Make 'Em Laugh

Austin's Funniest Person, Mac Blake, heads to the international stage at Just for Laughs

Comedy nerds recognize the Just for Laughs Festival as the largest international comedy festival on the scene. Hosted in Montreal, the festival boasts the biggest names in stand-up and sketch comedy. And like any proper festival, it features an exclusive collection of under-the-radar talent just waiting to break through.

This year, one of Austin’s funniest, Mac Blake, will be represent the ATX in the MTL.

This year, one of Austin’s funniest, Mac Blake, will be represent the ATX in the MTL, also known as the biggest gathering for the funniest people in the world. Granted the coveted title of Funniest Person in Austin for 2013, Just for Laughs brings Blake to the international stage.

If you’ve seen a comedy show anywhere in Austin, chances are you've seen local funny guy Blake doing his thing on stage. Hell, you can also find plenty of his work online via video skits produced by him and his friends of Stag Comedy.

The towering Blake is a familiar face in the local comedy scene, but he’ll head to le métropole as part of the New Faces of Comedy showcase from July 24 - 27. In this showcase, Just for Laughs puts the spotlight on some lesser-known names that many see as part of the next generation of hilarious superstars. The New Faces of Comedy is divided up into three different shows, including stand-up and sketch comedy, but Blake will perform in the “Unrepped” portion of the lineup, meaning he’s one of the freshest talents without a manager or representation.

For Blake, Montreal is a great shot at increasing his exposure in the comedy world at large. The showcase is highly competitive, but with almost the entire universe of comedy converging in one city, it’s very likely that he will make a name for himself outside of Austin.

If you happen to find yourself in Montreal the next few days, cheer him on. If not, start enjoying his sets around town while you still can.

Austin comedian Mac Blake will perform at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal.

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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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