This April, the diverse art scene in Austin offers a reflection of the city's dynamic cultural landscape. These exhibits are a chance to slow down, have a good chat, and see things from a new angle.
You've got a lot to choose from if you're hunting for art this month. West Chelsea Contemporary is all about the power of photography, with works from artists around the world. Wally Workman Gallery is showcasing Jen Garrido's emotional paintings and drawings. Alejandra Almuelle's exhibit at Women & Their Work uses clay to talk about life, memory, and how we all fit into the world.
Here are eight exhibits to check out this April.
Julia C. Butridge Gallery
Ziesook You: Scent of Austin— through 20
Ziesook utilizes flora and fauna from central Texas in her photographs of Austinites. The artist’s photographs incorporate symbolism inspired by Broq-pa floral traditions to create intimate, multi-layered portraits. This work explores the coexistence of humankind and nature, and Ziesook prefers continuous series that accumulate over time, examining themes of time, space, nature, and life.
GrayDuck Gallery
Sarah Sudhoff: Not a Drill — through April 21
Sudhoff, a Cuban-American visual artist and educator, investigates the disturbing rise in gun violence and the absence of significant gun reform in the United States. As a mother of two school-aged children, Sudhoff initiates powerful discussions about the fragility of life, empowering individuals and communities with resources, solidarity, and a voice. Through the use of everyday, child-centered materials combined with art-texts resembling headlines or protest slogans, the project involves collaboration with schools affected by shootings in Uvalde and Santa Fe, Texas.
Photo courtesy of Wally Workman Gallery
Jen Garrido plays with shapes and color in Shapes that Listen
West Chelsea Contemporary
Through the Lens — through April 21
This exhibition pays tribute to the groundbreaking visionaries who elevate the discipline of photography, showcasing the enduring power of images to captivate, enlighten, and enrich. With a distinguished ensemble of more than 25 blue chip and mid-career photographers from a dozen countries, the exhibition offers a diverse exploration of photographic artistry and highlights the medium's enduring relevance in contemporary art. Notable artists include Matthew Porter, Vik Muniz, E.V. Day, Bob Gruen, Raphael Mazzucco, Greg Davis, Todd Murphy, and Vee Speers, whose works are collected by institutions and celebrities alike.
Austin Public Library
Leta Harrison: Black Girls Don’t Wear Red Lipstick — through April 21
Harrison's photographic exhibition, curated by Keyheira Keys and Whitney Hamilton of _OfColorATX, presents captivating images of Black women confidently wearing bold colors and shades of red lipstick. These photographs exemplify beauty as a form of activism, empowering women to reclaim their power, defy oppressive beauty standards, and challenge stereotypes. Influenced by Texas musician Kam Franklin's personal experiences of being judged for her expressive style, Harrison's impactful images celebrate the individuality of each woman.
Wally Workman Gallery
Jen Garrido: Shapes That Listen — April 6 through 28
In her paintings and drawings, Garrido explores the delicate balance between choice and process. She projects images and forms, responding to personal narrative, internal dialogue, and the medium itself. She favors nature-based forms, drawn to shapes that tangle, overlap, and lean. Color is her central focus, with shapes that communicate the ever-changing human emotional state. Her works communicate the ever-changing internal and external growth of the human emotional state, filled with love, sadness, grief, joy, and even magic.
The University of Texas at Austin’s Art Galleries at Black Studies
Michael A. Booker: Wave Patterns — through May 3
Booker investigates the connections between International Code of Signals (INTERCO) flags, ocean waves, and Black hairstyles. Through symbolically linked materials, The artist showcases how these apparently disparate modes convey subtle information while simultaneously representing African American culture. Booker's depictions of lake and ocean waves symbolize the memories, tranquility, power, and shared stories and experiences of Black people throughout history.
Alicia Henry:(Un)knowing — through May 8
Henry's mixed-media art distorts and transforms human forms, challenging traditional identity concepts and opening up new interpretations. The artist incorporates materials like dye, thread, and linen to show how ritual masks in African cultures work psychologically and spiritually. This exhibition invites viewers to connect with the sculptures and installations on a deep level and think about how they see Blackness.
Women & Their Work
Alejandra Almuelle: Circular Body — through May 9
In her latest series, "Circular Body," Almuelle incorporates various materials to evoke a monochromatic palette and explore the circular nature of time and motion. The circle, as a symbol of the sphere, is present in various forms, from the eye to the cosmos. Almuelle's art explores the human form as a repository of memory and experience. Through hand-built clay sculptures, she invites viewers to consider the interplay between the body and the environment. By exploring the human form, she highlights the experiences that shape our identities and our impact on the world around us.
