Curatorial residencies are hard to come by and getting the time off to do residencies is even harder. Luckily, AMOA-Arthouse’s Libby Tilley introduced me to the Casa Chuck family, and they invited me to spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend a stone’s throw away in San Antonio, at the former residence of late artist Chuck Ramirez.

Before heading down I-35, Libby informed me that I was in for a magical time. She did use the word “magical” and I nodded, excited to meet with artists in our neighboring city and see the work in their studios. I arrived Friday evening, heading directly to Blue Star Contemporary Art Center before closing time to see their exhibitions. Artists Dominick Talvacchio and Esteban Delgado stood out for strong, geometric work that I tend to gravitate towards.

After Blue Star, I headed to Casa Chuck, located at The Compound off of St. Mary’s and Stieren. The Compound, where the gallery Sala Diaz has resided for seventeen years, is part of San Antonio’s arts history. Weathered-looking houses line two sides of a large lot, and a shared backyard contains four chickens, gardening detritus, a spit for roasting a pig left over from New Year’s Eve, and a long table with a lamp once belonging to Chuck.

I met with Henry Estrada, who works with the public art department of the city and who is the caretaker of Casa Chuck. He led me in through the backdoor and I was immediately transported. Chuck’s casa is bursting with color, flavor, and lamps. Wall space is hard to come by, as they are covered in works that Chuck collected or exchanged with friends over the years. A lot of love went into everything in the house, and not knowing much about Chuck, I started to feel that magic that Libby mentioned to me.

I highly suggest trying the brussel sprouts and cauliflower dishes at The Monterey, basically next door to the compound. I walked over to have dinner with Nina Hassele (director of Contemporary Art Month) and Elizabeth Ciarfeo (director of Artist Foundation of San Antonio), which blossomed into a lovely meal bustling with conversation about our two cities, and interrupted every few minutes by another friend stopping by to say hello. The Monterey has great atmosphere and a beautiful outdoor patio where we spent the remainder of the night with artist Chris Sauter, amongst others.

Saturday was a whirlwind of visits with artists. I met with Hills Synder (who runs Sala Diaz) in Chuck’s living room, Kelly O’Connor in a rehabbed shoe factory from the late 1800s, the aforementioned Chris Sauter in the church he is currently making into his studio, and Justin Parr, who is now caretaker of the crumbling ruins of the former Hot Wells Hotel and Spa. Each of these visits was a fantastic look into different areas in San Antonio, and especially the creative energy that is alive and well. I am really looking forward to Kelly’s exhibition at Women and Their Work in March!

I also spent Sunday visiting with artists Randy Wallace, Stuart Allen, Joey Fauerso, Justin Boyd, and Ethel Shipton. Ethel and I talked about her work as she installed her show Moments at Unit B Gallery—just down the street from Casa Chuck. I was lucky to meet with Randy, who is teaching a class on urban wandering, collaborative art, and social practice. This subject is near and dear to my heart and we have exchanged a few emails since I’ve been back to Austin. Stuart Allen introduced me to much of the public art happening in San Antonio, both his own projects and the great projects happening on the River Walk. I was lucky to see one of Joey Fauerso’s new videos (I showed her video Me Time as part of the Texas Biennial Screening in 2011), and I spoke with Justin Boyd about his sound works on view at the Southwest School of Art and his upcoming show at Lawndale Arts Center in Houston.

Sunday evening was a gathering of new friends at Henry Estrada’s home in the compound with Mexico City curator and one of the curators of the 2013 Texas Biennial Barbara Perea. Barbara was the first resident of Casa Chuck and I was happy to speak with her about her experience in San Antonio. She was very excited to be back for a week, doing research and working on exhibitions with some artists she met while in residence.

As I drove back to Austin Monday morning, I was happy to be heading home, but also thrilled about my trip and everything I had learned over the weekend. Acquaintances became friends, strangers became friends, and the magic that Libby spoke about was definitely alive in San Antonio. I am looking forward to having more crossovers between our cities and our art communities. Austin and San Antonio are both small but vibrant, and we shouldn’t forget that we are only a little over an hour away. I hope some of you will join me next week as I head to Artpace for a performance by JD EMMANUEL on February 8, organized by former AMOA-Arthouse exhibiting artist J. Parker Valentine.

On January 8, 2013, teachers across Austin came together for the Winter Exhibitions Teacher Workshop at AMOA Arthouse. During the workshop, teachers explored two exhibitions currently on view at Laguna Gloria―Shapeshifting: New Methods of Drawing by Ann Tarantino and Bethany Johnson and New Works: Michael Menchaca.

In Shapeshifting, Ann Tarantino used lasers to cut organic patterns into adhesive vinyl and create window panels for the Tea Room. Her fluid lines were inspired by her visit to Laguna Gloria and exploration of the natural flora and fauna found on the site. While on the grounds, the artist took photos of roaming peacocks and nearby foliage. She returned to her studio and used these photos as inspiration, ultimately creating a series of unique lines and shapes that resemble a stained glass installation.

In addition to the laser-cut window treatments, Tarantino poured ink directly onto the walls of the Driscoll Villa and used an air compressor to move the ink across the surface. In doing so, she made organic and spontaneous marks on the wall that have now become part of the history of the Villa. Ann Tarantino’s wall drawings were the point of departure for the participating teachers; they were the source of inspiration for their own project/take-home art.

In her practice, Ann Tarantino experiments with the effects of gravity on lines and patterns. These lines and patterns ultimately resemble nerve tissue and demonstrate a capillary effect. To read more about the capillary effect visit. Similar to Ann Tarantino’s process, teachers who attended the workshop used the Copic Airbrush Markers system and a variety of straw sizes with ink to produce their work of art.

During the activity, teachers were exposed to projects linking the uncertainty of science with art due to the effects of gravity and other elements. By using chance in their technique through the nature of the Copic Airbrush Marker system as well as the straws, every piece resulted in a variety of unique markings.

See below for more photos from the night, and be sure to check our website frequently for information on upcoming workshops.

Being involved this past fall in Young Artists as an education intern has been very rewarding. I started working at AMOA-Arthouse as a volunteer prior to my internship. I already knew about the different education programs and attended a few exhibitions prior, but I had never thought that this experience would be the confirmation I was looking for.  I now plan on graduating with an undergraduate degree in education with a focus on community; I was seeking out the perfect internship to learn more about art education in Austin.

While volunteering and searching for internships that would allow me to focus on areas I was interested in, I learned about the Young Artists program at AMOA-Arthouse. I wanted to be involved in Young Artists because it provides Austin-area high school students with the opportunity to participate in a multi-visit, free art program taking place every Saturday. Over this past semester, students met with two local artists, created a collective zine, and mastered color mixing with oil paints for self-portraits. We took field trips to the East Austin Studio Tour, St. Edward’s University, and the Blanton Museum of Art. During these trips and workshops, Young Artists helps students strengthen their portfolios with one-on-one portfolio reviews.

My main goal as an education intern was to observe the process of an art educator as well as learning how to communicate and relate to each student. Through my participation and observation, I began to feel that teen programs like Young Artists are vital to our community. I was able to experience not only the preparation that goes into Young Artists each week, but also interact and have fun with the students every Saturday.

Young Artists meetings are on Saturdays from 10–1pm; applications for the Spring 2013 semester are due January 18, 2013 and can be found here.

Sam is also an excellent photographer and master of getting all of us to smile! See some of her fantastic candid snapshots, below.

Club-A is a free, intensive program at the Jones Center for Austin-area high school students with a strong interest in visual arts. Students participate as a “collective,” working on projects that enhance their group as a whole as well as their involvement in the community. During the semester, students had the opportunity to meet and work with active art collectives throughout the city. Artists from Ink Tank and MASS Gallery were very willing and excited to work with the students and bring their artistic ideas to life.

For the final group project, MASS Gallery invited Club-A to participate in The Alley Cat Project: Contemporary Art in the Overlooked Corners of East Austin, a site specific exhibition featuring twelve artists/collectives utilizing twelve different alleyway locations throughout Austin’s east side. Over the course of four visits, three representatives from MASS worked with the students to complete their Alley Cat Project contribution inspired by flags.

Members of Club-A began brainstorming as a group on the idea of “humor” to inspire a concept that would reclaim one of East Austin’s hidden alleyways. Students found it inspiring how we interact with flags and their inherent messages, which led to a discussion on the unique interplay between the symbols,  colors, and shapes of flags. The initial theme began to take new shape as the group proceeded. In the end, students created their own flags each with a distinctive voice, which together introduced an array of color to an otherwise muted alleyway.

Last Saturday afternoon, friends and family of Club-A participants came together to celebrate the completion and success of The Alley Cat Project installation while viewing the finished product. Photos of the “opening” are below.

This was an unforgettable experience for Club-A students, and we would like to thank MASS Gallery for this wonderful opportunity! Please check here to find the location of Club-A’s installation and read more about MASS Presents: The Alley Cat Project.

Club-A meetings are every Wednesday from 5–7pm; applications for the Spring 2013 semester are due January 16 and can be found here.

I love this time of year. The decorations, the music, the food, family…just call me a big softy. I’m also a good way through my Christmas shopping. Luckily I like to shop and I usually do a good job picking out gifts for friends and family. I also have a wonderful imagination—with that in mind, let’s pretend that resources were available to accommodate ANY art gift that you’d want. Since AMOA-Arthouse is a modern and contemporary art institution, I’m going to narrow the parameters down to those two periods. Here is my top five, dream art gift wishlist (you’ll notice I’m an early to mid-century, wall hang-y kinda guy; hint, hint):

5. Manhattan by Georgia O’Keeffe: I love this piece and was lucky to experience it in person when I went to the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. It’s so true to her styling and that color palette. Pinks, baby blues, and flowers for Manhattan? I love it!

4. Yellow-Red-Blue by Wassily Kandinsky: This was one of the first pieces that captivated me when I was younger. Honestly, I had no idea what I was looking at when I first came across it, but for some reason I was drawn to it. I have a poster of it on my wall and I find myself getting lost in it regularly. Nothing beats the real thing.

3. Modern Painting of Sun Rays by Roy Lichtenstein: Lichtenstein, for me, captures a very real and believable organic quality in this piece that makes me feel that a new day is literally being birthed—along with all the promise, challenges, and opportunities that comes with a new day—when I see it.

2. Willie Nelson by Annie Leibovitz: Black-and-white photography speaks to me. I love the stripped, raw quality the medium brings. Austin. Music. Legend. ‘Nuff said.

1. The Jazz Series by Romare Bearden: Yes, the whole series. I’m a loud and proud marching band nerd. My introduction to classical music due to my band was also my introduction to the arts. Music has been such a huge part of my life, with jazz being one of the tougher nuts for me to crack. Bearden’s layers and colors are jazz for me. I see what I hear, and hear what I see.

You see, I’m pretty easy to shop for too. Happy Holidays, everyone!

This time of year always makes me a little nostalgic. When day light savings time ends, the days are shorter, and the leaves begin to turn (yes, even here in Texas), I can’t help but getting a little misty as my mind reminisces  on the past. Let’s take a moment to understand the Austin I grew up in.

My grandmother, mother, and I moved to Austin in 1977. My grandmother owned a condo in Acapulco and would drive from Chicago, through Austin, to Acapulco in her Buick Riviera. In the 60’s and 70’s, Austin was, according to my grandmother, “a quaint, little, college town.”  Combine that with the fact they were both fed up with the cold weather, you have the perfect reason to relocate to Austin. In the 70’s, Austin was very different than the Austin we know today. The downtown skyline was in its infancy, North Lamar and Rundberg was the beginning of cow pastures, and MOPAC (Loop 1) wasn’t even there.

Needless to say, Austin has since started to grow up then, now being the 15^th largest city in the nation. I’m lucky that my job involves me with the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau. The mission of the ACVB is a simple one,” The Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau is charged with marketing Austin nationally and internationally as a premier business and leisure destination, thus enriching our community’s overall quality of life.” When you hear that language and see what Austin now has to offer with South By Southwest, Austin City Limits Music Festival, the host city to many national conventions, and now home to the only North American Formula 1 track, it’s incredible to see those words come to fruition. As an “arts anchor” on the city’s main street, I have to keep that in mind and constantly think how we can help the city achieve its goals.

To bring this blog post full circle, I was in the office the past Monday and just happened to look up from my desk to see our new Executive Director Louis Grachos talking to our new Development Director Terry Quinn. All of a sudden the past work year flew by right before my eyes – our very public merger, getting acclimated to new staff and home, not one but two office moves, culminating with new leadership. With all of these events, there were unknowns and concerns that arose for our newly merged staff, presenting challenges and lending opportunity. Looking back now, I see how strong and resilient a staff we were and have now become. I value each and every one of these experiences and challenges. More so than ever, these words by FDR ring true, “the only thing to fear is fear itself.”

We are near closing the chapter on 2012, and the events of the past year. I can’t help but to be excited and hopeful for the future. We end one period of transition and change to usher in a new one. I hope you all have a great holiday season and a great 2013!

”There is a season- turn, turn, turn. And a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Community outreach is a great opportunity to create a presence outside of the museum, and to share our hands-on approach to art with families who might not otherwise have the time or resources to seek out a museum experience.  AMOA-Arthouse collaborated with H-E-B again this year to provide art making activities during their annual Feast of Sharing, a free Thanksgiving meal held on November 20, 2012. As a first-time attendee of this event, it was a pleasant surprise for me to see how many families participated and how much fun they were having.

There were forty energetic volunteers who helped out at the event: H-E-B employees, members of nonprofit organizations like United Way, and the independently generous. Even when our space was packed with hundreds of people, the volunteers were able to organize the chaos and keep supplies stocked. Many of the volunteers were bilingual, which meant we were able to communicate with the ESL families. I even witnessed one of the volunteers having a conversation in sign language with a little boy while he worked.

We furnished three activities, each designed to be age-adaptable and to accommodate the terrific volume of attendees.

1,000 turkey hats were created using H-E-B shopping bags.  This is a craft that we’ve done in the past, and it was wildly popular with all of the families at this year’s Feast of Sharing. Kids (and a few adults) made their hats by rolling up the edges of paper bags, and customized them by cutting “feathers”, adding googly eyes, and drawing on their turkey’s features with markers. These turkeys had a lot of personality–some even had smiley faces!

The second was a raffia-bound nature journal with parchment pages. The challenge for the younger kids was tying the raffia. It was touching to watch the adults or siblings ensure their success with gentle guidance and demonstrations. The final step was stamping the covers: there were leaves, phrases, and several colors of metallic ink pads to choose from.

The third section of tables was our designated freestyle drawing area. Many children chose to draw or write what they are thankful for. Some families wandered around, reading these mementos aloud, then contributed their own.  It was clear that families were engaged and bonding over making art together, which to me was the greatest success.

The East Austin Studio Tour (EAST) is an annual celebration promoting the creativity of local artists and artisans. Now that EAST 2012 (November 8-18) is a wrap, AMOA-Arthouse staff reminisce about some of our favorite finds and showstoppers that made this year special. With over 190 stops on the tour—and many of our own colleagues, interns, and volunteers counting among the almost 500 official EAST 2012 participants!—it’s not surprising that each staff member’s experience was unique. Here are just a few notable highlights from the 11th annual East Austin Studio Tour.

Delta Millworks.

“One of my EAST picks was stop #132, Hatch Workshop: they made the furniture at the Jones Center and I absolutely love their work! I aspire to buy a piece one day.

In addition, I really liked a lot of the artists at Delta Millworks (#125, H34). Matthew Winters had some great paintings and there was a bunch of woodworking artists that were fantastic. Chris Cody (#71) also had an incredible array of superhero portraits with a lot of people involved in the art scene in Austin. A favorite was one of Art Palace‘s Arturo Palacias as Mr. Freeze.

Although it wasn’t on the tour, Ink Tank Collective threw an amazing powdered wig party last Saturday night. It was definitely a highlight and guests dressed up in inventive costumes and wigs.”

—Rachel Adams, Associate Curator of Exhibitions and Public Programs

Previous work by Tanya Zal.

“At Delta Millworks (#125, H34) I was able to check out some beautiful woodworking and mixed media paintings from J & Drew McGuire—who are museum members—while Matthew Winters set up shop to display some of his newer graphic paintings. One of our own gallery guards, Tanya Zal, had her collages on display as a guest with Edwood Studio Co-op (#128).

At Artpost (#119) I visited with former Advanced Young Artists artist-mentor Marianne McGrath, who is making some wonderful porcelain and mixed media installation pieces. Then as a last stop I dropped into Squid Ink Kollective  to view their humorous prints, sculptures, and apparel.”

—Natalie Baker, Visitor Services / Volunteer Coordinator

Previous work by Joseph Phillips.

“Noteworthy stops for me included the group exhibitions on view at DUTTON: On the Double (#H51), Tiny Park (#67), and Co-Lab Project Space (#130), where amazing work by Jules Buck Jones and Anthony Garza stood out. Wandering the larger artists’ studio complexes such as Big Medium (#97), I visited some old favorites (Joseph Phillips) and added some new discoveries (Jamie Panzer) to the list.

In my opinion, the best thing about EAST is the opportunity to meet artists in person, finally putting faces to names I’ve seen again and again. I loved being able to introduce myself to Katy Horan (Artpost, #119) and Five x Seven 2011 participant Bonnie Gammill (UP Collective, #156); it turns out that Bonnie is a sweetheart…she even dug up an EAST catalogue for me (thanks Bonnie!). Lastly, it was  great to stumble across the impressive studios of some of our very own interns, including Jessica Mathews and Taylor Browning (both also at UP).”

—Meg Floryan, Marketing & PR Associate

A work from Hangin’ East at El Chavez.

“El Chavez (#184) presented Hangin’ East: Screen Printed Polaroid Prints, featuring my own art alongside work by Woody Welch and Sean Carnegie. We shot photos with Polaroid Land Cameras across the east side, then took the photos and turned them into large scale screen prints. It was also a stop on Art Night Austin’s Preview East opening on November 8. ”

—Bart Kibbe, Graphic Designer / Web Manager

Jack King, Death of My Mother.

“Saturday was too pretty a day to stay indoors, so my wife Jill, daughter Wren, and I headed over to Delta Millworks (#125, H34) for our first stop at EAST. Our friend Peggy Weiss creates evocative photos that she has digitally altered to create colorful and mysterious images. Some include family members while others are from found photos. Peggy’s work has really evolved since last year’s underwater photos from Barton Springs. Wren was taken with Bob Wynn‘s photographs evoking memories of high school football. Bob has a gift for capturing the off-the-field scenes of the supernumeraries in the football drama.

From Delta we walked out back and through the fence to the rabbit-warren of studios at Artpost (#119). It was packed with people out enjoying the day. We all loved the Jack King outdoor sculpture called Death of My Mother, a row boat placed on top of stacked cord wood painted blue, suggesting a funeral pyre for the boat. The boat was filled with oversized blocks with images of (presumably) his mother as well as writings and other images. (I inferred from his studio space that this is part of a much bigger project.) From there we wandered through a number of other studios. On the way out, we noticed that the barbecue vendors appeared to be doing a brisk business.

Our last stop was at the group of studios on Red Bluff (#118, #120). Matt Bice is a young photographer with a fine eye. He mixes photos of Austin landmarks (State Capitol Building, Lamar Street Bridge) with ones taken on the back side of the facade we drive past every day. This later group was visually more interesting, although he has found ways to add drama to the Austin icons. He’s worth watching.

We ran out of time regretting that we weren’t able to spend hours on bicycles (like lots of EAST visitors) and vowed to do that next year.”

—Jack Nokes, Interim Executive Director

Previous work by Jennifer Balkan.

“On the EAST map, #37 was the Little Blue House, Jennifer Balkan‘s remodeled studio. Her painted portraits are authentic and whimsical. Also: IONA Handcrafted Books (#83) always has cookies in addition to the best way to display important photos, documents, and keepsakes!”

—Keri-Dawn Solner, Rentals & Events Manager

Previous work by Christopher Locke.

“We ventured on our first family EAST outing Sunday afternoon and had a fabulous time! My husband and I particularly enjoyed work exhibited at Up Collective (#156) and Big Medium (#97). Work by artists Taylor Browning, Jessica Mathews, Ricardo Jaen, and Jonathan Biehl appealed to us. We also purchased a re-interpreted (and re-purposed) Bugle from Christopher Locke’s Heartless Machine (#140); it will proudly sit on our piano in the library.”

—Kate Wurtzel, Associate Director of Education for Exhibitions

On November 6, Austin ISD art teachers, along with art teachers from Round Rock and other surrounding districts, came together to enjoy an evening of food, wine, art-making, and meaningful discussion. We kicked off the evening in the community room by inviting teachers to create sculptures out of pipes and other found objects. As the facilitator, I intentionally did not give participants much structure or direction, letting them explore the materials at their own pace and allowing their individual creativity to take over.

After about fifteen minutes of experimenting with these materials, AMOA-Arthouse’s Curator of Exhibitions and Public Programs Andrea Mellard provided a 20-minute tour of the Nick Cave: Hiding in Plain Sight exhibition. The teachers were particularly interested in Nick Cave’s digital video in the Film & Video Gallery, titled Drive-by.

Following the curator’s talk downstairs, the group headed to the second floor for a twenty-minute artist talk from Andy Coolquitt on his exhibition andy coolquitt: attainable excellence. Coolquitt spoke about his inspiration, artistic process, and the installation of his work. The talk provided insight for the teachers and provoked ideas they could take back to the classroom. As it turns out, one of the teachers went to art school with Andy Coolquitt, so it was a fun, spontaneous reunion for the two of them!

After these discussions, the teachers had an hour to work on their found object pipe sculptures inspired by Andy Coolquitt’s pipelights. Each participant came up with a unique way of interpreting the materials and creating a work of art. Here are some photos of the teachers hard at work.

The evening was filled with both fun art-making and thought-provoking dialogue. As one teacher said, “It was two hours of art indulgence heaven.” In addition to having a good time, all participants received Teacher Packets, professional development hours, and are eligible for a free bus for their students. The two-hour session concluded with an art raffle, ranging in items from antique lunch boxes to studio art supplies.

For those of you reading this blog, and who may know a local area art teacher, please encourage them to register for our next Teacher Workshop on January 8 from 5–7pm at Laguna Gloria.  To find out more about these workshops and to view both current and past Teacher Resources, visit http://amoa-arthouse.org/2012/teacher-resources/.

What does it mean to be wealthy? This is just one question raised by Collection Selections: De-Luxe, one of two luxury- and excess-themed exhibitions currently on display at Laguna Gloria. It’s an even more appropriate and interesting concept to ponder with Austin hosting the Circuit of the Americas’ Formula 1 race, now just around the corner from November 14–16.

Make no mistake, Formula 1 is a sport for the rich. For months leading up to the race, publications and vested groups have been busily preparing Austin—the city, businesses, and the residents—for what the race is about to bring. Already when driving by some of the downtown hotels, the lines of Ferraris and Lamboghinis have started to form. When our airport is trying to accommodate the influx of private jets for the race, that again speaks volumes.

Patrons and benefactors are still hugely important to artists and arts institutions alike. We look at Clara Driscoll and see what her wealth and giving allowed her to accomplish. Laguna Gloria, The Art School, and the Alamo are all here today as a direct result of that wealth. At the age of 22, could you write a $65,000 check… and not have it bounce?