Dedication of Every Place a History - Austin Art In Public Places' newest sculpture to be dedicated on 11/12/11

We invite you to come to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Animal Services Center on its first day of operations.

Saturday, 11/12/11
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
7201 Levander Loop

We will hold a short dedication of Brad Goldberg's work, Every Place a History, with comments from the artist. Please come and celebrate this wonderful addition to the City of Austin's Art in Public Places collection. Bring your families, neighbors and friends.

Artist Brad Goldberg created a 30-foot diameter low limestone spiral of sculptural seating enveloping the walkway to the main entrance of the Animal Center as the Art in Public Places feature of the site. The arcs of the spiral pay homage to the architectural and cultural history of the property, which was once home to the segregated Texas Blind, Deaf and Orphan School.

The 2-foot diameter granite disks are embedded in the paving with sandblasted imagery that traces the history of the site from its earliest geologic origins of being a shallow sea to more recent history that constitutes this neighborhood’s memory.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Susan Lambe, ASLA, RLA
Art in Public Places Coordinator :: City of Austin
201 E. 2nd Street Austin, TX 78701
512.974.7852
www.austintexas.gov/aipp.
www.facebook.com/AustinAIPP

East Austin Studio Art Tour

The 10th E A S T A U S T I N S T U D I O T O U R is almost here!!

FULL TOUR: 12 – 20 November 2011
ARTISTS & STUDIOS: open the weekends of November 12/13 & 19/20, 11:00am – 6:00pm
EVENTS & EXHIBITS: various hours and dates throughout the nine days of the tour (set by each individual venue; see website or catalog for full listing)
COST: free & open to the public

E.A.S.T. is a celebration of east Austin’s creative community and a chance for the publicto get a behind-the-scenes look at working artists’ spaces and processes. Visitors can purchase art, see where artists work, and visit with artists about their art process. Additionally, a number of spaces will be presenting various art and performance events on all ends of the artistic spectrum.

E.A.S.T. at 916 Springdale

Check out E.A.S.T. at Springdale, a crazy awesome and quite gigantic exhibition of works by E.A.S.T. artists. The show is at 916 Springdale Road 78702 (psst… rumored to be in the works as the future home of Big Medium and other very fabulous artists and spaces).

Big Medium

Come see us at Big Medium (5305 Bolm Road #12, 78721). Besides being your friendly E.A.S.T. headquarters and info hub, the Big Medium artists are pretty darned great (what? no! we’re not biased!), and we’ll have a fabulous exhibit of their works up in the gallery.

Getting around the neighborhoods

The weather is gorgeous and perfect for bikes! Also, The City of Austin awarded E.A.S.T. a very generous transportation grant, and we’re excited to partner with the nice guys over at Metrocycle Pedicabs to provide several pedicabs (free to you!) for both weekends which we encourage you to take advantage of (they’ll all have the E.A.S.T. logo on the back). But whether you’re out on bike, trike, foot, pedicab, car, or helicopter*, we’d like to gently remind everyone to all to be respectful of the neighborhoods as you’re out and about (don’t block driveways or leave anything to be picked up). Our eastside neighbors have been incredibly gracious, and we want them to know how much we appreciate them.

E.A.S.T. catalogs, maps, & site

Catalogs are flying out the door at warp speed. We just made our final drop today of catalogs for all 22 branches of the Austin Public Library, and they’ll probably go just as quickly, so get them while they’re hot! We also have catalogs at Big Medium (open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and both E.A.S.T. weekends). There’s a map inside each catalog. We also have maps at Big Medium and on www.eastaustinstudiotour.com. Also, this week and next week, we’ll have a map spread in The Austin Chronicle, so if you’re having a hard time getting your paws on a catalog or map, please be sure to pick up a Chronicle. The full version of www.eastaustinstudiotour.com will be up VERY soon, so stay tuned. It will have all artist pages, event information, and scratch-n-sniff. (Okay, maybe not that last part.)

Friends of E.A.S.T.

We are seeking Friends of E.A.S.T. as an invitation to our community to be invested in its own growth and success. Becoming a Friend is $20 for everyone across the board, because we believe that great things happen when many give a little, instead of a small few giving a lot. The support of more community members means a better catalog, more promotion, a bigger audience, and more impact. Join here as a 2012 Friend of E.A.S.T.:

http://eastaustinstudiotour.com/friends_of_east.html

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has already joined! You help make earth a bit more fantastic.

And in conclusion…

This 10th anniversary of E.A.S.T. is going to be mega fabulous, and we hope you’ll come be a part of it!

From your friends at East Austin Studio Tour
c/o Big Medium
5305 Bolm Road #12
Austin, Texas 78721
info@eastaustinstudiotour.com
512.385.1670

* Big Medium does not recommend helicopter travel for E.A.S.T. It’s a noisy way to travel, and the Big Medium helipad is invisible to the human eye.

Discovering the Language of Photography: The Gernsheim Collection Austin, Texas

Winifred Casson, Accident, ca. 1935
Gelatin silver print. 29.4 x 24.4 cm.

Sept. 7, 2010, to Jan. 2, 2011 
"Discovering the Language of Photography: The Gernsheim Collection," an exhibition at the Harry Ransom Center, explores the history of photography through the Center's foundational photography collection.The exhibition runs from Sept. 7, 2010, to Jan. 2, 2011, at the Ransom Center, a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin. Featuring more than 175 items, the exhibition showcases one of the seminal collections of the history of photography in the United States. 

Amassed by the renowned husband-and-wife team of Helmut and Alison Gernsheim between 1945 and 1963, it contains an unparalleled range of more than 35,000 images, beginning with the world's earliest-known photograph from nature, made by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826-27. Its encyclopedic scope—as well as the expertise with which the Gernsheims assembled the collection—makes the Gernsheim collection one of the world's premier sources for the study and appreciation of photography.
 
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/2010/gernsheim/

Gallery Opening – Women and Their Work, Austin

Join us for an opening reception with the artist!

Karen Mahaffy
Persistence of Moment

Opening Reception:  Thursday, July 22nd, 6 to 8pm
July 22 - September 2, 2010

Karen Mahaffy presents ephemeral, time-based video, as well as sculptural and drawn works which create reminders of the exceptional contained amidst the ordinary.  These works collectively address the seemingly insignificant, singular act or event and investigate how elements of place and time can become manifest.  Tiny acts accumulate in the work to create a new aggregate visual artifact, like foot steps creating a path.  Inspired by her recent Fulbright Scholar's Grant and residency in Estonia, Mahaffy's sculpture “Drift/Felt” is wool presented in two states.  In "Drift", blocks of carded wool reference both the snowy landscape and the act of aimless wandering.  In "Felt", felted insoles were made by putting wool in her shoes during her daily walks through the capital city of Tallinn.

Save the Date:
Thursday, August 12th at 7pm  -  The Phenomena of Place – a public discussion
Join us for a conversation with artist Karen Mahaffy, Megan Crigger, Austin’s Public Art Administrator, author Chris Oglesby and artist Chris Sauter.

Go to http://womenandtheirwork.org to read more about the art, see preview images, video clips and to see Karen Mahaffy’s impressive resume that includes exhibits at AMOA, The McNay Museum and ArtPace.

Women & Their Work, 1710 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX 78701, 512-477-1064, Mon. – Fri. 10am – 6pm, Sat. noon – 5pm info@womenandtheirwork.org  http://www.womenandtheirwork.org

Matisse as Printmaker The Blanton Museum of Art Austin Texas

Henri Matisse
Seated Nude, Viewed from Behind, 1913
Crayon transfer lithograph
Image: 16 5/8 x 9 1/2 in.
Sheet: 19 3/5 x 13 in.

Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation
(1491 - 101011)
(c) 2009 Succession H. Matisse/Artists
Rights Society (ARS), New York
Courtesy American Federation of Arts

The Blanton Museum of Art and The American Federation of Arts (AFA) are pleased to present Matisse as Printmaker: Works from the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, on view May 23 – August 23, 2010. Comprised of 63 prints by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) ranging in date from 1900 to 1951, the exhibition is the first to be drawn entirely from the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, and includes works bequeathed by the artist to his younger son Pierre, an eminent dealer of modern art.

Organized by Jay McKean Fisher (Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs, Baltimore Museum of Art), the works on view represent the extraordinary range of processes Matisse used to create his prints: etching, aquatint, monotype, lithography, woodcut and linoleum cut. With its rich variety of techniques and subject matter, Matisse as Printmaker sheds new light on an under-studied aspect of Matisse’s oeuvre and underscores the importance of printmaking as a means for the artist to produce repeated imagery.
Recognized foremost as a painter and sculptor, Henri Matisse was also deeply engaged in exploring other mediums and the unique possibilities they offered for creative expression. Matisse saw printmaking as an extension of drawing, which was integral to the whole of his art. As Jay Fisher writes in the exhibition’s catalogue, “Printmaking was Matisse’s primary means of demonstrating to his audience his working process, the character of his vision, and the way his drawing transformed what he observed.” Matisse’s involvement with printmaking was both intense and innovative as he moved from one technique to the next, adopting new approaches to reflect the evolution of his artistic ideas. Almost all of his prints involve repeated imagery, such as the development of a reclining or seated pose, the integration of models within interiors, the study of facial expressions and features, and the transformation of a subject from a straight representation to something more abstract or developed. For Matisse, printmaking captured the steps in a process of seeing that was unique to his artistic vision.

Printmaking for Matisse was also a practical means of disseminating his art among the many avid collectors of his work. Despite their relatively wide distribution, his prints are remarkable for the aura of intimacy and immediacy they communicate. Matisse was mostly faithful to the tradition of black-and-white prints, but he made two prints in color—both of which are included in the exhibition—as well as book illustrations in his last years. Moving from one medium to another—as single images or in books—Matisse made prints fairly consistently from 1900 until his death in 1954. During the course of his career, he produced more than 800 images apart from those in his illustrated books, often in editions of 25 or 50. This great profusion of graphic work expanded the reach of his art and has helped to augment his position as one of the preeminent artists of the twentieth century.

While Matisse was clearly deeply engaged in the practice of printmaking, most of the exhibitions and research on the artist’s work to date have focused on his paintings and sculpture. With its diverse selection of works from different periods in Matisse’s career, Matisse as Printmaker: Works from the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation provides a comprehensive examination of the artist’s relationship with printmaking and the role it played in the evolution of his visual ideas. The exhibition advances the scholarship and public awareness of this underappreciated part of Matisse’s oeuvre, offering a persuasive argument that Matisse prints merit consideration not merely in relation to the artist’s paintings but in their own right.
As part of the exhibition’s many public programs, two special lectures have been developed:
Saturday, May 22 at 2 PM
 
Jay McKean Fisher, curator of Matisse as Printmaker and deputy director for curatorial affairs at The Baltimore Museum of Art, discusses the importance of printmaking to Matisse’s artistic development, in the context of his other work.
Saturday, June 12 at 2 PM
John Elderfield, Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art and Matisse expert, presents “Why Matisse Matters.”

Matisse as Printmaker is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation.
Major support for the exhibition at The Blanton is provided through a generous challenge grant from Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long and by RBC Wealth Management.  


Support also is provided by Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton, Sr., Leslie and Jack Blanton, Jr., the Booth Heritage Foundation, Bruce Buckley and Mrs. Vincent Buckley, Sarah and Ernest Butler, Patricia and Dee Osborne, Eliza and Stuart Stedman, and the many other donors who contributed to meet the Long Challenge.

Spaghetti Modern - August 14th A Modern Interpretation of Western Culture Austin Art Garage

Spaghetti Modern - August 14thA Modern Interpretation of Western Culture
 
Austin Art Garage is excited to announce its first official theme driven art event - Spaghetti Modern. Let's face it, western culture is great, but western art could use a fresh perspective. Inspiration for this theme derives from the contrasts in the Austin Texas culture - as many Austinites enjoy the metropolitan progressive lifestyle and yet harbor a great nostalgia for their western roots, thus creating a clash of cultures and styles.  Spaghetti Modern will attempt to interpret this rift in artistic styles and concepts.

Whether it's a western picturesque scene with a modern art style, or a cowboy standoff interrupted by a cell phone call, this event is sure to shake the boot dust off traditional western art.

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 14th 5PM - 8PM
On Display: August 14th – September 1st
Location: Austin Art Garage (2200 S. Lamar Blvd. Ste J)
Admission is Free

Featured Artists:
Graham Franciose, Judy Paul, Joel Ganucheau, Ryan Ayers, Burl Norville, Dan Grissom, Jessie Strub, and many more.

From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden Austin Museum of Art

August 28 - November 14, 2010
From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden

The exhibition examines the ways that preeminent American artist, Romare Bearden (1911-1988), experimented, innovated, and collaborated on his journey toward mastery of the print medium.  Seventy-five prints created over a span of thirty years demonstrate, in part, how Bearden extended his artistic imagination beyond the collages and photomontages that inspired many of the works. 
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to examine Bearden’s print making process as he worked and re-worked a particular image, theme or technique, and to understand how key themes and motifs like trains, family life, rituals, urban scenes, jazz, and mythology extended his artistic imagination from collage into other media. The works in the exhibition show Bearden’s extraordinary facility for weaving into every art form a rich tapestry of literary, biblical, mythological, popular culture and western and non-western themes that were informed by his African American cultural experiences. 
Organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, with the help of the Romare Bearden Foundation.

Also on view: 

New Works: Okay MountainAMOA’s New Works exhibition series introduces fresh contemporary art by innovative Austin artists.
Collection Selections presents work from the Museum's and local collections. 

July 8th Toy Joy Presents: 2nd Annual Art Show Austin Texas

July 8th Toy Joy Presents: 2nd Annual Art Show

Thursday July 8th, 7PM-2AM @ USAA
The Show is Free and open to the public
Come join Toy Joy for our 2nd Annual Art Show at the US Art Authority (right across the street from Toy Joy itself)!

HEAR!
The glorious sounds of live music playing from USAA's indoor and outdoor stages!

SEE!
The beautiful, strange, and curious and curiouser creations from some of Austin's best and most talented visual artists!

TASTE!
The 100% free-of-charge vegan root beer floats, Good Pops popsicles, Sugar Mama's cupcakes, and treats from Tom's Tabooley!

CREATE!
Your very own stop-motion film and flip-book animations with help from The Edge of Imagination Station!

INDULGE!
In a screen-printed t-shirt from Sanctuary Printing, made while you wait! Or in free face painting for all ages!

If the words "sensory overload" make you shiver with excitement, come and join us in the most sensationally spectacular celebration of creation this side of the Equator!

In addition to the veritable bevy of local artwork on display, local music acts Achachay! (face-melting funk), The Sour Notes (psyched-out indie rockage), The Department of Public Safety (hip-hop for the electronic soul), and Mother Falcon (chamber-pop brilliance) will be rawkin' the house till midnight.

Oh, and did we mention this is an all-ages, family-friendly, and totally-free event? Bring the kids, bring the significant other, bring that mutant you're hiding in your attic! Come one, come all to the fabulous, one-of-a-kind, utterly stupendous...

2ND ANNUAL TOY JOY ART SHOW!
The Fine Art of Fun!