Make A Wish

Austin holiday bazaar with toys and home decor returns for 24th season

This approachable art market has finds fitting many preferences.

Photo courtesy of Blue Genie Art Bazaar

When the sometimes dreaded task of holiday shopping rolls around again, Austinites have a huge advantage. This city is full of artisan fairs, and that increases in the late fall with the arrival of markets like Blue Genie Art Bazaar, returning for its 24th year November 15 to December 24.

The local shopping market is virtually split between this and the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, with the latter market focusing more on fine art and live music, while the former takes a wider, more utilitarian approach. This year there are more than 200 regional vendors, many of whose catalogs feature items that nod to their Texas heritage, cute and funny knickknacks, and unique home goods.

A website organizes the vendors into 15 categories for easy browsing, including by material (wood, glass, ceramics), modality (photography, fine art, folk art), use (home decor, body care), and more. A legitimately well-balanced mix of products during past years means this is a good place to stop for multiple receivers on a shopper's list

Another edge this market has over the plethora of others popping up is an online store — which, attention Halloween-lovers, is active year-round. Customers can pick up online orders at the store or get them shipped around the United States.

It's still worth it to go in person; aside from enhanced browsing, there will also be a bar and snacks. And in addition to supporting local artists, a portion of sales each Monday also supports Make-a-Wish of Central & South Texas.

Blue Genie Art Bazaar coasters This mix-and-match coasters depict Austin landmarks that only locals know, including some that have closed.Photo courtesy of Blue Genie Art Bazaar

“We’re excited to welcome even more artists and artisans to this year’s Bazaar, making it a truly one-stop shopping destination for the holidays,” said BGAB co-owner Dana Younger in a press release.

The Blue Genie Art Bazaar is located at 6100 Airport Boulevard, and open daily from 10 am to 10 pm, except Christmas Eve (December 24) when it closes at 6 pm. More information is available at bluegenieartbazaar.shop.

gifts shopping holidays

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."

museums galleries history texas