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Unlock the magic of Barton Springs during this interactive Austin experience

Its picturesque green backdrop, natural spring waters, and brisk 68-degree temps have made Barton Springs a beloved destination for generations of Austinites. This summer, a new art exhibition is celebrating the famed springs while capturing the spirit and beauty of one of Texas' greatest natural treasures.

Now open in the Sheffield Education Center, "Faces of Barton Springs" invites visitors to explore the unique and intimate moments of swimmers as they pass through the springs, while inviting visitors to share their own memories.

The capstone of the exhibition is a 12-foot long collage of personal images from Barton Springs swimmers ranging from amateur photographers to big-name local artists including Randal Ford, Valerie Fowler, Nelson Guda, Nils Juul-Hansen, and Sam Hurt. Each photo corresponds with a number and key which unlocks a handwritten message from the original photographer about the significance of the springs to them.

Visitors are encouraged to tell their own story by creating poetry on the magnetized Susan Bright memorial tree or sharing a personal reflection at the community kiosk. The show also features several listening stations where visitors can hear stories from other springs lovers.

“[The installation] is an attempt to educate people about many aspects of the springs, the incredible value that it has for the community, and give people the opportunity to express that,” Karen Kocher, who along with Lauren Jaben, curated the project.

For Kocher, an Austin-based media producer and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, the exhibition is an extension of "Living Springs," her personal transmedia project archiving the 70-year history of Austin's natural crown jewel.

A collection of interviews, videos, and documents, "Living Springs" tells the collective story of Barton Springs as it exists at the intersection of Austin art, culture, science, and spirituality. Kocher hopes the project will create an easily accessible record of the springs' past, while presently chronicling it today.

As an ongoing collaboration of artists, award-winning musicians and, of course, the Austin community, "Faces of Barton Springs" promises something new with each visit. And, although the show comes to a close on July 31, co-curator Jaben, says she hopes to preserve its extensive body of work for public display in the future.

Austin's crown jewel is the star at this new art exhibition.

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Austin's crown jewel is the star at this new art exhibition.

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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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