February might be the shortest month of the year, but Austin’s art scene is packed with exhibitions that promise to leave a lasting impression. From heartfelt explorations of identity and heritage to bold innovations in form and material, these shows offer a glimpse into the power of art to connect, inspire, and transform.
Highlights include Irene Antonia Diane Reece’s deeply personal photographic installation at Women & Their Work, which weaves together family archives to honor Black identity and history. At Flatbed Press, the legacy of master printer Jerry Manson is celebrated alongside Brooke Burnside’s innovative printmaking techniques, blending tradition with fresh perspectives.
Women & Their Work
Irene Antonia Diane Reece: Don’t Cry For Me When I’m Gone — Now through March 6
Irene Antonia Diane Reece weaves together photographs, text, and family records to explore Black identity and heritage, while questioning conventional photography methods. Though photography forms the foundation, Reece enriches her work by incorporating familial archives, creating layers of meaning beyond the visual elements. By presenting her personal and familial materials, Reece creates an environment where visitors can process emotions, reflect on their own stories, and find connection.
Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking
Jerry Manson and Brooke Burnside: A Legacy and A New Voice— Now through February 22
This exhibition celebrates the work of Jerry Manson, Flatbed Center’s former Master Printer and Master Printer Emeritus. Manson's lithographs and etchings are paired with relief works by Brooke Burnside, recipient of the 2024 Jerry Manson Residency. At Flatbed, Burnside employed multiple printmaking methods in her work, combining collage with monotype and relief processes.
Wally Workman Gallery
Anne Siems: Playgrounds — Now through February 23
Anne Siems' signature style is on display in this exhibition: technically precise, yet dreamlike portraits that explore themes of vulnerability, transformation, and the sacred relationship between humanity and nature. Working on wood panels, Siems creates ethereal figures whose faces become focal points of spiritual and emotional depth. Her subjects appear suspended between worlds — contemporary in their tattooed embellishments, yet timeless in their ethereal presentation.
ICOSA Collective
Monica Mohnot and Juliette M.Miller Herrera Nickle: Shape Shifts | Grids and Surfaces— Now through February 15
This exhibition creates a dialogue between these two artists' approaches to form: Mohnot's textile-based explorations of cultural synthesis and Nickle's architectural, Bauhaus-inspired investigations of space and structure. The artists explore the intersection of form, material, and cultural identity through two distinct approaches to surface manipulation and geometric abstraction.
Dougherty Arts Center
Colton Matocha:Taste of Imagination— Now through March 8
Austin native Colton Matocha’s photographic exhibition explores the intersection of nostalgia and childhood wonder through vibrant images of candy. Drawing from his early experiences with photography, the artist creates compositions that transform familiar sweets into gateways to memory and imagination. His photographs capture candy in ways that transcend their simple forms, creating visual metaphors for preserved memories and rediscovered joy.
Bibi Flores: I am, We as Energy, Rising— Now through March 8
Drawing from her extensive background in both fine arts and healing practices, Bibi Flores creates works that function as visual meditations on resilience. Her abstract compositions employ specific colors, lines, and shapes chosen for their healing properties, creating what she terms "dimensional energy" planes that engage viewers in collective recovery and empowerment. Flores creates work that serves both as contemporary abstract art and as a tool for transformation, inviting viewers to participate in a shared journey toward restoration.
Hailey Gearo: Glitter and Tears— Now through March 8
In her latest exhibition, Texas-based artist Hailey Gearo transforms personal emotional landscapes into abstract expressionist dreamscapes. Drawing from her background in multiple artistic mediums, the artist creates works that bridge the gap between internal experience and visual expression. The exhibition presents a series of pieces that navigate the territory between struggle and beauty.
Visual Arts Center (VAC) at The University of Texas at Austin
Pablo Tut: Land Invention — Now through March 8
Pablo Tut excavates and reimagines a little-known historical connection between the Yucatán Peninsula and Texas. The exhibition centers on the story of Maya soldiers who were forced to fight during the Texas Revolution. At the heart of the exhibition is Tut's multifaceted interpretation of an ancient Maya dagger. Through various media including drawings, lithographs, video, and steel installations, Tut transforms this archaeological artifact into a dynamic symbol of Maya continuity and resistance.
Group Exhibition: Blackland Prairies— Now through March 8
This group exhibition brings together 11 Texas artists to examine the historical transformation of Austin's Black communities through both archival materials and contemporary artworks. The exhibition takes its name from the fertile ecoregion that historically supported Black communities in Austin, using this geographical framework to explore themes of presence, erasure, and persistence. By juxtaposing historical archives with contemporary artistic responses, this exhibition challenges narratives about Austin's development while highlighting the permanent imprint of Black communities on the city's landscape.
