ALO still singing

Austin Lyric Opera sells its iconic headquarters to put cash in the coffers

Photo by Mark Matson

Just 12 years ago the Austin Lyric Opera (ALO) seemed on the road to expansion. To accommodate the staff needed to do that, ALO built a gorgeous, and immediately iconic building on Barton Springs Road.

But along with our economy, arts organizations have been feeling the fund-raising pain, the ALO among them. And on Friday it sold that building for $5.45 million to Megalomedia, a reality TV production company.

Things looked bleak for the Opera last spring. The ALO, a founding resident Long Center company, found itself up to its eyeballs in debt — as much as $2 million — and needed to make changes in order to survive. So they cut back their show runs from four to three, they put their headquarters up for sale and they will soon spin off the Armstrong Community Music School.

The building sale puts ALO back in the black. Its debt is paid and the proceeds place the Opera on solid financial footing. “We will spend the first quarter of 2012 locating rehearsal and office space and expect to be settled into new quarters well before summer,” Smith said in a press release Friday.

The Austin Lyric Opera celebrated its 25^th anniversary this year. Back in November, CultureMap columnist Shelley Seale spoke to ALO leaders about that history as they launched their first 2011 production.

In the past quarter-century, ALO has developed a reputation as an innovator and showcase for new American opera talent, with productions that have fused with major international artists, directors, and designers garnered international acclaim.

Susan Threadgill, who was the production stage manager at ALO for 23 years recalls the early days of the company. "It was exciting and hectic. We had a great collection of professionals who knew their job very well, but didn't know each other very well. So we had to put together a team and make it work. There was a certain sense of trepidation because we had never done this before." But today, she says that singers have told her, "I sing at the Met to make money—but I sing in Austin to remember why I do this."

Claude Decloux, son of ALO co-founder Dr. Walter Ducloux, says that it was very important to his parents that the opera was not an "exclusive" club, not just for the rich, but something the community would take great pride in supporting. "He really believed, to the depth of his existence — both my parents did — that if people had the chance to see a first-class opera, they would get hooked on it. Because it is the ultimate art form and when you think about the number of orchestra members sitting in that pit, each of whom have played their instrument for 20 years… and then you have these incredible voices; it's just a synthesis of a million hours of talent, all in one place."

For his part, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Richard Buckley is excited to look to the future of the Austin Lyric Opera. "Where the next 25 years are going to take us is something I hope people seriously start looking at. Within our celebration of what we have done and where we are, what we can and do achieve on the stage now, I think we have to put a fair amount of energy into who and what we want to be — and for whom will we be performing in the next 25 years."

The sale of ALO's headquarters makes that future possible. ALO's next production — Donizetti’s classic Italian opera Lucia di Lammermoor — opens January 28 at the Long Center.

unspecified

Pop Art

World-renowned interactive balloon art museum floats to Austin

"Hyperstellar" installation at the Balloon Museum

Photo courtesy of the Balloon Museum

"Hyperstellar" by Hyperstudio is one of nearly 20 featured exhibits. It won't be coming to Austin, but more work from Hyperstudio will.

Austinites who love a good psychedelic, interactive, and highlyInstagrammable art experience are in luck, because the world-renowned Balloon Museum is opening its doors in Austin on June 21.

This family-friendly art installation is not dissimilar to some other "museums" we've already have in town, like the Museum of Illusions, Museum of Ice Cream, and Wonderspaces; all more art installations than educational deep dives on their respective topics. As the name indicates, though, the Balloon Museum focuses particularly on inflatable and air-based art. So balloons, yes, but also aerial installations, interactive lighting displays, and more.

Balloon Museums are located across the globe and have various exhibits. Austin's Balloon Museum will showcase the Let's Fly— Art Has No Limits exhibit, which explores "the intersection of art, air, and creativity," according to a press release. This show was created by Italy-based Lux Entertainment, will feature large-scale installations, some of which span more than 65,000 square feet.

D.R.E.A.M.S. by Camilla Falsini is coming to Austin.Photo courtesy of the Balloon Museum

"Rooted in the concepts of flight, freedom and lightness, the exhibition explores air as both a physical element and a symbol of movement and limitless travel, within ourselves and beyond," says the press release.

More concretely, this exhibit will feature the following pieces:

“Fountain of Eternity and Kaleidoscope,” which blends sculpture and performance by Sasha Frolova
“Squeezed In,” an installation featuring oversized characters by Lucas Zanotto
“Her Joy,” a mirrored sphere that breathes and reflects light like a resonating body by Alex Schweder
“Crazy Love for Polygons," exploring geometric forms by Cyril Lancelin
“D.R.E.A.M.S.” showcasing a dreamlike city by Camilla Falsini
“Balloon Tree,” mimicking nature in an artificial way by Myeongbeom Kim
“Quadriga,” suspending grandiose "metaphysical" horses by Max Streicher
“Mariposa,” a luminous 26-foot and interactive butterfly by Christopher Schardt
“BB,” arranging hundreds of balloons for symmetry and reflection by Tadao Cern
“The Ginjos,” a group of fluorescent, huggable creatures by Rub Kandy
“Hyperlight- and Invisible Ballet,” moving balloons and light in a dance around the viewer by Hyperstudio
“ADA,” allowing viewers to affect the environment with a charcoal-drawing sphere by Karina Smigla-Bobinski
“Zeros,” arranging huge inner tube shapes in an oscillating wave by Spy
“Airscape,” a virtual reality experience within fantastical worlds by Sila Sveta
“AI Data Portal of Austin,” environmental data visualizations by Ouchhh
“A Quiet Storm,” combining smoke, bubbles, and light in a liminal space by Quiet Ensemble

The museum includes work by 19 artists from around the world.

Mariposa by Christopher Schardt "Mariposa" by Christopher Schardt made its debut at Burning Man and is now part of the Balloon Museum's Let's Fly exhibit. Photo courtesy of Balloon Museum

The Balloon Museum sees more than 7 million visitors annually, has been awarded multiple worldwide Best Event Awards in 2022 and 2023, and has even been featured in the Netflix series Emily in Paris. Austin's opening will mark the museum's first location in Texas.

“Austin’s spirit of creativity and its reputation as a hub for innovation makes it the natural choice for Balloon Museum’s next chapter in the United States,” said founder of Lux Entertainment Roberto Fantauzzi in the release. “In a city where art and technology intertwine, we are excited to cultivate a space that celebrates imagination but also challenges the way people experience and interact with art.”

"Swing" by Motorefisico at Balloon Museum "Swing" by Motorefisico — part of a different international exhibition — shows scale as a child explores.Photo courtesy of the Balloon Museum

Austin's Balloon Museum will be located at 2930 W. Anderson Lane from June 21 through November 2. Tickets range from $34 to $50, depending on guest's age and time of day, and are available online now.

Hours of operation will be 2-8 pm Mondays through Thursdays, 11 am to 9 pm Fridays, 10 am to 9 pm Saturdays, and 10 am to 8 pm Sundays. The ticket counter will close one hour before the museum does.

interactive exhibits immersive museums galleries international