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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Behind the Studio Doors

Art lovers go behind the scenes in the city-wide Austin Studio Tour

Austin Studio Tour/austinstudiotour.org

The Austin Studio tour is back for another year of peeking behind the scenes.

For two weekends each November, Austin's creative spaces throw open their doors, inviting curious minds to peek behind the curtain of the city's art scene. The free Austin Studio Tour, which has grown from a modest gathering of 28 studios to a citywide celebration featuring more than 400 artists, returns starting November 9.

What began as a grassroots effort to connect artists with their community has evolved into one of Texas's largest self-guided art experiences, drawing more than 60,000 visitors each year. The Big Medium-organized, self-guided tour splits Austin along IH-35, with west side locations welcoming visitors during Weekend 1 and east side spaces following during Weekend 2.

Among the tour's stops are several cornerstone art spaces. Women & Their Work has championed women artists since 1978, while the Mexic-Arte Museum celebrates Mexican, Latino, and Latin American expression through its programming. Artist-run spaces like ICOSA Collective and Cloud Tree Studios offer glimpses into working artists' environments, and the established Wally Workman Gallery showcases some of the city's most collected talent.

Some Kind of Feeling ICOSA Collective A work in the Some Kind of Feeling exhibit that will be on display at ICOSA Collective during the studio tour.ICOSA Collective/Instagram

Beyond traditional gallery exhibitions, the tour showcases art in nearly every medium. Visitors can experience everything from video installations and performance pieces, to interactive sculptures and collaborative murals. The tour also provides a chance to explore Austin's public art, from sprawling murals to permanent installations that have become city landmarks.

How people experience these works varies as much as the art itself. Some gather at intimate spaces, like last year's backyard celebration at Carly Weaver's studio with live music and hands-on art-making; while others join curated journeys like the Almost Real Things bus tour.

Each stop reveals different creative viewpoints through each artist's work: Valerie Fowler's intricate nature-inspired works, Karen Maness' theatrical scenic art, Keith Kreeger's celebrated ceramics. In spaces like Adrian Whipp's Lumiere Tintype studio, traditional photography techniques meet contemporary vision, while printmaker Dan Grissom's illustrated works capture Austin's independent spirit.

Adrian Whipp's traveling studio will be part of the tour.Adrian Whipp's Lumiere Tintype studio/lumieretintype.com

Even better than the varied works is the chance to meet the artists, who are usually on hand to talk about their process and inspiration. Sometimes they'll even be working on pieces, or they'll have works in progress on display. This makes it more than just a gallery tour, and explains why Austinites love this interactive peek behind the scenes.

Austin Studio Tour will take place November 9-10 and 16-17 from noon to 6 pm each weekend. More information is available at austinstudiotour.org. A map is available here. No RSVP needed.

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