Twist & Shoot

In the pit and on the stage, Austin photographer rolls with the rock

Shelley Hiam is nothing if not dedicated. Talented, personable, professional – she's all that, too, sure. Just don't try to get between the Austin photographer and the subject of one of her gorgeous, dramatic photos. She'll find a way around you.

Hiam has been shooting the stars of Central Texas, rock 'n' roll and otherwise, for long enough to know how to get the shot — that shot. It's the one you might not have seen coming but feels perfect and right the instant you look at it. Her quick thinking and dogged persistence in the pit – front and center at the rock shows, jostling with fans and fellow photographers to get the very best possible position — have served her well in the face of both obstacles and unexpected beneficence. She's experienced the ecstasy of being pulled onstage, camera in hand, at a Flaming Lips show and the agony of staying put, with two bands left to shoot, as a random guy at Fun Fun Fun Fest relieved himself on her.

It's all paid off, in buckets, for her and for us. The photos at Hiam's first solo exhibit, "Twist & Shoot" (at Salvage Vanguard Theater through Oct. 5), convey that sense of rock 'n' roll as grand adventure; they're spontaneous and expertly composed, epic and intimate.

You might or might not be a fan of a particular one of her subjects, who in this show include Wayne Coyne of the aforementioned Lips, Nick Cave and such local faves as The Octopus Project, Bobby Jealousy and versatile performer Stanley Roy Williamson, among others. Either way, a viewing is likely to incite that swelling one feels when swept up in the ephemeral tide of a mass musical moment. Her studio shots aren't bad either.

Fantasy (Stanley Roy Williamson), Austin, 2012

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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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