state of the arts

Refresh your art knowledge for 2024 with these 7 Austin exhibits in January

Besties, where's the "new year, new me" energy when it comes to contemporary art? If you're just waking up from the holidays, these seven art exhibits around Austin will help ease that transition; These collections focus on fantasy, but they don't leave reality behind. Learn about Daoism through Anthony Huang's prints, or enjoy Salvador Dalí mashups by Mr. Brainwash. That'll get your head on straight...ish.

Ivester Contemporary

Ryan Thayer Davis: “End Hits” — through January 13
The second solo exhibition by Thayer Davis highlights his unique dual-process approach to art. Davis begins with vibrant gouache sketches, then meticulously scales them up on large canvases, capturing every detail of the originals. He then contrasts this with sumi ink drawings, which are transformed through bold color and textural variations. The exhibition offers a captivating look at the interplay between the precise replications of his paper works and the expansive, interpretive nature of his larger paintings, inviting viewers into a world of structural richness and layered visual melodies.

Terra Goolsby: “The Shape of Dusk” — through January 13
Goolsby's art explores nahualism (Mesoamerican dream theory) and transformation, blending porcelain, bone, fur, and her clothing into sculptures that echo indigenous shapeshifting lore and the in-between of dusk. Her works, paired with her art on paper, invite reflection on identity's fluidity against the backdrop of a diverse American culture. Bridging ancestral wisdom with contemporary stories, her sculptures challenge viewers to rethink personal and collective identity through the evocative power of her art.

Dougherty Art Center

Chelsea Biggerstaff, Gabriella Blasquez, Veronica Christianson, and Ali Rex: “Process and ReProcess” — through January 27
These four artists each use ceramics to navigate the human condition. Biggerstaff's masks and altars delve into resilience and emotional memory, while Blasquez examines the tenuous, yet strong bonds of human connection. Christianson captures the essence of daily rituals in her textured, functional pieces, and Rex translates the invisible pain of endometriosis into tangible anatomical models, fostering understanding and connection. Their collective work offers a rich tapestry of the strength, vulnerability, and intricate realities of personal experience.

West Chelsea Contemporary

Salvador Dalí and Mr. Brainwash: “Life is Surreal” — through January 28
A captivating fusion of Salvador Dalí's Surrealism and Mr. Brainwash's Pop Art vibrancy comes together in “Life is Surreal.” The exhibition showcases more than 50 of Dalí's ethereal masterpieces alongside 30 dynamic works by Mr. Brainwash, creating a world where dreamlike fantasy meets the energy of street culture. Visitors are invited into an immersive realm where each piece sparks a visual conversation, challenging and enchanting the senses. Prepare to explore a bold, imaginative landscape where the limits of creativity are stretched and redefined.

Link and Pin

Anthony Huang: “Flow” — January 18 through February 10
In his latest exhibit, Anthony Huang uses Daoist concepts and the motif of birds to address urban life's mental strains and the barrage of information. His art offers a respite for city dwellers, guiding them towards a meditative "Flow" and spiritual introspection. Huang's prints, free from human presence, encourage viewers to reconnect with nature and the ancient continuum of self and cosmos.

Austin Public Library

Pepe Coronado: “Traces” — through January 28
Coronado's exhibition at the shifting gallery at Austin's Central Library merges two print series that delve into the ephemeral nature of human existence, as well as the complex history between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. His monotypes in "Apertura" are bold in black and white, capturing fleeting spaces with a dynamic tension, while “Mapping” traces the intricate dance of political and economic relations between the two nations. Coronado brings his rich experience and narrative depth to these works, offering a visual meditation on the marks of passage and the persistence of cultural connections.

Wally Workman Gallery

Chloe Alexander: “PrintAustin 2024” — January 15 through February 15
Alexander's solo exhibition features story-rich printmaking, drawing from the deep contrasts found in classic illustrations, graphic novels, and fairy tales. Her work, steeped in nostalgia, employs linocut, lithography, and silkscreen. Her pieces balance shadow and light, inviting viewers into a realm where familiar imagery provokes personal connections and interpretations. Through her prints, Alexander communicates beyond words, aiming for her visual narratives to be reimagined by audiences bringing their own experiences to her art.

Photo Courtesy of Ivester Contemporary

"Get Refreshments at the Hole" by Ryan Thayer Davis

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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."

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