paintings started to inform ways in which to integrate new techniques into architectural features (i.e. wall finishes/murals that encompass more design el ements).”

What sparked your passion for murals specifically?

“The passion initially was that it was lucrative, which then meant I could focus on my studio art without worrying about starving vs. success. Although, as both my studio artwork and mural work began to grow, it only made sense to marry them, which really struck the passion.”

You are known for combining new techniques with traditional craftsmanship. We’d love to hear more about that process.

“The idea of combining traditional or age-old techniques into new processes isn’t anything new; for example, there has been a major resur gence of this topic over the past years, although mainly in craft especially with multicultural transgenerational artists. Although, as far as traditional craftmanship and new techniques, it

Where do you get your own inspiration from and how does that contribute to client pieces?

“I draw inspiration from every facet of life. In spiration comes from a variety of places such as architecture and design, the play of light and shadows, cloud formations, exploration through travel, hiking and spending time in nature. Be sides the quasi-generic response, most of my in spiration comes from meditation and music and also from finding an inner quite while working in the studio — which is where the magic happens.”

“EAST SIDE KING MURAL” BY PEELANDER YELLOW

Austinites should be very familiar with Peelander Yellow. Not only was he one of the members of 1990s Japanese-American punk rock band Peeland er-Z, the colorful artist’s work can be seen all over the city in the form of murals, posters, logos, shirts and more. Born in Hyogo, Japan, and a gradu ate of the Osaka University of Art, his self-expressed goal is to make people happy through his art, which adorns the walls at Google, Facebook, Little Darlin’, Sa-Ten, Thai-Kun and, of course, East Side King.

“I just painted an idea from my brain. He comes from ‘Happpeee Planet’ to make you happy,” Peelander says. “Please feel happy to eat awesome food at East Side King. I’m happy when I see your smiles!” yellooow.wixsite.com/yellow

MURAL MURAL ON THE WALL

EIGHT AUSTIN STREET ARTISTS SHARE THEIR WORK

By Darcie Duttweiler Photos by Brittany Dawn Short

Street art is so much more than just a cute backdrop for your Instagram Reels. Just like any artwork, it imbues the soul and heart of its artist, even if it’s a commissioned piece. From flora to fauna and abstract to realistic, Austin’s streets are full of colorful pieces that add to the vibrancy of our city and speak to the amazing artists whose work graces our walls, power boxes, fences and more. Here are eight murals not to miss and the artists behind them.

“VIRTUAL HIKE” BY SOLEDAD FERNANDEZ-WHITECHURCH

Self-taught artist Soledad Fernan dez-Whitechurch was born in Paraguay and grew up between there, Argentina and the United States. She comes from a long line of painters and sculptors — fun fact: her great-great-great-great grandfather Robert Whitechurch made a very famous engraving of the U.S. Senate in 1850 — and her work typical ly explores the Latin identity. For this piece, commissioned by Michael HSU Office of Architecture for the Bouldin Commons project, she was inspired by local plant life and natural elements that would make the mural seem like it came from the earth as well.

“This mural is my love letter to Texas, and the magical, silent language of earth, rock and mineral,” Fernan dez-Whitechurch says. “Even though you can’t see it with the naked eye, the soil below our feet is in constant trans formation, just like our city.”

artsfw.com

“WHERE THE WILDFLOWERS GROW” BY DAAS

Finished in September, this vibrant, engag ing mural was commissioned by the Down town Austin Alliance Foundation as part of its initiative to transform the 301 Congress outdoor area into a welcoming space. The theme reflects the resiliency through com munity and is meant as an inclusive invite into the outdoor area.

“As an artist, I recognize the importance of artwork in the public sphere that inspires, encourages and uplifts the entire commu nity, inclusive of all ages, backgrounds, genders and sexual orientation,” DAAS says. “My values align with the impactful work that the Downtown Austin Alliance Founda tion is doing, and it’s such an honor to have been chosen to illustrate that on Texas’ main street.”

artist-daas.com

“MOTH” BY BRITTANY JOHNSON

While Brittany Johnson has a degree in oil painting, she learned how to create murals with spray paints in 2018 at graffiti park Hope Outdoor Gallery. This piece was created last fall during a live painting event with Hope Outdoor Gallery for Anis Day and Night. Johnson was inspired by the symbolism of moths, as well as their beautiful colors and patterns. She created this piece with spray paint.

“This piece was a ton of fun to paint,” Johnson says. “Sometimes in art and in life we are too focused on the end result. Enjoy the process and you will enjoy your life.”

brittpaintsalot.com

Jason Eatherly is a jack of all trades. The self-taught fine artist is also a tattooer, muralist and fabricator. He’s well known for his image of the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth wearing a paint mask. In addition to his murals all over town, he displays and sells his art at local galleries Austin Art Garage and AO5 Gallery. Located inside the Headspace Salon & Co-Op in South Austin, the original design for this mural was created way back in 2007 before being commissioned to don the salon’s wall.

“I want women to feel empowered and proud when they see this image,” Eatherly says.  jasone.co

“HEADSPACE SALON MURAL” BY JASON EATHERLY

“YETI LIDS INSTALLATION” BY EMILY EISENHART

The daughter of an artist and anthropol ogist, Emily Eisenhart grew up with a paintbrush in one hand and a field book in the other. Her work is heavily inspired by textures, patterns, shapes and colors around her, and with a formal background in Cultural Anthropology, she weaves research into her inspirations for motif and color palette development. This artwork was commissioned by YETI in partnership with Austin FC in anticipation of the Verde Store opening at Q2 Stadium. The recycled YETI lids were painted with Sherwin-Williams interior paint.

“This mural, painted on recycled YETI cooler lids, tells the dynamic story of soccer and the Austin FC community,” Eisenhart says. “The abstract, energetic shapes are all in motion — a goalie diving for a ball, players on the field, a teammate scoring a goal, fans cheering in the stadium — and set amongst the Austin landscape. My hope for this piece was to breathe new life into recycled YETI gear, transforming the cooler lids into unique canvases that captured the energy of the game, sharing it with fans and passersby as they navigate the Verde Store.” emilyeisenhart.com

“GUERRERA POR LA PAZ” BY ELEANOR NIZ

As the only professional female stencil artist in Austin (and only one of the few largescale female stencil artists in the world), Eleanor Niz’s work is instantly iconic and turns ordinary items, like electric boxes, into city landmarks. She is also a member of Few and Far Women, the largest all-female graf fiti crew in the world. Originally from Lima, Peru, Niz’s art is rooted in Latin American culture, skateboarding, hip hop, and urban life. This piece was commissioned by the SoCo Historic District and was inspired by the Mexican cultural influence in Austin.

“The title translates to ‘warrior for peace,’ and the takeaway is to prioritize peace,” Niz says. “I wanted to encompass cultural diversity, so it is a mix of African American, Mexican, Asian, hippy and music cultures. It also includes the solar plexus chakra, which represents personal power and reaching our full potential.”

“FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK” BY FABIAN REY

Puerto Rican-born art director, photographer and muralist Fabian Rey asked the owner of this building to let him paint the wall for free. Utilizing acrylic house paint for his work, he was inspired by the song “For Those About to Rock’’ by AC/DC.

“The mural is a welcome sign to show respect and admiration to those artists that come to our city to per form live,” Rey says. “The mural is also a celebration of our city’s cultural diversity through live music and art. I want people to feel inspired by the city’s artistic vibe and the fantastic music scene.”

1618 Asian Fusion

By Karen O. Spezia Photos by Holly Cowart

ILOVE IT WHEN I FIND SURPRISING THINGS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

— like the 1618 Asian Fusion restaurant. From the street, you’d never guess that this stylish restaurant was concealed within a generic apart ment complex. But once you find it, it dazzles you with its chic ambiance, creative cuisine and buoyant energy.

Located on the ground floor of the AMLI South Shore just off teeming Riverside Drive, 1618 Asian Fusion is an oasis among the east side conges tion and chaos. A genial host welcomes you into a lovely reception area, complete with ambient fireplace. An illuminated bar runs along the front wall and spills into a sprawling 6,000-square-foot dining room. Although capacious, it feels soothing and welcoming with its minimalist design, cre ating a Zen-like ambiance. Sculpted wood adornments and live greenery reflect a sense of calm and simple elegance. Even the chopsticks and serv ing pieces are given special flourish. It’s an environment that’s fashionable enough for a date night, yet approachable enough for families or groups. For seating, take your pick of booths, tables or benches — or pull up a stool at the inviting bar or grab a spot on the shaded sidewalk. Serving brunch, lunch

A TASTE OF VIETNAMESE, THAI, CHINESE, SINGAPOREAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN FOOD SERVED FUSION STYLE

and dinner, 1618 really kicks into gear on the weekends when it features live music on its intimate stage.  1618 is named after both its address on East Riverside Drive and also the Golden Ratio, a historical number representing balance, har mony, new beginnings and growth. Opened three years ago by husband-and-wife team Kevin Le and Lynn Tran, the restaurant offers a wide-ranging menu of Asian foods inspired by their global travels to Vietnam, Thailand, China, Singa pore and Southeast Asia. The flavors are bright, bold and diverse.

For starters, don’t miss the fried calamari. I know it’s ubiquitous on Asian menus, but trust me, this one’s special: light and crispy and so per fectly seasoned that you don’t need sauce. But the sauce is awesome: a simple citrusy mix of lemon juice and black pepper that takes this dish from great to fabulous. For something you don’t find on every menu, try the grilled lemongrass duck skewers basted in plum sauce or the Banh Trang Da Nang, a spicy Vietnamese-style ‘pizza’ made on grilled rice pa per and topped with pork lardons, scallions, spicy mayo and an egg.

Dim Sum is served daily, with an expanded menu offered on week ends. Daily classics include beef pot stickers, shrimp balls, chicken dump lings and the coveted Xiao Long Bao pork soup dumplings. On week

ends, there are additional items like shrimp har kaw and pan fried pork bao.

For noodle soup lovers, there’s Vietnamese Pho with beef broth and Hu Tieu with pork broth. Pho toppings include filet mignon, brisket, beef ribs and oxtail. Hu Tieu, made with pork-bone broth slow roasted for six hours, can be topped with pork belly, duck or shrimp.

Entrees run the gamut from classic stir-fry to whole Peking duck. There’s Orange Chicken, Pad Thai, numerous curries, Saigon rack of lamb and a spicy Thai pineapple fried rice topped with roast duck and shrimp presented in a hollowed-out pineapple. Seafood en trees really shine with dishes like the Imperial Crispy Redfish, a house specialty, crispy whole red snapper in Thai tamarind sauce, and salm on marinated in sake panang sauce and steamed in banana leaf.

Dessert is a must-have at 1618. There are several options, but go for the Flaming Cheesecake. In dramatic fashion, it’s flambéed tableside with liquor heated in a fancy goblet, then sprinkled with cinnamon that sparkles like fireworks. Served with a scoop of tropical ice cream, it’s a delicious showstopper.

1618 takes its drinks seriously, and you should, too. These works of art taste as good as they look, with many featuring Asian and tropical ingredients. Vintage bar carts circle the dining room, mixing up table side cocktails like a Smoky Old Fashioned. Another signature drink is the Smoke Bubble shot, a mind-blowing cocktail that is easier ex plained on Instagram posts than in this column. It’s a marvel.

Another marvel is the service at 1618. In this new post-COVID era when good customer service is a rarity, 1618 defies the odds and makes every customer feel special. From the seating host to the mixologist to the dining room staff, everyone pitches in to ensure a pleasant expe rience, attending to small but meaningful details like removing chop stick wrappers and refilling water glasses.

1618 Asian Fusion is an ambitious restaurant that delivers on its promise of wonderful food, service and ambiance. Its sleek, loungey vibe makes it a dining pleasure, and obviously others agree: it’s always busy, and a second restaurant is in the works. And for a terrific restau rant like 1618, that isn’t surprising at all.

1618asianfusion.com

ELDORADO CAFE

3300 W. Anderson Ln. | (512) 420 2222

eldoradocafeatx.com

Eldorado Cafe exemplifies old school Austin, resonating the beat of the early 90’s, sending out hot plates of the most decadently delicious and sometimes healthy eating you will find in Austin. Mexican style comfort food with a deep honor towards the historical eateries that have made Austin great. Come see us.

24 DINER

600 N. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 472 5400

Chef Andrew Curren’s casual eatery promises delicious plates 24/7 and a menu featuring nostalgic diner favor ites. Order up the classics, including roasted chicken, burgers, all-day breakfast and decadent milkshakes.

34TH STREET CAFE

1005 W. 34th St. | (512) 371 3400

This neighborhood spot in North Campus serves up soups, salads, pizzas and pastas — but don’t miss the chicken piccata. The low-key setting makes it great for weeknight dinners and weekend indulgences.

ARLO GREY

111 E Cesar Chavez St. | (512) 478 2991

Arlo Grey is the debut restaurant from “Top Chef” 10 winner and “Fast Foodies’’ star Kristen Kish. Found in side the LINE Hotel, the picturesque lakeside spot has received praise for its intentional design and elegant, French-and-Italian-inflected take on Texas ingredients.

ASTI TRATTORIA

408 E. 43rd St. | (512) 451 1218

This chic little Hyde Park trattoria offers essential Italian dishes along with a variety of wines to pair them with. Finish off your meal with the honey-and-goat-cheese panna cotta.

BARLEY SWINE

6555 Burnet Rd., Ste. 400 | (512) 394 8150

James Beard Award–nominated chef Bryce Gilmore encourages sharing with small plates made from locally sourced ingredients, served at communal tables. Try the parsley croissants with bone marrow or Gilmore’s unique take on fried chicken.

BLUE DAHLIA BISTRO

3663 Bee Cave Rd. | (512) 306 1668

A cozy French bistro serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual setting. Pop in for the happy hour to share a bottle of your favorite wine and a charcuterie board.

BUFALINA & BUFALINA DUE

6555 Burnet Rd. | (512) 215 8662

This intimate restaurant serves up mouth-watering pizzas, consistently baked with crispy edges and soft centers. The famous Neapolitan technique is executed by the Stefano Ferrara wood-burning ovens, which runs at more than 900 degrees. Lactose-intolerants beware, there is no shortage of cheese on this menu!

CAFÉ NO SÉ

1603 S. Congress Ave. | (512) 942 2061

South Congress Hotel’s Café No Sé balances rustic décor and a range of seasonal foods to make it the best place for weekend brunching. The restaurant’s spin on the classic avocado toast is a must-try.

CARVE AMERICAN GRILLE

7415 Southwest Pkwy. | (512) 792 4450

Whether it’s a date night dinner, a casual Friday lunch, or weekend family brunch, visit this amazingly mod ern-rustic dining room complete with a vibrant bar and patio with hill country views. Everything about CARVE is inspired by fresh and eclectic ingredients, with every dish reinventing the American grille experience.

CICLO

98 San Jacinto Blvd. | (512) 685 8300

Ciclo is a modern Texas kitchen featuring locally inspired flavors and ingredients with a Latin influence, brought to life by world-renowned restaurateur, Richard Sandoval. Ciclo’s name reflects its focus on menu offerings that change seasonally from ceviches, crudos and grilled and smoked meats to inventive cocktails.

CLARK’S OYSTER BAR

1200 W. 6th St. | (512) 297 2413

Small and always buzzing, Clark’s extensive caviar and oyster menu, sharp aesthetics and excellent service make it a refreshing indulgence on West Sixth Street. Chef Larry McGuire brings East Coast-inspired vibes to this seafood restaurant.

COMEDOR

501 Colorado St. | (512) 499 0977

Hiding in plain sight on one of downtown’s busiest street corners, Comedor is a restaurant full of surprises. Lauded chef Philip Speer delivers a menu that is equally clever and unexpected, with contemporary cuisine riffs on Mexican culinary traditions.

EASY TIGER

3508 S. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 964 8229

6406 N I-35 Frontage Rd., Ste. 1100 | (512) 494 4151

1501 E. 7th St. | (512) 839 8523

Easy Tiger lures in both drink and food enthusiasts with a delicious bakeshop upstairs and a casual beer garden downstairs. Sip on some local brew and grab a hot, fresh pretzel. Complete your snack with beer, cheese and an array of dipping sauces.

EL ALMA

1025 Barton Springs Rd. | (512) 609 8923

El Alma’s menu is a vibrant take on the contemporary flavors of Mexico, that also features local ingredients like redfish, lamb, and texas quail. Chef Alma Alcocer-Thom as approaches the food as if you were a guest dining in her own home.

ÉPICERIE

2307 Hancock Dr. | (512) 371 6840

A café and grocery with both Louisiana and French sen sibilities by Thomas Keller–trained chef Sarah McIntosh. Lovers of brunch are encouraged to stop in here for a bite on Sundays.

FONDA SAN MIGUEL

2330 W. N Loop Blvd. | (512) 459 4121

At Fonda San Miguel, authentic interior Mexican food is lovingly served inside a colorful hacienda-style restau rant. The art-adorned walls and indoor, plant-filled courtyard provide a pleasant escape in North Austin.

FOREIGN & DOMESTIC

306 E. 53rd St. | (512) 459 1010

Small neighborhood restaurant in the North Loop area serving unique dishes. Chefs-owners Sarah Heard and Nathan Lemley serve thoughtful, locally sourced food with an international twist at reasonable prices. Go early on Tuesdays for $1 oysters.

GOODALL’S KITCHEN AND BAR

1900 Rio Grande St. | (512) 495 1800

Housed in the beautiful Hotel Ella, Goodall’s provides modern spins on American classics. Dig into a fried-mor tadella egg sandwich and pair it a with cranberry-thyme cocktail.

GRIZZELDA’S

105 Tillery St. | (512) 366 5908

This charming East Austin spot lies somewhere between traditional Tex-Mex and regional Mexican recipes, each fused with a range of flavors and styles. The attention to detail in each dish shines and the tortillas are made inhouse daily.

HANK’S

5811 Berkman Dr. | (512) 609 8077

Delicious food and drinks, an easygoing waitstaff and a kid-friendly patio all work together to make Hank’s a favorite neighborhood joint. With happy hour every day from 3-6:30, the hardest task will be choosing between their frosé and frozen paloma.

HILLSIDE FARMACY

1209 E. 11th St. | (512) 628 0168

Hillside Farmacy is located in a beautifully restored 1950s-style pharmacy with a lovely porch on the East Side. Oysters, cheese plates and nightly dinner specials are whipped up by chef Sonya Cote.

HONEY MOON SPIRIT LOUNGE

624 W. 34th St. | (737) 209 0319

Vintage-chic hot spot with ample outdoor seating turn ing out imaginative cocktails and global mains.

HOPFIELDS

3110 Guadalupe St. | (512) 537 0467

A gastropub with French inclinations, offering a beauti ful patio and unique cocktails. The beer, wine and cock tail options are plentiful and the perfect pairing for the restaurant’s famed steak frites and moules frites.

JEFFREY’S

1204 W. Lynn St. | (512) 477 5584

Named one of Bon Appétit’s “10 Best New Restaurants in America,” this historic Clarksville favorite has maintained the execution, top-notch service, and luxurious but wel coming atmosphere that makes it an Austin staple.

JOANN’S FINE FOODS

1224 S. Congress Ave. | (512) 358 6054

A South Congress neighborhood spot, a new take on the American diner, and a vacation for locals and tourists alike. Open early and late at the Austin Motel, Joann’s is a welcome respite for early birds and night owls, outlaws and in-laws, all ways always.

THE GARDEN

Georgetown: 1500 Rivery Blvd Suite 2175 Bee Cave: 12432 Bee Caves Rd

South Austin: 3403 S Lamar Blvd (512) 230-2038

Inspired by The North End in Boston, The Garden strives to bring an authentic Italian seafood experience to the Austin area. Carefully curated by chef Tim Lane, our seasonal menu features only the freshest ingredients with lobster flown in from the Northeast and herbs picked from our garden. From bites + beer to full entrees and a variety of wine and craft cocktails, we have something for everyone. Join us at any of our three locations for brunch, lunch + dinner!

GUSTO ITALIAN KITCHEN + WINE BAR

4800 Burnet Rd. | (512) 458 1100 gustoitaliankitchen.com

Nestled in the Rosedale neighborhood of northcentral Austin, Gusto captures the warm, comforting, every-day flavors of Italian cuisine. Dishes range from housemade antipasti to handformed pizzas, salads, panini, fresh pasta, entrees featuring Texas farm-raised meats and scratch desserts. Craft cocktails, beer on tap and boutique wines. Open for lunch, happy hour and dinner.

JUNIPER

2400 E Cesar Chavez St. #304 | (512) 220 9421

Uchi Alumni Chef Nicholas Yanes fuses central Texas influences and local farm produce with Italian fare. Start with puffy potatoes and the Chef’s Brand New Cadillac Negroni.

JUSTINE’S BRASSERIE

4710 E. 5th St. | (512) 385 2900

Justine’s is a quaint French brasserie deep in East Austin. Don’t let the short drive deter you — the experience of eating traditional French plates among exquisite works of art and decorative string lights makes for one idyllic evening with a significant other.

KEMURI TATSU-YA

2713 E. 2nd St. | (512) 803 2224

Kemuri Tatsu-Ya is a Japanese-Texan mash-up that in jects seriously good food with a sense of humor. The East Austin joint features Asian-inspired smoked meats and seafood, along with yakitori, ramen, and izakaya classics meant for sharing. Drinks are also an integral part of the meal, so come thirsty.

LE VACHER

136 Drifting Wind Run, Suite 101, Dripping Springs, TX (512) 337 6977

Head chef Jacob Euler imparts a sense of culinary heri tage with a creative twist, focusing on cuisine inspired by French technique and artfully prepared local ingredients. The scenic Dripping Springs landscape, a familial tiethat-binds, creates the perfect backdrop for an evening of fantastic food and revelry.

LENOIR

1807 S. 1st St. | (512) 215 9778

A gorgeous spot to enjoy a luxurious French-inspired prix fixe meal. Almost every ingredient served at Lenoir comes locally sourced from Central Texas, making the unique, seasonal specialties even more enjoyable. Sit in the wine garden for happy hour and enjoy bottles from the top wine-producing regions in the world.

LIN ASIAN BAR + DIM SUM

1203 W. 6th St. | (512) 474 5107

JOSEPHINE HOUSE

1601 Waterston Ave. | (512) 477 5584

Rustic Continental fare with an emphasis on fresh, local and organic ingredients. Like its sister restaurant, Jef frey’s, Josephine House is another one of Bon Appétit’s “10 Best New Restaurants in America.” Find a shady spot on the patio and indulge in fresh baked pastries and a coffee.

JUNE’S ALL DAY

1722 S. Congress Ave. | (512) 416 1722

This wine-focused restaurant is complemented by seri ous cocktails and a menu of approachable bistro favor ites. Inspired by Paris cafes, Spanish tapas bodegas and urban wine bars, June’s encourages sipping, noshing and lingering.

LA BARBECUE

22401 E Cesar Chavez St. | (512) 605 9696

Though it may not be as famous as that other Austin barbecue joint, La Barbecue is arguably just as delicious. This trailer, which is owned by the legendary Mueller family, serves up classic barbecue with free beer and live music.

LAS PALOMAS

3201 Bee Cave Rd. #122 | (512) 327 9889

One of the hidden jewels in Westlake, this unique restau rant and bar offers authentic interior Mexican cuisine in a sophisticated yet relaxed setting. Enjoy family recipes made with fresh ingredients. Don’t miss the margaritas.

Located in a vintage West Sixth Street bungalow, Chef Ling and her team create sophisticated Chinese dishes that draw enthusiastic crowds day and night. Make sure to stop by during weekend brunch to taste the full mouthwatering dim sum menu.

LICHA’S CANTINA

1306 E. 6th St. | (512) 480 5960

Located in the heart of East 6th, Licha’s is a quick trip to the interior of Mexico. With masa made fresh in house and a large range of tequilas and mezcal, Licha’s Cantina is a celebration of authentic Mexican cuisine. The music, food and ambiance will get you ready for a night out on the town.

LORO

2115 S. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 916 4858

Created by James Beard Award winners Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin, this Asian smokehouse is a welcome addition to South Lamar. The expansive indoor-outdoor space, designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, is welcoming and open, and unsurprisingly the food does not disappoint. Don’t miss out on the sweet corn fritters, smoked beef brisket, thai green curry or those potent boozy slushies.

MATTIE’S

811 W. Live Oak St. | (512) 444 1888

Mattie’s is a glorious urban paradise offering upscale American classics. While the cocktails are top-notch and the cuisine is nothing short of outstanding, Mattie’s am biance and atmosphere are unmatched.

NIXTA TAQUERIA

2512 E. 12th St.

The brainchild of James Beard-nominated chef Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi, this East Austin gem has garnered national acclaim and in 2020 was named one of the best new restaurants by Food & Wine magazine. Nixta’s artfully-crafted tacos are unlike any other and made with wildly creative ingredients — but the Mexican heritage corn tortillas are truly the star.

ODD DUCK

1201 S Lamar Blvd. | (512) 433 6521

Famed food trailer turned brick-and-mortar, Odd Duck is the first venture from acclaimed chef Bryce Gilmore. Expect seasonal fare and drinks with a strong Texas in fluence sourced locally whenever possible.

MARYE’S GOURMET PIZZA PUB

3663 Bee Cave Rd. #4G (512) 327-5222

Marye’s Gourmet Pizza, a West Lake Hills favorite for over 25 years, serves gourmet pizza, fresh salads, classic sandwiches and more all made from scratch in our kitchen using the best ingredients we can source. We offer a large selection of gf and vegan options. Enjoy crave-worthy food, craft beer and boutique wines in our casual and inviting dining room.

PARKSIDE

301 E. 6th St. | (512) 474 9898

Patrons flock to this downtown hideaway for its wide selection of oysters and other modern-American special ties. The 6th Street locale is filled with industrial details and plenty of natural light, so it’s no wonder that reser vations are often necessary to get a table in the inviting space.

THE PEACHED TORTILLA

5520 Burnet Rd. #100 | (512) 330 4439

This cheerful spot is sure to clear your weekly blues with friendly staff, fun food and a playful atmosphere. Afford ably priced, you’ll find culinary influences from around the world with a healthy dose of Asian and Southern options.

PICNIK

4801 Burnet Rd. | (737) 226 0644

1700 S. Lamar Blvd. | (512) 293-6118

A perfect place to find wholesome food for any type of dietary restriction in a bright and airy setting. This place truly lives out the “good and good for you” concept with paleo-friendly options and thoughtfully sourced ingre dients.

POOL BURGER

2315 Lake Austin Blvd. | (512) 334 9747

Tiki meets Texas in this neighborhood burger bar. Locat ed behind Deep Eddy Cabaret, crunchy crinkle-cut fries and juicy burgers are served from the window of a 1968 Airstream Land Yacht.

QI AUSTIN

835 W 6th St. #114 | (512) 474 2777

Created by visionary chef Ling Qi Wu, also the owner of the esteemed Lin Asian Bar, Qi Austin dazzles with its top-notch Chinese cuisine and vibrant artwork. Located in Shoal Creek Walk, Qi Austin is a restaurant that pleas es the eye as well as the stomach.

RED ASH ITALIA

303 Colorado St. #200 | (512) 379 2906

Red Ash Italia strikes the perfect balance between high-quality food and enticing ambiance. This Italian steakhouse is led by an all-star team, including executive chef John Carver. Sit back, relax and enjoy an exceptional evening.

ROSEWOOD GULF COAST CHOP HOUSE

1209 Rosewood Ave. | (512) 838 6205

Housed in a historic East Side cottage, this spot is quickly becoming a staple. Chef Jesse DeLeon pays outstanding homage to his South Texas roots with seasonal offerings from Gulf Coast fishermen and Hill Country farmers and ranchers.

WATERLOO ICE HOUSE

Escarpment Boulevard: 9600 Escarpment Blvd. | (512) 301 1007 Burnet Road: 8600 Burnet Rd. | (512) 458 6544 360 & 2222: 6203 N Capital of Texas Hwy. | (512) 418 9700

Southpark Meadows: 9600 S IH 35 Frontage Rd | (512) 292 7900

waterlooicehouse.com

Waterloo Ice House is an Austin original restaurant, serving up scratch-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner options as well as Insta-worthy drinks for friends, families, and couples alike since 1976. Come see how we keep Austin’s good vibes alive at one of our four locations. Waterloo Ice House; where neighbors become friends!

SAMMIE’S ITALIAN

807 W. 6th St. | (512) 474 2054

A member of the MML Hospitality family, Sammie’s will not only transport you to another place — but also to another era. The ritzy joint features a throwback menu of Italian-American favorites, completely transforming the former Hut’s Hamburgers space. Start with a well-made cocktail as you nibble on the complimentary bread bas ket filled with homemade focaccia and bread sticks.

SUERTE

1800 E. 6th St. | (512) 953 0092

Helmed by executive chef Fermín Núñez, Suerte was inspired by extensive travels through Central Mexico. Ar tisanal masa is the highlight, made from local heirloom corn and used in distinctive dishes rarely found on Aus tin menus. Order the delectable Suadero Tacos, perfect for sharing with friends.

THAI FRESH

909 W. Mary St. | (512) 494 6436

A restaurant, cooking school and market all in one place.

When you’re done dining on traditional Thai favorites, stop by the adjoining coffee bar for freshly brewed joe, homemade ice cream and an array of baked goods.

THE WELL

440 W. 2nd St. | (737) 742 1129

The Well blends top-tier nutrition, local and sustainable farming, and authentic flavors for a breakthrough culi nary experience that redefines healthy food in Downtown Austin.

TINY BOXWOODS

1503 W. 35th St. | (512) 220 0698

This Houston-based brand now serves its simple and de licious food in Austin’s Bryker Woods neighborhood. Fa vorites include house-ground burgers, salmon Provencal salad and their chocolate chip cookies.

TILLIE’S

3509 Creek Rd. Dripping Springs, TX | (512) 894 2633

Through its breathtaking architecture and innovative menu, Tillie’s lives the American Nouveau concept. The restaurant’s building, a repurposed town hall from the Ninh Binh region of Vietnam, is the physical embodi ment of a dining experience that takes inspiration from history and cultures. Tillie’s culinary journey is inspired by traditional American cuisine, but with an internation al flair.

TRUE FOOD KITCHEN

222 West Ave. | (512) 777 2430 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 100 | (512) 992-0685

Inspired by Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet, True Food Kitchen combines decadent favorites with health-conscious eating. The restaurant, located in downtown’s Seaholm district, offers a full range of vege tarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

UCHIKO

4200 N. Lamar Blvd. Ste. 140 | (512) 916 4808

The sensational sister creation of Uchi and former home of Top Chef Paul Qui and renowned chefs Page Presley and Nicholas Yanes, Uchiko is an Austin icon that every one should visit at least once. Try the bacon tataki.

VIXEN’S WEDDING

1813 E. 6th St. Ste. A | (737) 242 7555

Vixen’s Wedding is a charming space creating something truly unique. Helmed by culinary super-couple Todd Du plechan and Jessica Maher, the restaurant specializes in Goan cuisine, a cultural mash-up of bright and complex flavors.

WU CHOW

500 W. 5th St., #168 | (512) 476 2469

From the curators of Swift’s Attic, Wu Chow is expanding Austin’s cuisine offerings with traditional Chinese dishes sourced from local purveyors and farmers. Don’t miss the weekend dim sum menu.

SUSHI

PHOTO

BY JESSICA ATTIE

Uchiko

EIGHT FEMALE ARTISTS PRESENT THEIR IMAGINATIVE AND IMPACTFUL WORKS AT THE DOWNTOWN MUSEUM

By Meher Qazilbash

THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN - JONES CENTER IS HOSTing a magnetic exhibition titled “IN A DREAM YOU SAW A WAY TO SURVIVE AND YOU WERE FULL OF JOY,” showing through February, 2023.

The name comes from a work by provocative feminist artist Jenny Hol zer, which sets the tone for the themes of the exhibit. The compelling show reflects on critical issues and power dynamics underpinning our society today, while also offering an optimistic outlook towards the future and its possibilities.

This group exhibition features female artists Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley,

Adriana Corral, Ellie Ga, Juliana Huxtable, Tala Madani, Danielle Mck inney, Wendy Red Star and Clare Rojas. Each creator challenges cultural norms while possessing their own unique vision, resulting in a wide array of perspectives and mediums including paintings, sculptures, photography and more. The display of intellectually stimulating and visually magnificent pieces are sure to move visitors.

“Today as much as ever, our society needs artists to stimulate dialogue,” says curator Robin K. Williams. “Narrative analysis and the craft of storytell ing offer powerful tools to identify and reshape the structures of discourse.” thecontemporaryaustin.org

“IN A DREAM YOU SAW A WAY TO SURVIVE AND YOU WERE FULL OF JOY” Showing at The Contemporary

MUSIC

GINUWINE

November 5

ACL Live at the Moody Theater

KING PRINCESS November 5 Emo’s Austin

MOBLEY IN-STORE PERFORMANCE November 6 Waterloo Records

AWOLNATION  November 6 Stubb’s Amphitheater

HOOBASTANK & LIT November 8 Haute Spot

MIDNIGHT SNACK November 9 Pershing

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD November 11 Paramount Theatre

GREYSON CHANCE November 11 Parish

VOXTROT November 11 & 12 Mohawk

SONGS IN THE SKYSPACE: NOTEWORTHY A CAPPELLA November 13 James Turrell’s Skyspace

KODAK BLACK November 13 Moody Center

GOO GOO DOLLS November 14 ACL Live at the Moody Theater

MEECHY DARKO November 14 Emo’s Austin

MATT MAESON November 15 Stubb’s Amphitheater

ANGELA STREHLI  November 15 & 16 Antone’s Nightclub

JARON MARSHALL + THE COLLECTIVE November 16 Pershing

DOMINIC FIKE November 16 Stubb’s Amphitheater

THE 1975 November 17 Moody Center

ODDISEE & GOOD COMPNY November 17 Mohawk

ASO: MASTERS OF MUSIC November 18 & 19 Long Center

CORY WONG November 19 Stubb’s Amphitheater

GRUPO FIRMA November 20 Moody Center

DEADMAU5 November 20 ACL Live at the Moody Theater

HERMANOS GUTIÉRREZ  November 22 Antone’s Nightclub

NGHTMRE November 25 Emo’s Austin

POSTMODERN JUKEBOX November 26 Paramount Theatre

BLU DETIGER November 25 Scoot Inn

THE BAND OF HEATHENS November 27

Antone’s Nightclub

AFI November 28 Emo’s Austin

MEN I TRUST November 29 Emo’s Austin

KASE 101 ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS November 30 Haute Spot

ELVIS COSTELLO + FRIENDS December 2 ACL Live at the Moody Theater

DAYGLOW December 2 & 3 Stubb’s Amphitheater

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS December 3 Paramount Theatre

SONGS IN THE SKYSPACE

PHOTO BY

LAWRENCE PEART. DAYGLOW

PHOTO BY BRYAN C. PARKER.

FILM

QUENTIN TARANTINO BOOK TOUR  November 12 Paramount Theatre

CLERKS III W/ Q&A November 14 Paramount Theatre

MOVIES IN THE PARK: SOUL November 18 Mueller Lake Park

SUSPIRIA SCREENING W/ LIVE SCORE  November 22 Paramount Theatre

THEATER CHICAGO November 1 – 6 Bass Concert Hall

WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE  November 4 – 13 Neill-Cochran House Museum

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

November 5, 10 & 13 Long Center

JANE AUSTEN’S SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

November 11 – 27 Long Center

THE WAY OF WATER November 17 – 19 Waterloo Park

THE (ONE-ACT) PLAY THAT GOES WRONG November 18 – December 18 Austin Playhouse

RUDOLPH THE REDNOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL November 20 Bass Concert Hall ALASKA November 26 & 28 3TEN at ACL Live

JUNIE B. JONES IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS November 26 – December 18 Austin Scottish Rite Theater

COMEDY

CHRIS ROCK November 8 Moody Center

MICHELLE WOLF  November 9 & 10 The Creek & the Cave

ONE LOVE STAND-UP COMEDY SHOW November 10 Pershing

JEN FULWILER November 12 Paramount Theatre

DANIEL HOWELL November 15 ACL Live at the Moody Theater

ROBYN SCHALL November 16 Cap City Comedy Club

SHANE TORRES November 17 The Creek & the Cave

MARGARET CHO November 17 – 19 Cap City Comedy Club

JIMMY O. YANG November 18  Paramount Theatre

WILLIE BARCENA November 18 & 19 Vulcan Gas Company

DEMETRI MARTIN November 18 – 20 Paramount Theatre

BRENT PELLA November 20 Cap City Comedy Club NIGEL NG November 20 Paramount Theatre

GODFREY November 25 – 27 Cap City Comedy Club

THANKSGIVING COMEDY EXPLOSION November 26 Moody Center

SANDRA BERNHARD  December 4 Long Center

OTHER

LUCKY ROBOT’S WINTER INSTALLATION Through November 12 Lucky Robot

AVAFEST 2022 Through November 13 Multiple Locations

CHICAGO

PHOTO BY

JEREMY DANIEL.

AUSTIN FOOD + WINE

FEST

November 4 – 6

Auditorium Shores & Republic Square Park

WURSTFEST

November 4 – 13

New Braunfels, TX

TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL

November 5 & 6

Texas State Capitol Grounds

AUSTIN CELTIC FESTIVAL 2022 November 5 & 6 Pioneer Farms

FOSSIL FEST

November 5 & 6

Old Settler’s Heritage Association

RUN FOR THE WATER November 6 Downtown Austin

TEXAS CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN

November 9

Austin Convention Center

AUSTIN FASHION WEEK

November 11 – 13 The Domain

ELECTRIFY EXPO

November 11 – 13

Circuit of the Americas

FIELD GUIDE FESTIVAL

November 12

Fiesta Gardens

AUSTIN POWWOW

November 12

Travis County Expo Center

FITNESS IN THE PARK: KICKBOXING

November 12

Metz Neighborhood Park

THE FRONT MARKET FALL SEASON

November 12 – December 3

Ani’s Day and Night

AUSTIN MAC & CHEESE FEST November 13 7415 Southwest Pkwy.

A CHRISTMAS AFFAIR 2022: NIGHT OF THE NUTCRACKER

November 16 – 20 Palmer Events Center

A CHRISTMAS AFFAIR 2022 November 16 – 21 Palmer Events Center

BLUE GENIE ART BAZAAR

November 18 – November 24 Blue Genie Art Bazaar

TEXAS HEMP HARVEST FESTIVAL November 19 DIstribution Hall

A CONVERSATION W/ NIGELLA LAWSON November 22 Long Center

THUNDERCLOUD SUBS TURKEY TROT November 24 Long Center

PEPPERMINT PARKWAY November 25 – December 30 Circuit of the Americas

CITY-WIDE VINTAGE SALE November 26 & 27 Palmer Events Center

RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR November 26 & 27 Fair Market

MINI MARKET  December 4 Distribution Hall

Arts

KEVIN GREENBLAT: 20 YEAR LOOK

Through November 19 Davis Gallery

NUESTRA COMUNIDAD/OUR COMMUNITY: MEMORY & REMEMBRANCE OFRENDA  Through November 20 Mexic-Arte Museum

ELLSWORTH KELLY: POSTCARDS Through November 27 Blanton Museum

THE SACRED SPRINGS KITE EXHIBITION Through November 30 Central Library Gallery

ADRIAN ARMSTRONG: BLACK OWNED Through December 3 Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking

NJIDEKA AKUNYILI CROSBY Through December 4 Blanton Museum of Art

THE LINE RESIDENCY: KEVIN MUÑOZ Through December 4 The Line Hotel

EL OTRO LADO Through December 10 Visual Arts Center

VIRGINIA FLECK: SHIMMER

November 3 – December 3 Northern-Southern

TRAVIS HEIGHTS ART TRAIL

November 5 & 6 Travis Heights

AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR November 5 – 20 Multiple Locations

ELLEN HECK: CORNUCOPIA November 5 – 27 Wally Workman Gallery

FILM SCREENING W/ MELVIN EDWARDS November 10 Art Galleries at Black Studies

LEE ALBERT HILL

November 10 – December 10 Camiba Gallery

CREEK SHOW 2022 November 11 – 20 Waller Creek

GARY WEBERNICK: TRUE STORIES & DIVINE ACCIDENTS  November 12 – December 23 Lydia Street Gallery

PHIL PETERS: THE PERMIAN RECORDINGS

November 12 – January 21 Co-Lab Projects

MAKERS MEET-UP November 20 Art Spark Texas

Art SPACES

MUSEUMS

BLANTON MUSEUM OF ART

200 E. MLK Jr. Blvd. (512) 471 5482

Hours: Tu–F 10 5, Sa 11 5, Su 1 5 blantonmuseum.org

THE BULLOCK TEXAS STATE HISTORY MUSEUM

1800 Congress Ave. ( 512) 936 8746

Hours: M–Sa 9 5, Su 12 5 thestoryoftexas.com

THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN–JONES CENTER

700 Congress Ave. ( 512) 453 5312

Hours: W 12 11, Th–Sa 12 9, Su 12 5 thecontemporaryaustin.org

THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN–LAGUNA GLORIA 3809 W. 35 th St. ( 512) 458 8191

Driscoll Villa hours: Tu–W 12 4, Th–Su 10 4

Grounds hours: M–Sa 9 5, Su 10 5 thecontemporaryaustin.org

ELISABET NEY MUSEUM

304 E. 44 th St. (512) 974 1625

Hours: W–Su 12–5 austintexas.gov/department/ elisabet-ney-museum

FRENCH LEGATION MUSEUM

802 San Marcos St. (512) 463 7948

Hours: Tu–Su 1 5 frenchlegationmuseum.org

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM 1165 Angelina St.

( 512) 974 4926

Hours: M–W 10–6, Th 10–9, F 10–6, Sa 10–4 ci.austin.tx.us/carver

HARRY RANSOM CENTER

300 W. 21st St. ( 512) 471 8944

Hours: Tu–W 10 5, Th 10 7, F 10 5, Sa–Su 12 5 hrc.utexas.edu

LBJ LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 2313 Red River St. ( 512) 721 0200 Hours: M–Su 9 5 lbjlibrary.org

MEXIC–ARTE MUSEUM 419 Congress Ave. ( 512) 480 9373

Hours: M–Th 10 6, F–Sat 10 5, Su 12 5 mexic–artemuseum.org

O. HENRY MUSEUM 409 E. 5th St. (512) 974 1398

Hours: W–Su 12 5

THINKERY AUSTIN 1830 Simond Ave. (512) 469 6200

Hours: Tu–F 10 5, Sa–Su 10 6 thinkeryaustin.org

UMLAUF SCULPTURE GARDEN & MUSEUM 605 Azie Morton Rd. ( 512) 445 5582

Hours: Tu–F 10–4, Sa–Su 12–4 umlaufsculpture.org

GALLERIES

ADAMS GALLERIES OF AUSTIN

1310 RR 620 S. Ste C4 (512) 243 7429

Hours: M–F 10–6, Su 10-2 adamsgalleriesaustin.com

AO5 GALLERY

10000 Research Blvd., Ste. 118 ( 512) 481 1111

Hours: M–Sa 10 6 ao5gallery.com

ART FOR THE PEOPLE 1711 S. 1st St. ( 512) 761 4708

Hours: Tu–Th 11 6, F-S u 11 7 artforthepeoplegallery.com

ARTUS CO.

10000 Research Blvd., Ste. 141 (512) 761 6484

Hours: M–Su 12–6 artusco.com

ARTWORKS GALLERY 1214 W. 6 th St. ( 512) 472 1550

Hours: M–F 10 5, S a 10–4 artworksaustin.com

ATELIER 1205 1205 E. Cesar Chavez St. (512) 434 9046

Hours: Tu-F 11-4 atelier1205.com

AUSTIN ART GARAGE 2200 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. J (512) 351 5934

Hours: Tu–Su 11–6 austinartgarage.com

AUSTIN ARTSPACE 7739 Northcross Dr., Ste. Q (512) 763 0646

Hours: F-Sa 11–5 austinartspace.com

AUSTIN GALLERIES

5804 Lookout Mountain Dr. ( 512) 495 9363

By appointment only austingalleries.com

BIG MEDIUM GALLERY 916 Springdale Rd., Bldg. 2 (512) 939 6665

Hours: Tu–Sa 12 6 bigmedium.org

CAMIBA GALLERY 6448 Hwy 290 East, Ste. A102 (512) 937 5921

Hours: F-Sa 12–6 camibaart.com

CENTRAL LIBRARY GALLERY 710 W. Cesar Chavez St. (512) 974 7400

Hours: M-Th 10-9, F-Sa 10-6, Su 12-6 library.austintexas.gov/ central/gallery

CHRISTIAN-GREEN GALLERY 201 E. 21st St. (512) 471 0254

Hours: W- F 12-5, S a 11-2 galleriesatut.org

CLOUD TREE STUDIOS & GALLERY 3411 E. 5th St. (512) 797 8852

By appointment only cloudtreestudiosandgallery.com

CO-LAB PROJECTS 5419 Glissman Rd. ( 512) 300 8217 By event and appointment only co-labprojects.org

CONTRACOMMON 12912 Hill Country Blvd. #F-140

Hours: M–F By appointment only Sa–Su 12-6 contracommon.org

DAVIS GALLERY

837 W. 12th St. ( 512) 477 4929

Hours: M–F 10 6, Sa 10 4 davisgalleryaustin.com

DIMENSION GALLERY

SCULPTURE AND 3D ART 979 Springdale Rd., Ste. 99 ( 512) 479 9941

Hours: Th-Sa 10–6 dimensiongallery.org

DOUGHERTY ARTS CENTER 1110 Barton Springs Rd. ( 512) 974 4000

Hours: M-Th 10–10, F 10–6, Sa 10–4 austintexas.gov/department/ dougherty-arts-center

FLATBED CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY PRINTMAKING 3701 D rossett Dr. ( 512) 477 9328

Hours: W–F 10 5, S a 12–5 flatbedpress.com

FLUENT COLLABORATIVE 502 W. 33rd St. ( 512) 453 3199 By appointment only fluentcollab.org

GRAYDUCK GALLERY 2213 E. Cesar Chavez St. ( 512) 826 5334

Hours: Th–Sa 11 6, Su 12 5 grayduckgallery.com

ICOSA COLLECTIVE 916 Springdale Rd. #102 ( 512) 920 2062 Hours: F–Sa 12 6 icosacollective.com

IVESTER CONTEMPORARY 916 Springdale Rd. Bldg 2, ste. 107 (737) 209 0379

Hours: Tu–F 10-6, Sa 10-4 ivestercontemporary.com