Step into The Enchanted Forest, wander past brooks overflowing with diamonds, try not to disturb the fauns frolicking to the sound of the flute, and finally arrive at—an art festival. That’s right, Art Outside is holding its third annual event at the Enchanted Forest, 3 acres of woods in South Austin. It’s kind of like the Shire.

Everything from performance to video to painting and sculpture will dot the plots of the forest, and the creek bed stage will host some local favorites to augment the already ethereal settings. Tonight, Mote Opener, That Damned Band, My Education, and Ultraviolet Catastrophe Joey Santori will play for the woodland creatures.

Art Outside is four weekends of what they call “a collection of artisans creating conscious inspiration for the masses.” One hundred artisans will be featured, and for those consumers out there, a "Vendaholic" area of booths will be at your disposal.

Art Outside
The Enchanted Forest
Friday, March 30th
Doors at 8pm

[Art Outside official site]

East Austin's Saltillo Lofts will host its first annual "Sidewalk Celebration" this Sunday, kicking things off with the official opening of the New East Arts Gallery. New East is the latest venture by DiverseArts, a local nonprofit producer of multidisciplinary art and culture projects such as East End Fourth Fridays and the former Downtown Arts Magazine.

Their inaugural exhibit, entitled "Fresh Black Paint," features works by New Orleans artist/musician Terrence Moline, who relocated, post-Katrina, to Austin in late 2005 after extensive travels around the country. Having spent the last year painting full-time and participating in last November's East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.), Moline will debut his first proper collection of canvas, panel, and wall paintings. "I took a little over one year to check the pulse of Austin's art scene before deciding to participate in a gallery exhibition," says Moline. "DiverseArts New Arts East Gallery was the best logical choice for my first large show in this city."

The Saltillo Sidewalk Celebration will also feature art and craft vendors, live music by Manteca Beat and DJ Manny, and various grand opening specials at all Saltillo shops -- Constructive Ventures, Method Hair, Myo Massage and more. Ten percent of the day's proceeds will benefit Any Baby Can.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, North Loop will once again play host to a massive block party, with a portion of sales benefiting Project Transitions. They're offering music, food, a performance by Austin burlesque troup Kitty Kitty Bang Bang, and door prize drawings from North Loop shops (Room Service Vintage, Forbidden Fruit, The Peddler, Hog Wild, Sound on Sound, Austin Modern, and Monkey Wrench Books). “We’re very excited that the North Loop Strip is involved with Project Transitions,” says LuCretia Sysk, owner of Room Service Vintage. “Nonprofit organizations need the support of the community, and so do local businesses. I’m glad the North Loop Strip can provide a fun way to bring people together to help people living with AIDS.”

Saltillo Lofts Sidewalk Celebration and Opening Reception for New East Arts Gallery
1601 East 5th Street [map]
Sunday, April 1st
2-6pm

North Loop Strip Block Party
53rd Street and Avenue F [map]
Sunday, April 1st
Noon-8pm

Successful, creative collaborations between artists and real estate developers don't happen all that often, but we think an event tonight may prove the exception. The Gathering, a one-evening-only exhibition, will feature work "facilitated" by Skyline CityHomes and -- more importantly -- contributed by the following groups and individuals: Sodalitas Art Collective (Shea Little, Jana Swec, and Joseph Phillips; GAT 5 Art Collective (Charles Ferraro, James Ferraro, and Val Brown); The Austin Figurative Project (Chris Chappell, Holly Fisher, Felice House, Karen Maness, Katy O'Connor, David Ohlerking, Michael Sloan, and Kerry Smith) and others.

You can expect their mixed-media pieces to meditate on the relationship of artists to one another and to the broadening Austin community. From their poster:

The artists' collectives in this show work together seamlessly, inspired by the multiplicity of ideas that come from collaboration, while other artists challenge traditional ideas about media by creating works that use a range of novel materials. Collectively considered and highly regarded, for these artists, convergence and communion is the ultimate goal.

Convergence and communion? Not bad! With any luck, you'll find God tonight. And maybe a bit of free booze.

The Gathering
Duplex Town Home by Skyline CityHomes
Friday, March 23
6-10pm
5412-B McCandless
Austin, TX 78756

Gallery Lombardi, vanguard art institution and perennial party host, makes its triumphant return to Austin this month. Hot on the heels of their well-received debut of Mobile Art Place last month (in collaboration with the event organizers at We Manage Stuff), Lombardi will inaugurate their new digs at West 7th and Rio Grande with an opening party tomorrow night.

Their newest exhibit, "DRAW," is touted as a "tribute to the often-underrated but fundamental building-block of visual and graphic art: the drawing," and features works by an exhaustive list of artists, including Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), Rusty Mills (Pinky & The Brain), and Conrad Keely (Trail of the Dead).

During SXSW, the gallery will be curating a series of excellent parties and panel discussions -- we're pretty excited to check out next Wednesday's "MyToons Mixer," with live graffiti art by street artists Sloke, Mez One, and Saint.

Check out the proper flyer with all events through March plus all "DRAW" artists, after the jump.

[Gallery Lombardi Homepage]

Gallery Lombardi Grand Opening Party
Tunes by DJ Subspace Frequency
Friday, March 9th
604 West 7th St [map]
8pm-11pm
Free, Refreshments Provided

The third annual STAPLE! show will be held this weekend. A celebration of independent media (art, animation, comics, etc.), the fest will feature special appearances by Brian Keene and Dean Haspiel. There will be panels on fiction and independent animation, as well as a large number of authors and artists displaying their wares. They also will be giving away nifty prizes, such as passes to The Animation Show (which takes place at the Paramount Sunday evening). It sounds like this would be an ideal weekend to embrace your inner Comic Book guy and head on over to these events.


STAPLE! The Independent Media Expo [official site]
Red Oak Ballroom, Northcross Center
2525 West Anderson Lane [map]
Saturday, March 3
Doors open @ 10am, $5

Image from STAPLE! official site