Embracing iPad Tours

By guestblogger | Published: November 2, 2012

Post By Taylor Browning, Education Intern & iPad Content Developer

Last week in the post “iPads on Parade” I shared a bit about my experience creating content for the new iPads at AMOA-Arthouse, which are being used by docents on tours of the two fall exhibitions at the Jones Center–Nick Cave: Hiding in Plain Sight and andy coolquitt: attainable excellence. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to lead two iPad tours with 4th grade students from AMOA-Arthouse’s Seeing Special Things multi-visit school program. Facilitating these tours allowed me to move theory into practice and provided a real perspective on the effectiveness of using iPads on a tour.


During the tours, students loved being able to watch a short interview with Nick Cave on the iPad. The video not only helped them realize how Cave is a living artist but also personalized him, giving students insight into his artistic process and real-life experience. In addition to viewing the three-dimensional Soundsuits, the students and I spent time in the Film & Video Gallery watching Drive-by. We then compared the dancers in Nick Cave’s video to a short video on the iPad of traditional Maasai dancers. The students immediately drew connections between these two videos and Cave’s Soundsuits.


In addition to incorporating video content, both iPad presentations contain photos of objects relating to the artists’ work.  Nick Cave’s presentation on the iPad includes images of a surfboard and a Mardi Gras parade, emphasizing the surfboard shape of many of Cave’s Soundsuits as well as the celebratory appeal of their exterior. For Andy Coolquitt’s exhibition, there are images of his Austin home and everyday objects that inspire him and reflects his design aesthetic.


Having developed the iPad content, it was interesting for me as a docent to see how students reacted to the use of technology in the galleries. Considering the kids are of a generation raised on tablets and smartphones, the iPad was not a distraction for them; they seemed unfazed by the tablet’s presence and use throughout the tour. Despite the iPad’s alluring touch screen it performed its function well, fueling students’ enthusiasm for the museum experience and taking them deeper into the artists’ inspirations and artistic processes.

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On The Road Again: Houston’s Texas Contemporary Fair

By Rachel | Published: October 31, 2012

Post By Rachel Adams, AMOA-Arthouse Associate Curator

On Thursday, October 17, some AMOA-Arthouse staff members ventured down to Houston for the opening night of the Texas Contemporary Fair and to see some art around town! Driving from Austin to Houston requires one stop along the way: Hruskas Kolache Bakery on Route 71. The signs begin a few miles beforehand. We each grabbed a delicious kolache before heading back on the road to Houston. We were thanked for stopping at Hruska’s with another billboard just a mile after leaving the famous kolache factory.


My favorite things from our visit included my second trip to see Silence at The Menil Collection. Curator Toby Kamps put together a fantastic group exhibition exploring “spiritual, existential, and political aspects of the absence of noise or speech.” Kurt Mueller’s work Cenotaph plays a selection of 99 moments of silence and Yves Klein’s Untitled (Monogold) from 1960 were two works that stood out from the exhibition.


We also explored James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace at Rice University. The work, activated at sunrise and sunset, is a glorious example of public art. We missed seeing it brought to life through the light, but on its own, the pavilion is a peaceful place for contemplation, allowing for a quiet space to gaze at the sky and muse.


The fair itself was sort of bustling when I arrived just after 7:30pm that night. A lot of familiar faces from Austin graced the crowd and many familiar Texas galleries were there to represent. Sonia Dutton, formerly of Champion Contemporary and now owner of Dutton, brought works by Catherine Lee and Marjorie Schwartz along with the first kinetic work by Austin-based Jules Buck Jones. Misako & Rosen, from Tokyo, had new photographs by artist Takashi Yasumura that were details of larger imagery he has photographed in the past. I was quite taken with Pablo Rasgado’s works from his series Unfolded Architecture at Steve Turner Contemporary Art. These two large paintings were made of drywall and acrylic paint—taken from exterior walls in Mexico City. A final favorite was the solo booth of work by Kelly O’Connor, exhibited by David Shelton Gallery. Kelly’s work is whimsical, colorful, and adventurous, and honestly I want to live inside of it when having a bad day!


We ended the last of our two-day trip with a tour by Director Claudia Schmuckli at the newly re-opened Blaffer Art Museum. On view was Tony Feher’s retrospective, beautifully installed throughout the space. Congratulations to the Blaffer! The space is gorgeous and I highly recommend a visit.

On the way back to Austin, we stopped again at Hruska’s. It couldn’t be helped.

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iPads on Parade

By guestblogger | Published: October 25, 2012

Post By Taylor Browning, Education Intern & iPad Content Developer

Over the past four weeks, AMOA-Arthouse has launched a new initiative to create educational content for three new iPads, purchased thanks to a MIDEA (Marcus Institute for Digital Education in the Arts) grant. These iPads are used on docent-led tours with both children and adult audiences, and I’ve had the privilege to develop their content and see them in action!

While pursuing my master’s degree in Art Education at The University of Texas at Austin, I focused much of my research on the use of new media in museum education. I’ve always been attracted to the latest and greatest technology, but I realize that museums must be cautious when creating programming based around these new technologies, due to their fleeting appeal and brief life spans. Regardless, after having conducted extensive research it is clear that many major museums are successfully using new technologies—specifically iPads—to enhance their educational programming. Kudos to AMOA-Arthouse for being on the cutting edge of innovation!


Currently the iPad content corresponds with the exhibitions on view at the Jones Center, Nick Cave: Hiding in Plain Sight and andy coolquitt: attainable excellence. The iPads help to contextualize the artwork, showing portraits of the artists as well as their inspirations. Images of Andy Coolquitt’s Austin home provide museum visitors with insight into his local presence, while video content animates and energizes Nick Cave’s trademark Soundsuits. In addition there is content that reveals the history of the AMOA-Arthouse’s two sites, the Jones Center and Laguna Gloria.


The primary users of the iPads are the AMOA-Arthouse docents, who attend special iPad training sessions hosted at the museum to learn how to effectively integrate the iPads into their tours. Presenting images on the iPad enables docents to easily zoom into photographs and share content that otherwise might not be as accessible. Examples include images acquired from the Austin History Center of the museum’s original buildings.


Though many school groups have enjoyed tours with the new iPads, they are not just for kids. Adult docent-led tours are available at either location as well. Tour times are Tuesday through Friday at 9:30am, 10:15am, and 11 a.m. For more information, click here!

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Wining and Dining at the 23rd Annual La Dolce Vita Food and Wine Festival

By ladams | Published: October 23, 2012

Post By Lauren Adams, AMOA-Arthouse Manager of Individual Giving & Special Events


“Grazie, grazie!” to the 1800 attendees and volunteers who supported AMOA-Arthouse education programs and The Art School by spending their evening lakeside at the 23rd annual La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival! The Lago di Como-themed event was a sold-out, smashing success, held on the sprawling 12-acre grounds of our Laguna Gloria site on the shores of Lake Austin. Guests mingled, admired the scenery, and snapped photos as they tasted their way through the 50+ tents filled with mouthwatering bites, sweet treats, and refreshing beverages provided by local culinary all-stars.

Although I was working that night, I still had the chance to sample some of the tasty selections that Austin’s finest restaurants prepared. This year I was struck by the variety of plates provided: #LDV2012 had everything from tacos (an Austin staple) to Indian cuisine, seafood, and desserts.


The winner this year for “Best Food” was Jasper’s Backyard Cuisine, with their slow braised short rib. This tender dish was the epitome of melt-in-your-mouth ribs that fell off the bone just by looking at them. It was undeniably delicious, but I also enjoyed a few other restaurants along the way.

The most notable plate, in my opinion, was courtesy of Pink Avocado. Their skewers consisted of charred pork belly, seared scallops, and pineapple topped with a Kimchi slaw. This was a one- or two-bite dish (almost too pretty to eat), but I could not believe how much flavor they packed inside. I would never have thought to pair pork belly with scallops, but the combination was as flavorful as it was refreshing–exactly what I needed on a steamy Texas night!


I also enjoyed a moment of satisfied silence at Clark’s Oyster Bar. They served blinis topped with lobster, which were gone in three small bites but have lasted in my memory for more than a week now. To complete the dining experience they offered a mini key lime pie with a toasted meringue topping. Not bad for a new kid on the block!

The most unusual and surprising dish of the night, however, was dreamed up by an establishment hailing from Dallas: Dude, Sweet Chocolate. I almost walked away when they announced they had pork rinds, but oh, what a mistake that would have been. This crispy pork rind was dipped in chocolate and served in a tiny cup filled with a rich bourbon sauce. It had it all: salt, sweetness, a crispy crunch, syrupy texture…I was talking about it all night.


The many months of planning followed by days of setup paid off for me that night as I was able to experience the skills and creativity of the many talented chefs Texas has to offer. “Grazie mille!” to the 2012 LDV Committee and to all of our sponsors, vendors, and dedicated volunteers who made the evening possible. Now it’s t-minus 352 days until #LDV2013!

Click here for photos of the festivities, and note the winning contribution to our #LDV2012 Instagram contest, below.

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LDV Chronicles: Three Days in October

By egarcia | Published: October 17, 2012

Post By Eric Garcia, AMOA-Arthouse Visitor Relations Manager


The past week has been a multicolored, whirlwind blur complete with food and libations! Such is life during the week of one of AMOA-Arthouse’s two largest fundraisers. Our annual La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival, benefiting the museum’s education programs and The Art School, takes place on the second Thursday of each October (this year it happened to fall on 10.11.12!). As the Volunteer Chair for the 23rd annual festival, I’m just now winding down from six months of preparation with the help of a great team of people, including the near 300 volunteers who make this event possible.

For those unfamiliar with La Dolce Vita (LDV), picture Laguna Gloria on a beautiful fall night. The Lago di Como-themed event was a sold-out, smashing success, held on the sprawling 12-acre grounds of our site on the shores of Lake Austin. Fifty top-tier restaurants and almost a dozen wineries from around Austin and Central Texas made their home for the night in softly-lit tents lining the inner and outer perimeter of the site’s central oval. From 6-9pm, 1800 attendees are charged with nothing but tasting and indulging, sampling and relishing, mixing and mingling…in other words, savoring the sweet life! While a proper event recap is on the way (including photos),  I wanted to take a look now at what happens before and after the festival itself.


Rewind to 10.10.12, the Wednesday preceding La Dolce Vita. It’s 9:30am and there’s movement and buzz already on the grounds at Laguna Gloria: the first volunteer set-up shift is slated to arrive. Our goal for the next day and a half is to have all the tents, tables and lights in place so that when the restaurants and wines arrive on Thursday, things are up and running, ready to receive the vendors. There are three separate volunteer shifts on Wednesday. Our set-up task includes over 50 tents and two separate sections of armatures to assemble and put in place, more than 100 tables and coolers to distribute, and lights to hang. We continue to work until almost 7pm on Wednesday, and then call it a night. At the end of the first day, we are right on schedule.

Thursday morning 10.11.12 rolls around, the day of the event, and we pick up right where we left off. There are so many minute details that we have to be aware of: properly stocking the sanitation kits for the restaurants, securing the tarps on the armatures, making sure we have all the napkins for the night, ensuring all the booth signs in the proper place, etc. Do we have a enough coolers with ice for the wine booths? Are all of the health permits in the right place? At 1pm, the restaurants and wineries begin to arrive. Systematically all of them pull in, unload, and set up. Our wonderful logistics team helps ensure this process runs smoothly. Meanwhile, our décor team busily adds the finishing touches with splashes of color and accoutrements, bringing the ambiance together. Though LDV officially starts at 6pm, we need to have everything in place and ready for the VIP portions kicking off at 5pm. We put the last laptop in place for will-call, double check that the shuttle parking signs are in place, give all of the check-in areas the necessary wristbands, and then it’s show time!


Our VIPs arrive and treat themselves to an hour of light bites and drinks on the terrace of the Driscoll Villa. At exactly 6pm, the front gates open and La Dolce Vita is officially underway. As attendees pass through the gates, they grab their plates, wine glasses, and maps for the night. Then it’s full on indulgence! DJ Manny sets wonderful, musical accompaniment for the event and the dance floor is packed. During the festival, we handle little things as they come up: people needing more ice and napkins, broken glass needs to be cleared, plates and glasses require tidying throughout. Before you know it, the clock strikes 9pm; LDV is a wrap, but the cleanup is just beginning. That night, we have big priorities for “beautification.” We gather the trash and recycling, break down tables and tents, and gather the wine bottles and coolers.

We call it a night a little after 11pm, only to call it a morning at 9:30am on Friday, 10.12.12. Our last volunteer shift arrived Friday and by 1pm it was like nothing ever happened. All the tents, tables, and trash are gone; the rented golf carts, dance floor, and furniture have all been picked up; recycling has taken care of empty bottles and cardboard boxes. We inventoried, cleaned and stored all the things the museum owns for the festival and closed the book on the 23rd chapter of the La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival.

Many thanks again to our incredible volunteers and tireless efforts to pull off one of the biggest and best social and culinary events of the season! Now time to count down to La Dolce Vita 2013…

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Careful Planning, Meet Improvising: Rain or Shine, We Host a Mean Members’ Preview

By ladams | Published: October 8, 2012

Post By Lauren Adams, AMOA-Arthouse Manager of Individual Giving & Special Events


On Friday, September 28 we held our members’ preview for Nick Cave: Hiding in Plain Sight and andy coolquitt: attainable excellence at the Jones Center. A members’ preview is one of my favorite types of events, not only because it provides our members with a chance to see the work before the exhibition is open to the public, but also because it offers a chance to mingle with friends, introduce a newcomer or two to the museum, and enjoy a night filled with live music, tasty treats, and engaging art.

With this particular preview, we were faced with an obstacle that we rarely encounter: rain! Events such as this one are typically held on the rooftop, as it has the capacity to hold the 400-500 expected guests, the view is outstanding, and the food is at a safe distance from the art-filled galleries. But the rain couldn’t stop us, and after a few adjustments we were ready to go. The first floor office area was transformed into an event space, and we moved the three-piece jazz band to the second floor loft.


Although it may seem strange to host the party in our offices, the building provided a great atmosphere. The Jones Center walls still retain the frescoes of the Queen Theatre—quite a contrast from traditional stark-white office walls. The frescoes, combined with the tall industrial ceilings, make the staff office an area of interest, spacious enough for a crowd, and interesting enough to spark some conversation.


Another unexpected (yet pleasant) change was situating the band in the second story gallery loft. The space functioned as a lounge area, providing visitors with intimate, front row seats to the sounds of the band. The openness of the loft allowed the music to drift through the entire gallery as a soundtrack to the evening.

Despite a few “oh, no!” moments when the weather report rolled in, the night was a huge success. Over 450 members and visitors attended, we made great use of our space, and the two fall exhibitions opened with a bang.

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Movement is Music is Movement

By egarcia | Published: October 1, 2012

Post By Eric Garcia, AMOA-Arthouse Visitor Relations Manager

“More and more I’m thinking of using the Soundsuits as a kind of orchestra. You could take three or five and record a concert. Or you could take 90 Soundsuits and make a full symphony out of them.” – Nick Cave

All images: Stills of Drive-by, 2011, Digital video, 15:00 looped. James Prinz Photography, Chicago. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Keep that analogy in mind when looking at the unique, intrinsic individuality Nick Cave brings to each and every soundsuit in his exhibition Nick Cave: Hiding in Plain Sight, currently on view at the Jones Center. The artist’s time as a performer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presented the opportunity for understanding the communicative potential of movement and sound. This idea then manifested itself in his first Soundsuit, made from cast-off twigs and sewn into a wearable garment. As with all of his creations, Cave tried the suit on and immediately noticed the way the twigs clacked together with every gesture, linking sound to movement.

The twigs were just the starting point, literally and figuratively, for Cave.  His challenge became how to influence color, tone, and quality with both the materials used to create his works and the sounds elicited by the interaction of those materials. Using cast-off materials and found objects, Cave allows the wearer’s movement to activate each Soundsuit and bring it to life. Dyed human hair, sequins, hot pads, buttons, old toys, and glass all became the medium in which Cave produced his art.

Each soundsuit, with its own mix of fabrics and materials, has a one-of-a-kind voice, much like the distinct expression from a saxophone or cello. As Nick orchestrates his performances, he brings together multiple soundsuits, allowing their individual voices to come together into a chorus of movement and sound.

Nick Cave: Hiding in Plain Sight features seven Soundsuits, one wall sculpture, and two video pieces demonstrating the costumes in action. The exhibition will remain on view through December 30, 2012.

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Families Create and Collaborate at Austin Museum Day at Laguna Gloria

By kwurtzel | Published: September 28, 2012

Post By Kate Wurtzel, AMOA-Arthouse Associate Director of Education for Exhibitions

This past Sunday, families flocked to Laguna Gloria to take part in the 2012 Austin Museum Day. Surrounded by beautiful weather and friends, nearly 1,000 people came out to celebrate this annual community event!

Austin Museum Day, hosted by Austin Museum Partnership (AMP), gives Austinites a chance to explore their local museums for free, while providing endless activities to enjoy in good company. On Sunday, participants explored their artsy sides through an abundance of arts experiences. Visitors created a hanging collaborative collage, designed their own sketchbooks to take home, and hunted for sculptures scattered throughout the Laguna Gloria grounds. All of the family fun was topped off by the voices of the U BETTER SING! Youth Chorus, which were music to everyone’s ears.

See the photos below for a snapshot of what Museum Day at Laguna Gloria brought to the Austin community.







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Reflections from Curatorial Intern Carly Lucas

By curatorialintern | Published: September 26, 2012

Post By Carly Lucas, AMOA-Arthouse Curatorial Intern

I’ve been the curatorial intern at AMOA-Arthouse since August 2011.  As I step aside for another intern take my place, I thought I would describe some of my time here and give a glimpse into the responsibilities, surprises, and exciting opportunities that I have encountered while contributing to and learning from this fantastic museum.

I first began working at AMOA-Arthouse at the beginning of my senior year at the University of Texas, and at the time my firsthand experience with the visual art scene in Austin had been limited to attending show openings at galleries and working a security guard position at the Blanton Museum of Art. I was incredibly interested in becoming a more involved member of the arts community, with the specific intention of absorbing as much knowledge as I could of the efforts and steps required to plan and present a full-scale exhibition. The internship, I hoped, would be a great method of acquiring that knowledge.

Every day at AMOA-Arthouse provides a wealth of opportunities to learn and develop both as a person and a member of the visual arts community in Austin. As an art history student at UT, I was accustomed to the research and work I produced being shuttered away in professors’ offices, read by one person and summarily forgotten amongst the truckloads of papers written every semester. However, as an AMOA-Arthouse intern my work was directly seen and read by the public, which immediately shifted my perspective and created a new, updated framework of expectations. The wall labels, artist biographies, and self-guided tours that I wrote were now to represent in style and voice an entire institution, of which I was an integral part.


[Left] Though this looks like just a parking meter, it is the location of one of the most exciting experiences as an intern–being on site during the filming of Jill Magid’s Failed States video, in which she drives an armored car up to the exact parking space where Fausto Cardenas parked his car before the infamous shooting on the steps of the Texas State Capitol.
[Right] The last description I wrote as an intern: Michael Bell Smith’s LIFT Project contribution Digital Fireplace Upside Down Promotional Video. Very awesome, you should definitely look it up!

As I progressed in my internship, AMOA-Arthouse simultaneously transformed. Effective November 1, 2011, Arthouse at the Jones Center merged with the Austin Museum of Art, and the flurry of activity brought new faces and new opportunities for learning. With two great physical spaces now available to the growing curatorial team, I felt fortunate to expand my research and work in a forward-thinking way, thrilled with the challenging opportunity that two distinctly contrasting locations would provide for us.

Being involved in such a dynamic and creative environment encouraged a desire within in me to learn more on my own time about the process of curating, the lifestyle and intricacies of Austin’s arts scene, and the city’s relationship to the international art world.


Another LIFT Project, Julia Oschatz’s Venus; a great video and a fun wall label to write!

Of course, a museum is only as strong as the minds within it, and it goes without saying that half of my internship was spent in awe of the strong, creative, and dynamic people who operate AMOA-Arthouse’s two locations. Their respect for AMOA-Arthouse’s history is only equaled by their dedication to the development of its future, and the effect of their influence on my progress as a curatorial intern and art professional is invaluable and something I will always hold as a credit.

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Advanced Young Artists Shine at the La Dolce Vita Sponsor Appreciation Event

By ladams | Published: September 24, 2012

Post By Lauren Adams, AMOA-Arthouse Manager of Individual Giving & Special Events


Last week, we held a reception to thank the sponsors of the La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival for their contributions and to give them a sneak peek at how their sponsorship helps support the museum. All donations to La Dolce Vita benefit education programs at AMOA-Arthouse, including The Art School, our public school tours, and the recently-closed Advanced Young Artists 2012 Exhibition.


At the reception, we gave our sponsors a private viewing of this teen art exhibition. More than just a chance to appreciate the artwork, we wanted our sponsors to see how the program directly influenced the students’ artistic growth. By inviting both the high school artists and their professional artist-mentors to attend the reception, we allowed our sponsors to attach faces to the artwork. It was quite an effective visual connection, as it drove home just how young–yet incredibly advanced–these artists are.


My favorite portion of the evening was listening to a few brief talks graciously given by some of the student/mentor pairings. One notable pair was student Kiana Corzine and mentor Brooke Gassiot. Kiana shared her personal experience of entering the program shortly after the death of her sister from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas program. She worked closely with Brooke to process the emotions she was feeling into a contemporary interpretation of a Dutch still life–part of a genre known to serve as a memento mori (reminder of death).


This was a wonderful evening that demonstrated to our supporters just how important their contributions are to continuing unique the programs that make a huge impact on Austin-area youth. We’re already looking forward to what 2013 has in store for the Advanced Young Artists program!

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