Yarn Bomb

Favorite South Congress boutique taps Austin artist for holiday installation

The candy cane-colored ropes are reminiscent of stockings hanging from a fire.

Photo courtesy of ByGeorge

A yarn bomb has gone off on South Congress Avenue. Just in time for the holidays, Austin-based artist Magda Sayeg has crafted a unique candy cane-colored art installation for By George's South Congress location.

Sayeg defines the craft as "taking knitting material to the street, graffiti-style." She is credited with creating the art form 10 years ago when she wrapped her shop's door handle to add a warm, human quality to the store. While her work can be seen around the world, the "mother of yarn bombing" is always excited to create art in her own city.

Sayeg and By George wanted to display an out-of-the-ordinary decoration that reflects what we love most about the holidays. The "chaotic beauty" of her piece, which went up Thanksgiving weekend, consists of red and white yarn ropes draped down the store's facade, reminiscent of stockings hanging from a mantle. Sayeg describes it as "the scarf By George will be wearing for the month of December."

Sayeg's usual yarn bombing method entails wrapping an object in yarn, but she approached the By George installation a little differently. The artist was inspired by her similar, well-received installation at the Zhejiang Museum during a visit to Hangzhou, China, earlier this year.

Sayeg believes this scarf-like technique perfectly represents Christmas. "It's going to feel lovable and bring up the happy feelings of the holiday season," says Sayeg.

The installation will remain for the month of December.

Photo by Morgan Katz

The installation will remain for the month of December.

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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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