From thought-provoking installations to vibrant celebrations of local culture, Austin's art galleries and museums are hosting an array of must-see exhibitions this spring. Mexic-Arte Museum's Mix 'n' Mash: Celebrating Austin showcases the city's unique personality through the works of over 200 local and regional artists, while the Blanton’s showcase Unbreakable draws from a renowned collection to highlight feminist artistic visions.

Meanwhile, Lora Reynolds Gallery presents Jong Oh's minimalist sculptures and installations, and Link Pin Art features the unified focus on the human subject in the works of Eva Weiss and Cheryl Finfrock. So, whether you're looking to expand your mind, engage in meaningful conversations, or simply soak up some serious artistic inspiration, these nine exhibits are the perfect way to kickstart your spring.

Mexic-Arte Museum

Group Exhibition: Mix 'n' Mash: Celebrating Austin — through March 17
More than 200 artists in Austin and nearby areas have made unique artworks for this exhibition. The works capture Austin as the political and cultural center of Texas, showing the city's quirky and delightful personality. With topics about Austin's music, cuisine, and diversity, the Mix 'n' Mash exhibition displays the capital's enduring vibrancy. All the art can be bought at the museum or its online store, with a portion of the proceeds going to support Mexic-Arte's exhibits, educational programs, and care of its collections.

Lora Reynolds Gallery

Jong Oh: Bending Moment — through March 23
This exhibit features Oh’s minimalist sculptures and installations using thread, metal rods, rocks, plexiglass, and LED lights to create floating three-dimensional line drawings. Oh responds intuitively to the exhibition spaces, engineering delicate balances between materials, gravity, and architecture. His quiet, attentive nature translates into understated artworks that invite closer looking at one's surroundings.

Link Pin Art

Eva Weiss and Cheryl Finfrock: Synchronicity — through March 23
Though they work in different mediums, Weiss’ photography and Finfrock’s paintings show a unified focus on portraying the human subject. The artists united their mutual passion for capturing figures through a blend of classical, theatrical, and dreamlike imagery. The exhibit reveals an underlying artistic kinship between Finfrock's narrative paintings and Weiss's theatrical photography.

Blanton Museum of Art

Unbreakable: Feminist Visions from the Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores Garcia Collection— through March 31
Curated from the collection of Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores Garcia, Unbreakable explores themes of survival and feminism that defined the couple's vision as art collectors. Created using a variety of techniques since the 1970s, these powerful works give a voice to overlooked or exploited people, from immigrants and domestic workers, to defiant young women and rebels. The featured artists make visible those who have been marginalized, championing matriarchs, community members, and all who challenge societal norms.

Lydia Street Gallery

Kathy McCarty and David Thornberry: Apotheosis — through March 31
Apotheosis features recent works by renowned Austin artists Kathy McCarty and David Thornberry. McCarty brings her signature indie rock style to vivid pictorial paintings and reflections on life, dreams, and music. Complementing McCarty's works are Thornberry's observational paintings focusing on dramatic shapes, shadows, and light. Together, McCarty and Thornberry's pieces in Apotheosis showcase two artists revealing the depth and evolution of their respective creative visions.

  

Photo courtesy of the Mexic-Arte Museum

More than 200 artists in Austin and nearby areas have made unique artworks for Mexic-Arte's "Mix 'n' Mash."

Wally Workman Gallery

Ian Shults:Common Drugs and the Fantasies They Produce — through March 31
Shults' vivid acrylic paintings offer a provocative glimpse into the debaucherous underbelly of mid-20th century America. Combining fine art aesthetics with tales of illicit behaviors, his work conjures an era when subversion lurked beneath the glossy veneer of the American Dream. Shults warps vintage motifs into commentaries on humanity's seamy impulses — a blend of technical mastery and mischief that defines his artistic vision.

Ivester Contemporary

Tom Jean Webb: A Mother and Her Sun — through April 13
A Mother and Her Sun spotlights new paintings by Austin artist Tom Jean Webb. This show marks an evolution in Webb's artistic path as he delves into themes of presence, positivity, and human connection with nature. Originally from the UK, Webb finds inspiration in the expansive Southwestern landscapes he now inhabits. Through poetic, sometimes playful images, A Mother and Her Sun pays mindful homage to the power of the natural world.

Davis Gallery

Malou Flato: Greatest Hits — through April 6
Malou Flato works in a variety of mediums including watercolors, oils, acrylics, tile murals, etchings, sculpture, and digital prints. Her oil paintings beautifully capture the vibrancy of desert flowers and cacti. Flato's works are intricate and detailed, allowing viewers to appreciate the nuances she captures. Her focus and skill in rendering tiny details like petals, thorns, and fuzzy stems immerses audiences in the essence of each plant

Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking

Serena Perrone: Field Notes on Augury: Isti Mirant Stella — March 9 through April 20
Perrone finds inspiration in literature, art history, the natural world, and celestial phenomena, portraying both wonder and unease in confronting the landscape. Recurring symbols and her use of color unite her varied bodies of work. The artist blends realistic images with abstract elements to create visually captivating works. Using a multimedia mix of ceramics, painting, printmaking, Perrone gives her pieces a rich materiality that draws viewers into the piece.