preserve atx art

Austin's Umlauf Sculpture Garden gets creative with new expansion and preservation plans

The museum is partnering with an international architecture firm to execute its vision plan.

Photo by Studio Uma

A long-standing staple of Austin's artistic community is seeking to expand its premises and improve accessibility for patrons in a new vision plan for the site's future.

The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum (stylized UMLAUF) is collaborating with international architecture and engineering firm Page to develop its Historic Preservation, Expansion and Unification (HPEU) Plan. In addition to expansion and accessibility improvements, the vision plan will also include details to preserve the 1.93-acre portion of the property that encompasses the namesake Umlauf home, artist's studio, and sculpture garden.

"Our goal is to give every single visitor — from those who know little about Austin to those who frequent the Garden regularly — the opportunity to experience the full scope of this treasured site," said Umlauf Board of Directors President Jennie Branch in a release. "As Austin has grown exponentially, the Umlauf remains committed to sharing this vital part of the City’s history within eight acres of green space in the heart of Austin."

Page has an extensive history working on major projects in Austin while managing environmental concerns. The firm has helped construct the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the Austin Convention Center, the Second Street District, Rainey Street, and much more.

Page will be tasked with addressing storm water runoff and surface pollutants at the Umlauf as part of the HPEU Plan.

"Page’s people, plus their long history of innovation and sensitivity to environmental concerns, made them the right choice for the Umlauf," Branch continued.

The architecture firm also has a previous connection with the sculpture garden. Lawrence Speck, Page's Lead Principle architect, is the creator behind the original Umlauf Gallery and Terrace.

"We were honored to help create the original Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum back in the 1980s, but this project is absolutely about the future… the future of the UMLAUF, and the future of Austin," Speck said.

The Umlauf is seeking community input before moving forward with the HPEU Plan. The sculpture garden always has fundraising opportunities at events, such as The Domain's Starlight Soiree this October.

More information about the vision plan and a public survey can be found on umlaufsculpture.org.

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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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