Category Archives: Art

20ft Wide

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IMG_8015Bill and I visited Alley #111 today.

20ft Wide is a temporary outdoor exhibit space set up in downtown Alley #111 for this weekend only. The entrance is on 9th Street, just east of Congress Avenue. Multiple artists and architects contributed to this exhibit sponsored by Art Alliance Austin. According to the artists’ statement, “Austin’s downtown alleys remain largely unnoticed. Yet, these public spaces are in danger of being removed by super-block developments, which will alter the character and scale of the city fabric. 20ft Wide seeks to bring awareness and appreciation to this urban space, to foster discussion about the role of the alley in the city, while simultaneously generating new possibilities for its use.”

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Art City Austin: 2013

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IMG_7996Art City Austin took over the area around Austin City Hall this weekend. Over 100 artists  set up tents to display their fine art and jewelry in this show sponsored by Art Alliance Austin. While many artists were from central Texas, the show also attracted participation from far-away places such as Toronto, Boston, and Seattle. The weekend weather was a bit warm, but much nicer than last year’s stormy weather.

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The Red Swing Project

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Red swings are visiting our downtown neighborhood. 
The Red Swing Project is “a public art initiative in which red swings are placed in public spaces anonymously to inspire playfulness everywhere.” This unique project started in Austin back in 2007 and since then over 150 red swings have been placed in the US and India.
Two red swings were installed at Austin City Hall as part of Art City Austin a few weeks ago. One is still there, just outside Wild About Music‘s latest storefront, Austin Rocks TX (an unusual store name, but I agree with it on several levels). The other swing is now outside the Austin Children’s Museum, just across the street from our apartment. I have been surreptitiously using this swing at times when the streets are relatively deserted.
I’ll be sad when these are taken down later this month, for riding a swing is “the pleasantest thing”!

The Swing
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside–
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown–
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!
Robert Louis Stevenson

La Peña

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I’m always on the lookout for a good breakfast taco. So when I’d heard that La Peña on Congress Avenue sells the best ones in town, I just had to investigate. Bill and I have walked by this building many times but never went inside.

I was very surprised to discover that La Peña is actually an art gallery that also sells some food. Founder Cynthia Perez created this gallery to showcase Latino art in downtown Austin. Usually the word peña means “rocky outcrop or summit” in Spanish, but it can also refer to “a grass-roots community meeting place where popular folklore and other artistic expressions accompanied by food and drink are showcased.” Cynthia and her sister Lidia used to own Las Manitas Avenue Cafe, a popular Mexican restaurant that used to be on Congress Avenue as well. I remember the controversy in 2008 when Las Manitas was closed to make way for a new Marriott hotel. (Construction on the hotel was subsequently delayed and is supposed to begin later this year.)  

La Peña’s current exhibit “The Amazing Talavera Style” displays painted ceramics made by fifth-grade students from East Austin’s Sanchez Elementary School. Another definition may be needed here: talavera is a type of Mexican pottery with a milkish-white glaze. The children’s creations are very colorful and creative. The upcoming exhibit, “Healing Manadalas” by Juan Pabloe Gutierrez, features traditional cut paper techniques and opens later this month.

Now about those breakfast tacos: La Peña contains a small food counter called Congress Avenue Grocery that sells pastries, coffee, soft drinks, and breakfast tacos. The tacos actually come from Elsi’s Restaurant, located north of downtown on Burnet Road. My egg-and-potato taco was quite delicious, maybe not the very best in Austin since it’s not made-to-order, but I will certainly return for more.  

A Statue for Willie

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Finally the big day has arrived…the unveiling of a new statue honoring Willie Nelson!

Tuesday evening Bill and I had watched as the statue arrived downtown and was installed at the ACL-Live/Moody Theater on the corner of Lavaca and Second. It has remained hidden under a big wooden crate since then.

The unveiling ceremony was scheduled for 4:00 PM this afternoon. The crowd started gathering about a hour before. At 3:58 PM, Willie’s bus rolled up Second Street, making quite an entrance. 

Willie and his sister, Bobbie, stepped out of the bus and made their way to the stage. A short program featured speeches by the sculptor, Clete Shields, Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell and a few others. I stood on the curb across the street and had an unobstructed view of most speakers, including Kris Kristofferson. 

But just as the statue was being unveiled, a bunch of very tall guys stood directly in front of me, filming with their cell phones raised high above their heads. So I heard, but could not really see, Willie as he sang his signature song, On the Road Again, and then also Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die. If you look closely, you can just make out Willie in the black hat on the right side of the photo below:

The new eight-foot statue is of a smiling, seated Willie holding his guitar…a great addition to our neighborhood and to Austin! 

Art City Austin

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Art City Austin took place right below our apartment this weekend. Artists from central Texas and around the US displayed photography, sculpture, jewelry, paintings, and more in this show sponsored by Art Alliance Austin. With an admission fee of $8 per adult, ACA had fewer attendees than the free Pecan Street Festival, but higher quality artwork.
Last year’s ACA weekend was extremely hot. This year, Saturday was extremely windy. I was worried that the canvas booths might blow over, but they seemed to be securely weighted down. On Sunday a rainstorm came through about noon and then temperatures dropped to the low ’60s. As a result, I think attendance was lower on Sunday than on Saturday.
Many artists posted “No Photographs, Please” so I didn’t take many pictures and just enjoyed browsing the booths. I decided against purchasing a print of yellow rubber duckies, since I am determined to stay downsized. And I loved the bronze palm tree with halogen lights in the coconuts but then I remembered that we have no yard. Bill was relieved that I did not bring back either of these items.

Austin Energy’s winning designs for the Refrigerator Recycling Art Contest were also on display. I always wondered what happened to old refrigerator doors. Now I know. 

Downtown Murals

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One of downtown Austin’s more famous street murals is hiding the burned-out shell of the Black Cat Lounge. A liquor application has been posted so perhaps this vacant space is about to be renovated? (Sixth Street and San Jacinto)

 
A lovely but fading park scene is painted on the side of the Ghost Inn. (Fourth and Guadalupe)

Now that the Hickory Street restaurant has been remodeled, a sign says that this mural on the side of the building will be repainted soon. (Eighth and Congress)

These brightly-colored butterflies are on the side of the State Theatre building. (Seventh and Congress)

As you might guess, this scene is painted on the side of a bar, Darwin’s Pub.(Sixth and San Jacinto)

This mural by Federico Archuleta was commissioned by the Mexic-Arte Museum and is a popular backdrop for engagement and wedding pictures. (Fifth and Congress)

Just a peaceful Texas scene: an armadillo crossing highway 183. (Sixth and San Jacinto)

Local hot dog establishment Frank has started a public art wall on the side of their restaurant. Each month a different artist is invited to create a new mural. (Fourth and Colorado)