Austin Art Scene

New gallery adds unique dimension to growing East Austin art scene

East Austin has always had a rich artist community, but in recent years emerging galleries, events, and initiatives have provided more visibility and more accessibility to the working artists of Austin.

The city’s newest art space, Dimension Gallery, is providing exposure to a specific type of art: sculpture and three-dimensional works. The only gallery in Austin focusing specifically on sculpture and 3D art, the nonprofit was started by Moya Khabele and sculptor Colin McIntyre in December 2015 and is working “to inspire dimension in the up-and-coming East Austin art movement.”

This weekend, Dimension makes its debut with the group exhibit “Birth: Rebirth, Elemental Origins.” The show takes viewers inside the creative process as artists work with metal, paper, clay, wood, and found objects in front of visitors’ eyes.

Sponsored by Big Medium, Dimension Gallery is housed in an industrial warehouse on Springdale Road that is currently being transformed into a commercial district that will hold Austin Eastciders, Ground Floor Theatre, Daily Greens, and Austin Bouldering Project. The covered outdoor space has seating and a display area, while inside boasts high ceilings; vintage lighting; brick walls; and a gift shop with art objects, prints, and jewelry from various local artists.

“As rents rise in East Austin, we are noticing more artists moving out of the area and galleries either shutting down or moving,” says McIntyre. “We are excited to launch this new hybrid between a traditional gallery with impeccable curation and an arts nonprofit, a unique model in East Austin.”

Dimension is situated a block away from the well-known studio/gallery campus, Canopy, continuing to grow East Austin's arts district. Khabele and McIntyre’s goal with Dimension “is to not only exhibit art, but to empower the artists to fund the creation of their work, considering the more intensive studio practices often involved in generating sculpture.”

Starting in April, Dimension will rotate eight local artists who will produce three-week solo shows throughout the 2016 to 2017 season.

“Our goal in choosing the artists was to ferret out those with extremely refined talent, whose aesthetic is contemporary, highly imaginative, and timeless,” says Khabele.

The opening reception of “Birth” takes place March 5 at 8 pm. The exhibit will be on display at Dimension through March 27 on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6 pm.

The Feast by Dana Younger is one of the many sculptures on display this weekend at Dimension Gallery.

Dimension Gallery "The Feast" by Dana Younger

Photo courtesy of Dimension Gallery

The Feast by Dana Younger is one of the many sculptures on display this weekend at Dimension Gallery.

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New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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