Lasting Impressions

Russell Collection Fine Art Gallery celebrates 10 years with innovativeiPhoneography exhibition

The Light Impressions iPad displays with revolving photos.
A "photo chandelier" similar to the one to be displayed in Austin.

Russell Collection Fine Art Gallery owner Lisa Russell is throwing Austin art lovers a fabulous party to celebrate ten years of bringing eye-popping and innovative art from around the world to our fair city. And she's asking for your help with the gallery's next exhibition.

Having recently wrapped up the exquisite exhibition from painter and songwriter Bernie Taupin, the West Sixth gallery is now preparing for a new art event that will completely transform the way you experience the collected works of art on display.

Colleen Duffley, owner of Florida-based intermedia company Studio b., brings her "iPhoneography" exhibit Light Impressions to the Russell Collection on Thursday, Oct. 4. This touring exhibition is a collection of stunning photography from around the world displayed on 40 iPads that constantly revolve the picture display at different intervals.

“Studio b. is so excited to bring the Light Impressions installation to the Russell Collection’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebration. Austin is in for a delightful surprise when they see the expert deftness with which our featured photographers handle their subjects, lighting and editing on a mobile device,” says Duffley.

In addition to the international artists on display, there's a local element to the exhibition as well. Duffley is asking that Austinites submit their own iPhone photos that fit the theme "My Austin." Email submissions will be taken until Oct. 5 and then assembled into what she calls a "mobile phone art chandelier."

Whether taking in the exhibit one display at a time or as an overall system of moving parts, Light Impressions leaves you with hints of what is to come in the future of gallery exhibition. Perhaps it's the perfect accompaniment to the gallery's anniversary party, which celebrates a full decade of fine art.

The 10th Anniversary "Thank You" party takes place Oct. 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Russell Gallery and will feature live music and food along with the debut of the Austin-based photography chandelier and all of the fantastic artwork on display at the Russell Collection.

Now is your chance to congratulate one of Austin's leading galleries on ten years of success and beauty, while experiencing a taste of what is still to come in the years ahead.

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Light Submissions is on display at The Russell Collection of Fine Arts from Oct. 4 - 13. The 10th Anniversary Party takes place Oct. 11 from 6 - 9 p.m.

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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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Lasting Impressions

Russell Collection Fine Art Gallery celebrates 10 years with innovativeiPhoneography exhibition

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