WHERE CREATIVITY FLOWS

Bask in local artistry with the inaugural San Marcos Studio Tour in April

From their paint-splattered or photo-covered walls, these creative environments are where an artist feels most comfortable to create their work.

Photo courtesy of MotherShip Studios

A new way to interact with local Central Texas artists is debuting at the end of March. The inaugural, self-guided San Marcos Studio Tour will feature more than 50 artists all across San Marcos and the surrounding area.

The tour will be led by women-owned and operated MotherShip Studios, an up and coming studio and gallery located between San Marcos and Martindale. MotherShip aims to facilitate community development by providing an affordable, welcoming studio space for local artists.

A special event will kick off the tour on the evening of March 31 at the MotherShip warehouse. The evening celebration will feature a group exhibition, live music, a giveaway, an artistic demonstration, and more. Attendees can also try one of the specially crafted complimentary drinks by local breweries such as Middleton Brewing, Still Austin Whiskey, and Austin Beer Works, who are sponsoring the event.

The studio tour will take place the weekend of April 1-2. Tour maps will be provided with numbers assigned to each artist’s studio, and signs will be posted to help tour-goers find their way around. During the weekend, visitors can also check out different group showcases at the warehouse in between their studio stops. While at the warehouse, they can also browse a catalog by the tour’s artists that will be available for purchase.

One of the goals of the tour is to showcase the “raw spaces” each local artist creates their work in, according to a press release. From their paint-splattered or photo-covered walls, these creative environments are where an artist feels most comfortable to create their work.

The San Marcos Studio Tour is free and open to the public. The tour’s kick off event will begin at 7 pm on March 31, and the self-guided tour will take place from 12 to 6 pm on April 1-2.

More information about the tour can be found on MotherShip Studio’s website.

San Marcos art tour local artists local art artists

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