An Art Acronym You Need to Know: TAFAF

Austinist would generally claim you, dear readers, to be lucky ducks, though today we'll crown you as fortunate as the swans of Town Lake. Here's why: we're loading you up with tons of artdata.

People, get ready.

The first order of business is this weekend's Austin Fine Arts Festival, or TAFAF, which is fifty years old 'n strong. It was originally conceived in the 1950s by one Miss Peggy Frary, an art lover and London native who'd recently moved to Austin (we guess Austin was the new hotness back then, too!). Then known as the "Fiesta," the art sale took place on the grounds of Laguna Gloria, AMoA's first home.

Proceeds provided the estate with enough money to save it -- at least partially -- from decrepitude. For the backstory and a great black and white shot of Peggy Frary, click here.

Fast forward a half-century, and the Festival looks different -- not plastic surgery different, but Oprah makeover different; though it has a brand new name, the spirit of the sale is essentially the same: it's intended as a community-wide celebration benefiting local art institutions.

To find out more about the artists whose work will be sold this weekend, scan this webpage. Or, for a map to get ye and yer band of pirates there, click avast.

The Austin Fine Arts Festival will be held this Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-6 at Republic Square Park, Downtown. Admission Fees: $8 adult, $5 student, 12& under free

Images courtesy of AMoA and the Austin Museum Alliance