Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum's First Foray into Contemporary Art

It looks like the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum is branching out into a new era of art. This Friday, it will be opening its first contemporary exhibit, an overview of the work of Austin sculptor Hank Waddell. What's next, a Keith Haring retrospective in the Elizabeth Ney museum? A rave at the French Legation? These all sound like pretty good ideas, as a matter of fact.

Supposedly Waddell is a colorful Austin character – irreverent and refreshingly accessible to non-artiste types. According to the press release, he

works primarily with wood, his sculptures inspired by fragments of once living trees. As he becomes more familiar with each fragment, Waddell begins to refine it, working in harmony with its original form, grain, and texture, to bring new life to that original. His earlier pieces are more reflective of their forest origins while his recent work includes a variety of altering additions, like reflective or glittering automotive paint, intended to disguise the natural element that it once was.

The show will be going on from September 22 through November 26.

Saved from the Fire
Opens: Friday, September 22nd
Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum [map]