With these openings, Austin has a nice bit of antidote to the various implosions that have rattled through our arts community as of late more ›

Functioning as both an art exhibition and a fundraiser for Arthouse's exhibitions and educational programs, Five x Seven is a great opportunity to purchase small works by emerging and established artists for the fine price of $150 ($100 for Arthouse members), with $25 of your ticket price to Art Splurge counting as a credit off the purchase of one artwork. more ›

Austin can't exactly complain about the breadth and depth of the films we're offered here, but that doesn't mean we're not extremely excited to welcome a new cinema venue to town. Violet Crown Cinema, which will focus on arthouse fare and offer food and cocktails as well as free parking and reserved seating, will open its doors this week in the Second Street district. more ›

• There’s unhappiness at Arthouse.
• More bodies found just over the Texas border.
• Highly disturbing story about Houston twins who let their mother die…then lived with her decomposing body.

Arthouse Eliminates Associate Director/Curator Position more ›

It's never too early to start thinking about SXSW, especially if you're a musician. The Arthouse at the Jones Center, in conjunction with British artist Graham Hudson, has cooked up a unique opportunity for bands to rehearse in public during that crazy week in March. Offering numerous one and a half hour slots most afternoons between March 11 and March 20, bands will have the chance to practice in front of a live audience in the midst of an art installation. And if you aren't a musician, this serves as a great option for filling out the afternoon/early evening part of your SXSW schedule. more ›

Last night the renovated Arthouse at Jones Center hosted a diverse crowd of politicos, scenesters, and people just looking for a good time to commemorate the first birthday of the non-profit and non-partisan Texas Tribune. more ›

Celebrate election night with Jimmie Dale Gilmore, a few surprise politicians and the Texas Tribune at Arthouse next Tuesday. We love the Texas Tribune for their incisive political reporting, but they really know how to throw a party. more ›

Arthouse at the Jones Center's gorgeous unveiling following its multimillion-dollar renovation happens this Friday, and we're giving you a shot at attending their fancy afterparty. more ›

The annual Downtown Living Tour—your best (legal) chance to see just how all of those fancy condo-dwellers live—is next Sunday, October 24th. The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) and Launch787 have teamed up with showcase over a dozen properties scattered around the downtown area, plus a few outdoor spaces (Republic Square Park) and museums (AMOA). more ›

Chicago based artist Katharyn Addcox found her calling outside of the windy city. In the small community of Caledonia (population 199 in 2000) she met the owner of an organic farm. Addcox wanted to understand the allure of farming - especially the farming done by hand, without the use of chemicals and huge factory-farm equipment. Her photography began to focus on two women, Kendall and Barb, neighbors who in Kendall's case had recently started an organic farm and was learning from Barb's lifelong career of sustainable farming. Addcox's photography is documentarian in nature, exposing the day to day realities of a simpler way of life - a simpler way of life that requires significantly more work in a day than most of us city-folk will undertake in months. more ›

If you've attended a few local art shows in the past year it's likely that you've seen work by Leah DeVun. It's just as likely that you've been impressed by something she's done. Selections from her series of photographs, "Beauty Knows No Pain" were part of Arthouse's New American Talent. The portraits of young Hannah Montana fans, dressed in their finest idol-worshiping concert garb, are striking. In the fall, DeVun and artist Levi Dugat had a collaborative show at Domy Books. DeVun's work in the show included carefully drawn images of diamonds and soap opera stars. An interest in gender and identity pervades her body of work. DeVun keen eye is also focused on popular culture and its impact on all of us. We talked to Leah DeVun about the work she submitted to Arthouse's 5x7 show and sale and her many ongoing projects. FIVE x SEVEN continues today and tomorrow from 11am to 6pm at the Whitley Building (301 Brazos St.). Admission is free and each work of art is on sale for $100. more ›

Austin has been kind to Mark Johnson. Having lived in the city for less than two years, Johnson has been a memorable part of two East Austin Studio Tours, shown in a variety of group shows, and shared an exhibit with the prolific Debra Broz. Johnson paints, draws, and creates multimedia work out of an upstairs studio in the east side art megaplex, Pump Project. Much of his work involves text and letters - sometimes with direct messages, others that are a little harder to decipher. Johnson's typewriter sits prominently in his studio, and was featured in a live video projection piece performed at E.A.S.T. last year. Johnson is among hundreds of artists who submitted work for Arthouse's 5x7 - the exhibit continues through the weekend with the Art Social taking place tonight. We got to talk to Mark about his work and his experience in Austin thus far. more ›

Like many creatives born in Texas, Julie Henslee Adams spent some years living outside of the Great Nation. Despite being raised on "bbq, margaritas, and Tex-Mex", Adams couldn't resist the allure of the West Coast. But, after a stint in San Francisco and a jaunt in Seattle, she returned to Texas soil and currently resides and works in Austin. Adams works with oil, charcoal, and collage and her pieces often include images of women, girls, flowing hair, and animals. Evocative of illustrations to modern fairy tales, Adams' art looks equally at home in sophisticated gallery settings as it does hung in children's rooms. Julie Henslee Adams is one of nearly a thousand artists participating in Arthouse's FIVE x SEVEN art show and sale taking place this week. more ›

We're excited to be a media sponsor for Arthouse's FIVE x SEVEN art show and sale. This year's rendition of the annual fundraiser will be different from past 5x7s - the usual venue, the Arthouse, is undergoing extensive renovations and won't be open to the public until the fall. Instead of skipping a year, the careful custodians of contemporary art have decided to throw an epic party (or two) celebrating hundreds of artists and raising money for Arthouse's programs, educational outreach, and exhibits. With help from Austin's official party planner, James Moody, Arthouse has moved their big fundraiser of tiny proportions to the Whitley Building (at 301 Brazos). more ›

No canvas is too small for Austin jewelry designer Christy Klug. In fact, in her most recent work Klug draws directly onto enamel before casting and setting the handmade "stone" into intricately designed precious metal findings. Klug's work, which is available in galleries across the country, is bold and modern without being garish. Her love of jewelry design flourished after studying stained glass at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Revisiting her fine art credentials, Klug is among 900 artists participating in Arthouse's FIVE x SEVEN art show and sale taking place this week. more ›

Arthouse's annual 5x7 art show and sale is right around the corner so we decided to ask this year's Guy In Charge to fill us in on the details. You may recognize James Moody from the Mohawk, or Transmission Entertainment, or Fun Fun Fun Fest, or Austin Monthly's Bachelor Issue, or well, he's just about everywhere these days. Moody is also the chair of the 5x7 committee and the mastermind behind this year's happenings. On Thursday, join Moody for the 5x7 Art Splurge - this swanky, catered affair will be the first opportunity to purchase art from over 900 participating artists. On Friday, the Art Social will feature music by Balmorhea and snacks from Frank. Due to construction at Arthouse, this year's 5x7 will be held at the Whitley Printing Building (at 301 Brazos) and the exhibit will only be on display in Austin Thursday through Sunday. Tickets to Thursday and Friday night's happenings can be purchased online and admission to the show on Saturday and Sunday is free. Proceeds from the sale of art (all pieces cost $100) go directly to the Arthouse's programs, exhibits, and education events which are always free to attend. more ›

Next week, Arthouse is continuing another annual art tradition by presenting this year's installment of their FIVE x SEVEN art show and sale. Each year, Arthouse asks hundreds of artists to contribute one (or more) pieces of art measuring five by seven inches to the exhibit. Each work is then sold for $100 - to keep the playing field level, and to assure that everyone is buying art because they like it (a novel idea, we know!), the artist's identity remains a secret until a purchaser has handed over a crisp Ben Franklin. Artists participating this year include Sterling Allen, Leah DeVun, Sam Sanford, Fritz Haeg, and nearly a thousand others. Although each artist is constrained by a small canvas size, many do amazing things and we've seen some amazing three dimensional and multi-media pieces at 5x7's past. more ›

On Thursday, New York based Sina Najafi, the editor-in-chief of Cabinet Magazine, will be in town as part of the on-going Visiting Lecturer Series presented by Arthouse. The series began last fall as a way to bring world renowned figures in contemporary art to Austin to benefit our visuals artists and art community. In conjunction with the free lecture series, the program also brings art professionals to conduct studio visits with selected area artists. more ›

Our favorite downtown, non-profit, Texas-focused, contemporary art center, Arthouse, has been closed since October while they undergo expansions and reservations at their Jones Center location. The gallery is expected to open again in October of this year, but instead of bowing out of Austin's art scene for the duration of construction, the dedicated folks at Arthouse have been busy bringing in speakers (Gary Carrion-Murayari, the co-curator of the 2010 Whitney Biennial, will be in town in April), hosting workshops and teen programs, and even co-producing a series for the much anticipated upcoming Fusebox Festival. For the month of February, Arthouse has launched a micro-giving campaign, I Heart Arthouse, with the goal of receiving 2,000 $5 gifts. The combined effort would raise $10,000 dollars for the museum's exhibitions and educational programing and prove that everyone can be a philanthropist and patron of the arts. All donations can be made online. more ›

Congratulations are in order for the team at OKAY Mountain as they won the coveted PULSE Prize and People’s Choice Award for their site-specific installation, Corner Store, at the 2009 PULSE Contemporary Art Fair, held in Miami December 3 - 6. PULSE is an annual event that celebrates the best of the best in international contemporary art and coincides each year with Art Basel Miami, one of the most established art fairs in the U.S. The PULSE prize is a $2500 cash grant that is awarded to an emerging artist of distinction. more ›

From Friday at midnight to Saturday at midnight, they came, they saw, they constructed, and then they conquered. Led by artist Liz Glynn, a team of volunteers recreated the rise and fall of Rome in cardboard and reused building materials in the cleared out gallery space at the Arthouse. At the end of the one day feat, the participants took on the role of invading Visigoths and trampled the city to the ground. more ›

For twenty-four hours over this weekend, an artist and a team of volunteers will accomplish a task said to be impossible: they will build Rome in a day. In her first exhibition in Texas, artist Liz Glynn will reprise her 24 Hour Roman Reconstruction Project at the Arthouse. Starting tonight at midnight, Glynn and a group of dedicated (if sleep deprived) volunteers will recreate the rise and fall of Rome in historical order, reenacting approximately 1.238 years of Roman history per minute. At midnight tonight, Romulus and Remus' huts will be built, at midnight tomorrow, Alaric and the Visigoths will destroy the empire of carefully constructed models. Participation in the construction (and ultimately, the destruction) of the model Rome is encouraged; admission to the weekend's festivities are free. more ›

Tonight the Arthouse and the Paramount are joining forces to present a free screening of Eve Sussman's film The Rape of the Sabine Women. A modern interpretation of the legend that details the founding of Rome, Sussman's five-act film was inspired by paintings by Poussin and David. Originally recounted by Roman historian Livy, The Rape of the Sabine Women tells of how Romulus and his warriors abducted the daughters of the neighboring Sabine tribe in order to capture women who would go on to be the mothers of Rome. In Livy's telling, the term rape is used to mean abduction; Sussman's retelling of the story is more modern in both its setting and interpretation of the language. more ›

For many, contemporary art is hit or miss - overly conceptual installations can confuse more than inspire. But when presented well, contemporary exhibits can speak to both lovers of abstract art and the casual observer. The latest incarnation of Arthouse's annual summer exhibit, New American Talent, is a great example of how contemporary art can be accessible to many audiences. Curated by Hamza Walker of the University of Chicago's Rennaissance Society, New American Talent features twenty-six artists from around the country with a particularly strong showing from Texas. New American Talent closes after this weekend, admission to Arthouse is free and they are open until 9pm on Thursday. more ›

Don't miss the great art events taking place around town this weekend. Here are just a few of the highlights: Tonight from 7-10pm, Industry Screenprint Studio (2503 B E. 6th) is hosting another installment of PRINT+addiction, a t-shirt printing party that features the designs of a different artist each time. This month PRINT+addiction welcomes one of Austin's most prominent street artists, Matthew Rodriguez. The studio will set up their eight color screenprint press with eight designs created by Rodriguez. Participants will learn how to print their own shirt and can purchase a shirt for $15 or bring their own and pay a $5 printing fee. more ›

A few notable art exhibitions are opening this weekend, here's a rundown of the highlights. New American Talent returns to the Arthouse with its twenty-fourth annual juired exhibit. NAT:24 has been juried by Hamza Walker, the Curator and Director of Education for the Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago; he will be at the museum on Saturday at 3pm for a discussion about the latest exhibit. Past New American Talent exhibitions have featured emerging contemporary artists with work in a variety of mediums. Out of the twenty six artists selected to be in this year's show, twelve live and work in Texas. Admission to the talk and the Arthouse is free. New American Talent: 24 runs through August 23. more ›

Photos from Arthouse at Jones Center's 10th annual 5x7 Art Splurge & Exhibition last night. 5x7 anonymously displays art from hundreds of recognized artists whose identity is revealed only after purchase. more ›

RESET/PLAY, Arthouse's interactive multimedia exhibit curated by Marcin Ramocki and Paul Slocum, borrows much of its aesthetics directly from old video games, but no one looking for nostalgia will find sentimentality here. The exhibition seems sparse at first, with an almost jarring amount of wall space between each screen, but the unique melding of science and politics with art and technology will keep the theorists among us talking for days. more ›

The more conceptual aspects of gaming are getting special notice with the Arthouse's newest exhibit RESET/PLAY. The show, which opens Saturday, explores the use of video games as a medium for the inspiration of contemporary art. The international cast of artists with work on display at RESET/PLAY were brought together by guest curators, Marcin Ramocki of Brooklyn and Paul Slocum of Dallas. Slocum is a new media artist who, among other things is turning 1985 vintage Epson printers into musical instruments. Ramocki also makes technology inspired art and co-created the documentary film 8 BIT which examines how video games have influenced contemporary culture. The Arthouse has teamed up with the Austin Museum of Digital Art to present various events related to the exhibit. Both guest curators will be at the Arthouse on Saturday at 3pm to talk about the exhibit. more ›