A Long Time

Austin's Long Center celebrates its 15th anniversary and unique co-founder with maximal fanfare

Dr. Teresa Lozano Long was the first Hispanic woman to graduate from the University of Texas with a doctorate in health and physical education.

Photo courtesy of the Long Center

The Long Center has been around...for a long time. In many ways Austin's leading arts organization, it brings outdoor concerts, theater, cinema, awards ceremonies, and more to a beautiful, central venue in one of the more natural downtown areas. Most important, it doesn't let the hangups of traditional art get in the way of pop that people can actually relate to.

This year, the Long Center is celebrating its 15th anniversary with its first-ever "Teresa Lozano Long Community Day" on Saturday, September 9. This open house — turned into a party, the Long Center way — honors the late, multi-hyphenate Dr. Teresa Lozano Long, who co-founded the organization.

Perhaps Dr. Long knew how to straddle the line between fine and popular art because she embodied that same blend of highbrow and weathered hands her whole life. Raised on a dairy farm, it only took her until age 16 to become valedictorian of her high school.

From there, she worked up through her doctorate degree in health and physical education at the University of Texas, where she was the first Hispanic woman to do so, according to the Long Center. So as anyone raised on a farm with a doctorate in phys-ed would do, she made it her mission to support the arts, later giving the lead gift that got the Long Center started, with her husband's help.

“I know Terry is looking down with pride and appreciation for this free community day in her honor, as she was always the first in line to celebrate a major milestone for access to the arts in Austin,” said her husband, Joe Long, in a release. “It really is amazing to see all that has been accomplished in 15 years at the Long Center, and all that is in store for generations to come as this special place continues to unite the community with local, national, and global arts programming.”

The open house will invite Austinites into a space they've probably entered time and time again, for different programming every hour from noon to 5 pm.

Some of these programming blocks will highlight the talents and missions of:

Indie chamber music group Montopolis
Mexican folk dance company Ballet Folklorico de Austin
Music education nonprofit Austin Soundwaves
Professional theater company Austin Shakespeare
Classical guitar instruction nonprofit Austin Classical Guitar
Austin ISD's Northeast High School Band
Musicians of the Austin Symphony Orchestra
Ballet Austin's free community dance event, Rhythm on Stage
The Long Center's own Austin Opera
Music by DJ Mixer Rogers and crafts & games by youth development nonprofit Creative Action

Alongside all these things to see and hear, visitors can pop in and out of a cocktail lounge, get snacks from various food trucks, and explore a retrospective gallery honoring the Long Center's last 15 years. Long Center and Business Arts Council members can stop by the Member's Green Room for a complimentary cocktail, popcorn, and merch.

Since the purpose is to to get Austinites in touch with the arts, there will be some in-person ticket deals at the box office. The center secured support from H-E-B and AT&T to ensure that the event would be free for everyone to attend.

“Thanks to the vision and generosity of Dr. Long and her husband, Joe, the Long Center is proud to celebrate 15 years of realizing their dream of making the arts accessible to all,” said Long Center CEO Cory Baker. “The Longs have opened doors to the arts to those who otherwise would not have had the opportunity so in that spirit, it is an honor to open the Long Center’s doors wide for a free event for all to enjoy.”

No matter what's happening onstage, she encourages people to look around every bit of the property. “The Long Center is always yours," she adds, "but [it is] especially on Teresa Lozano Long Community Day!"

For more information about the Long Center and the open house, visit thelongcenter.org.

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Outside the Lines

Buda artist releases intuitive drawing book with fun prompts

Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Artist Ronald Gross creates an intuitive drawing with crayon, which he considers a "joyful" medium.

Buda-based artist and writer Ronald Gross released a book in November called Unlock Your Creativity: A Guide to Intuitive Drawing, which will walk aspiring expressers through drawing without worry. On December 6, he'll be on hand to help in an intuitive drawing demo at Buda Public Library's Holiday Open House.

The book is a hands-on guide that teaches readers how to lean into their own desires and intuitions when drawing, whether they feel like an artist or not. In this way, intuitive drawing should feel relaxing, meditative, and ultimately, beneficial for mental health. If you find coloring books relaxing and meditative, intuitive drawing may have the same effect on you.

"Intuitive drawing is the practice of creating art without a specific plan or outcome in mind," says Gross. "It’s about letting your hand move freely, guided by emotion, curiosity, or subconscious impulses; not about making something perfect."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Intuitive drawing is simple, joyful, and according to Gross can calm the mind much like meditation. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

This book presents exercises to access a mindful state: freeform doodling, blind contouring drawing, drawing from the imagination, and drawing from emotions. For artists feeling stuck, Gross also includes plenty of exercises for overcoming creative blocks and even discusses ways intuitive drawing can be applied to other creative projects and areas of life.

In the December workshop, Gross will give a quick demonstration on how to create an intuitive drawing using nothing but lines, shapes, and simple marks. Then participants can try it out with a variety of crayons, because crayons are "tactile" and can quickly transport people into a "playful, unselfconscious space," according to Gross.

"The workshop is all about creating a supportive, judgment-free space to explore intuitive drawing," he says. "Attendees will leave with tools to keep practicing on their own and, hopefully, a renewed sense of creativity and playfulness."

An intuitive drawing from author and artist Ronald Gross. In college Gross was taught how to take a doodle and elevate it into fine art.Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross's own journey into intuitive drawing started at a young age, when he would doodle and sketch throughout the school day. Years later at the Academy of Art University, a professor encouraged him to lean into this more intuitive and abstract style of art. Since then, Gross has been exploring intuitive drawing's ability to access a meditative state, as well as tap into the subconscious mind.

"When you draw intuitively, you’re fully present in the moment," Gross says. "Your mind quiets, and you become attuned to the flow of your thoughts, feelings, and physical movements. It’s akin to meditation, only instead of sitting still, you’re actively channeling your inner experience onto the page."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Gross's intuitive drawings each evoke a different feeling through his simple use of color and linework. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross adds that over time, doing some of the exercises included in the book may even help boost confidence, since intuitive drawing can help people learn to trust their instincts.

"Intuitive drawing can unlock creativity, reduce stress, and help people reconnect with their inner selves," he adds. "It offers a space to process emotions, spark ideas, and break free from perfectionism or overthinking."

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