put a 'p' on it

The Encyclopedia Show puts the pfun in learning with next show, Pflugerville

Photo by Michael Graupmann

How much do you know about Pflugerville? I mean, really know about it?

After living in Austin a total of five years, I can say with all honesty that I have never purposefully been to, thought twice about nor inquired about our quaint neighbor to the northeast. Sure, I loved Friday Night Lights as much as other non-football fans, but is there more to the city than meets the NBC eye?

In order to end our dearth of information on this proudly German town named after Mr. Henry Pfluger, Sr., The Encyclopedia Show Austin is fixing its keen comical focus on the town with a pfunny name this Thursday night at the ND@501 Studios. With local comedians, writers, poets and more, the live literary variety show will be setting you right on what makes this quiet little suburb so darn endearing.

ColdTowne Theater Artistic Director Michael Jastroch will detail his discovery regarding the food, floats and festivities of the annual Deutschen Pfest. Host of the Austin reading series 5 Things, Lesley Clayton, will be discussing the significance of The Pflugerville Pflag, the local newspaper with an interesting if misleading name. And Amy Gentry, a newly-minted University of Chicago Docotor of Philosophy in English, will be sharing her findings on the Pflugerville Library's newest literacy campaign: "Pflugerville Reads One Book This Month."

The evening's special guest is none other than former Austin Poetry Slam national team member Genevieve Van Cleve, who is not only a talented writer and a political advocate but a bonafide native of Pflugerville. The spirited, always outspoken Van Cleve will be sharing her honest recollections of growing up as a child of the 80s in the town "Caught between a Rock and A Weird Place."

Rounding out the evening will be the return of two long-standing P'ville-based characters that Encyclopedia Show regulars will instantly identify. The Lord Professor Michael Patrick Slefinger will once again demonstrate his classical acting acumen as demonstrated in his work at the Pflugerville Players Playhouse. And everyone's favorite adopted father, Stepdad Ron, will provide his much-applauded but generally nonsensical opinions regarding his campaign for Pflugerville City Council.

The Encyclopedia Show, an Austin Chronicle "Best of 2010" winner, arrives each month with a new performed entry chosen from the actual encyclopedia. By showcasing local and touring talent, audiences are invited to explore the month's subject through the invited contributors' research and personal connections with their assigned topics. Upcoming show topics include: Brains, Spices, Flightless Birds and Christmas.

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CultureMap will be at the ND on Thursday as the official sponsors of the night's pfestivities. Sign up to become a CultureMap Insider and enter to win two tickets to see John Leguizamo in his new one-person show Ghetto Klown at the Paramount on Friday night. Winner will be chosen at the show.

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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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