| Austin, Texas isn’t just about music anymore. Today, one can find a vibrant downtown visual arts community and film industry backed by big names like Quentin Tarantino, and Austin natives, Robert Rodriguez, and Richard Linklater. Major museums and contemporary art centers are revamping their spaces and galleries are growing in numbers. Major expansions are being financed for Arthouse, at the Jones Center, and the Austin Museum of Art, both presently residing on Congress Street. Arthouse’s curatorial program is thinking outside the box with a long history of independence and innovation. |  |
Justin Brunelle is an artist living in Brooklyn, NY and Austin, TX.
Malcolm R. Bucknall, My Country Cousin and I, 2007. Oil on wood panel, 8 x 10 inches.Austin, Texas isn’t just about music anymore. Today, one can find a vibrant downtown visual arts community and film industry backed by big names like Quentin Tarantino, and Austin natives, Robert Rodriguez, and Richard Linklater. Major museums and contemporary art centers are revamping their spaces and galleries are growing in numbers.
The Blanton Museum of Arts, located at the University of Texas, will be the largest university museum when the second part of its construction is completed later this year. The museum staff offers a fine array of public programs, lectures, and community events that helps foster the museum experience. The Harry Ransom Center, also located on campus, is a humanities research center and museum with over 36 million leaves of manuscripts, one million rare books, five million photographs, and 100,000 works of art.
Major expansions are being financed for Arthouse, at the Jones Center, and the Austin Museum of Art, both presently residing on Congress Street. Arthouse’s curatorial program is thinking outside the box with a long history of independence and innovation. Recent exhibitions include e-flux Video Rental and Fritz Haeg’s, Attack on the Front Lawn. Arthouse’s biennial, Texas Art Prize, and AMoA’s triennial, Twenty to Watch, both support the careers of local talent through touring exhibitions.
Austin’s galleries can be found in different sectors of the city. Operating near the Blanton, Women and Their Work and d berman gallery offer challenging work and friendly, informative gallery directors. Be sure to catch Reality Show, curated by Jill Pangallo, June 26-August 2 at Women and their Work. Uptown, Lora Reynolds is making a name as an international power broker in the art world.
Downtown, Arturo Palacio, owner of Art Palace (a play on his name) is running a smart program in his converted bungalow on 2109 Cesar Chavez, where Lone Star beers flow at well-attended artist talks and openings. Not far away, at Okay Mountain, art gets funky with the young and the brightest providing a sense of groove.
The roots in any art scene are the artists themselves. The well-orchestrated weekend event that is the East Austin Art Tour in November is the best way to get connected when over 100 artists open their studios to the public. I was pleased to see strong original talent living and working in Austin. Sergio “Matus” Rodriguez’ intense abstract expressionist paintings revealed a confidant, mature, style. Nearby, Sarah Stevens transformed her barn-like space into a funhouse, weaving her repetitions on a theme into a marvelous fairy tale. Grab a bike (provided for free) and pedal around, this arts tour is well worth it.
One interesting note to add is the pervasive sense of humor everyone seems to share in Austin. In the land where football is king and cheerleading is practically a doctoral program, my guess is that the Austin artist develops a little tongue-in-cheek to remain the maverick.
