Saturday, February 4th, the Austin Modern Home Tour is celebrating its fifth anniversary in style. Join the tour to peep an impressive variety of sustainable solutions Austin architects have incorporated into their spaces that “foster progressive, yet responsible design.” Meet homes with vanishing edge pools, electric car charge hook ups, private outdoor showers, and even a floating living roof. more ›

Tomorrow, and every second Thursday of each month, Lytle Pressley Contemporary will be hosting a new interview series, Inside the Design Studio. Expect to hear some of the Austin’s most intriguing innovators candidly discuss their insight, impressions, and inspiration regarding their role in creating our city’s visual landscapes. more ›

Head over to Flex Space (Shady Lane, 78702) tonight for Matthew Genitempo and Travis LaMothe's showing of You Are Your Own. The joint exhibit features Genitempo's work alongside LaMoth's sculptures. Both artists have incredible work to share and it's well worth the foray into east Austin to check it out. Get more information here. The opening it tonight from 8-10 p.m. and will be running until January 21st. more ›

Tonight from 7pm-10pm, Champion Gallery will be hosting a launch event for the second volume of the new to Austin arts/design/lit/journalism publication, Gopher Illustrated. more ›

Our friends at Public School reminded us that the Kickstarter account leveraged earlier to help get Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Company to come speak in Austin paid off, and the big guy will be at Lewis Carnegie on Thursday evening. more ›

It's hard to beat Flatstock with a stick. The poster art smorgasbord known brings a completely mind boggling volume of poster art together in one place. In the case of Flatstock 29, kicking off this Wednesday, that place is the Austin Convention Center. And, no need to worry about getting in -- the whole shebang is free and open to the public. more ›

Each fall, we look forward to East Austin Studio Tour because we inevitably discover new spots in the neighborhood that support Austin's many talented artists. One such site that we're especially looking forward to checking out this year is the Home for Wayward Furnishings. Set in a 100 year old house that has been lovingly remolded by the folks at East Side Design, the Home for Wayward Furnishings will host nearly two dozen artists, designers, and furniture makers who will display their work both inside and outside the house. Stop by tonight starting at 7pm for a party where you can meet the artists and enjoy food, drinks, fire, and fun. The Home for Wayward Furnishings is located at 1806 Willow Street, and will be open on both Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm for East Austin Studio Tour. more ›

The effort to redesign the City of Austin website has hit a significant milestone, and the team is now looking to the public for some feedback on proposed designs. more ›

Austinite Eric Bricker's Visual Acoustics explores the life and work of iconic architectural photographer Julius Shulman, whose portraits of modernist homes have become singular works of art and definitive documents of the modernist movement. Featuring interviews with architect Frank Gehry, designer/director Tom Ford, artist Ed Ruscha, publisher Benedikt Taschen and, of course, Shulman himself, the film is an intimate portrait of an extraordinary talent. more ›

Designer Rebekah Rauser's nifty "Redeploy Rug" was selected as one of the semi-finalists in Apartment Therapy's annual Design Showcase competition. The Austinite's creation is a wool/wool-blend piece crafted from military surplus blankets: more ›

For many designers and artists, typeface is an obsessive indulgence; after all, we are constantly visually inundated by the twenty six forms that make up our alphabet. An exhibit honoring the art of type is opening tonight at Domy Books. Alphabet will feature dozens of artists and their innovative interpretations of our lettering system including hand drawn illustration, experimental typography, found objects, and mixed media. Work by well known type designers including Ken Barber and Ed Fella will be joined by that of rising artists such as Hjärta Smärta and Andrew Jeffery Wright (who had a solo exhibit at Domy back in March). more ›

This afternoon at SXSW Interactive, two leaders of the NYT's design team will be discussing how old media is reinventing itself to change with the times and educate attendees about how they are using emerging technology to lead the paper of record through the next great wave of customizable, interactive content. more ›

Ray and Charles significantly influenced the world of industrial design, photography, architecture, graphic design, and even film. On Thursday, the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, or AIGA, will be showing a selection of the films of Charles and Ray Eames at Domy Books. The event kicks off Reel Design, a "film series for the design-conscious" sponsored by AIGA Austin. more ›

The Blanton's latest special exhibit, Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture, opened this weekend and will be on display through May 17th. The show covers the diverse cultural advances and innovations in design that came out of the West Coast around the late 50s and early 60s. Birth of the Cool focuses at first on the visual art and architectural styles that typify mid-century modern design. more ›

Landscape designer, nursery, and gift store, Big Red Sun, has recently held a few art exhibits at their chic East side shop. They hosted an East Austin Studio Tour party last fall and are currently exhibiting a design show that kicks off tonight. The exhibit, Sustainable Narratives, celebrates "the pursuit of integrity and beauty in the everyday object" and features work by local designers and artists. Sustainable Narratives will include funky furniture pieces, modern architectural accessories, and contemporary photography and video art. more ›

The Decoder Ring Design Concern is a giant among the visual communication world that happens to be based in our humble little town. We've long enjoyed the multidisiplinary studio's fine art prints and screenprinted rock and roll posters, but a perusal through their online portfolio speaks to how ubiquitous and powerful the Decoder Ring design team is. They've done the CD packaging for some of our favorite albums, designed Shiner billboards, developed the SXSW logo, and even made Whataburger look retro-cool. Decoder Ring recently moved all of their design and production to an East Side studio space, and are consequently opening their doors to participants in this year's East Austin Studio Tour. In accordance to their penchant for team work, the Decoder Ring designers all took turns in answering some questions for Austinist. more ›

In case you hadn't realized, music poster art and design is a a medium all its own. The creative effort that goes into each print and poster is a labor of love, artists finding new and inventive ways to combine elements from a band's own vision, their own voice, as well as actual information. more ›

Psychedelic music came of age in Austin in the 60’s thanks in large to The 13th Floor Elevators and the emergence of The Vulcan Gas Company as a community and a venue to support the genre. (Check out this site for a history.) The Vulcan Gas Company (316 Congress Ave.) shut its doors in the 70’s but lately there has been a renewed interest in the era in part due to Scott Conn’s Dirt Road To Psychedelia documentary. The Black Angels must also be blamed thanked for this rejuvenation; the local outfit has paved the way for a new generation of psychedelic acts with their impressive 2006 release, Passover. A full-length follow-up is expected this May. more ›

Spiderhouse (probably one of Austin's most representative coffee shop-bar-patios) is hosting a full evening of music and fashion this Saturday, dubbed Fashion Freakout. more ›

Photos of some of the items to be shown at Fashion Freakout at The United States Art Authority (next to Spiderhouse) on Saturday, February 16th. more ›

Her hand-sewn, saliva-marked, grass-stained outfits were reality show ratings gold, but after six episodes former Austinite and University of Texas graduate Elisa Jimenez took the dive on last night's episode of Bravo's Project Runway. more ›

City Council Member Lee Leffingwell and the City of Austin seek resident and visitor input alike for a major City of Austin website redesign via the Austin Go survey. Up until January 4th, you can tell the gub'ment just how you'd like their new-fangled webhighwaytubes to assist you by filling out the online survey on such topics as how you use the City of Austin site, how you'd like to see it improved, and how you rate redesign areas such as navigation, timeliness and accuracy of the online information the city provides, and security of personal information. more ›

Intelligence reports now reveal that Iran is *not* making a nuclear bomb. Remains to be seen whether this will make a difference to Bush, who just doesn't like the cut of their jib. Damn! What is it with the Senate and thirteen-year-old boys? Brad Pitt, perhaps in a contest with Angie to see who can adopt the most people, takes the entire Lower Ninth Ward under his wing. Two popular musicians were recently murdered... more ›

The allegorical narrative of Moses bringing down the Ten Commandments represents a massive backwards step for humankind, culturally and intellectually...Modern monotheism’s overlooked Pandora’s Box. more ›

Venezuelan voters didn't want Chavez as a ruler for life after all. Putin's party wins the Russian election, warns against Westerners who may say the election was unfair. Best feminist candidate: Obama? Later this week, Romney will publicly address his Mormon faith and how it may affect his possible presidency. Looks like it will be Texas v. Arizona State at the Holiday Bowl. Conan O'Brien will pay his "Late Night" crew from his own... more ›

Photo from AIArchitect.com We recently came across this fascinating master's architecture project by UT Arlington alumnus Jason Mellard. Drawing from Star Wars and "biomimicking" the clam shell, this archipelago of futuristic donuts would function as a self-sustaining aquatic research platform, designed to allow scientists to study marine animals and fish in their natural habitat for extended periods of time. From AIArchitect: The research spheres consist of laboratories, classrooms, computer labs, viewing platforms, holding tanks, offices,... more ›

Comic from ToothPasteForDinner.com State science curriculum director Chris Comer says she was forced to resign today according to the Austin-American Statesman. She walked away from her nine-year career with the Texas Education Agency amid accusations of insubordination and misconduct, both of which appear to be connected with her apparent bias against the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to the theory of evolution. The senior adviser on statewide initiatives, Lizzette Reynolds, who previously served... more ›

Some would rather vote for a yellow dog. Image from DemocraticStuff.com Lou Dubose presents Bill Of WrongsTuesday, November 27BookPeople (603 N. Lamar)Free, Starts at 7pm[info] Fiery Austin columnist Molly Ivins was once described to us as "equal parts sugar, spice, piss, and vinegar" by friend and fellow yellow-dog-democrat Bob Mann. To this day we still can't think of a better way to describe her. Her death last January left a deafening silence — gone was... more ›

Photo of Emily Tindall and Leslie Chastain courtesy UT Dep’t Theatre & Dance Ashes, Ashes8pm Saturday, 2pm SundayWinship Drama Building (UT Campus)[info] | [tickets]Ashes, Ashes, closing this weekend at UT, is the most visually-impressive theatrical work we’ve seen anywhere in quite awhile. We’ve even been to lower-end Broadway productions that didn’t have half the visual whammy of this retro-futuristic extravaganza. We simply couldn’t tear our eyes away from the post-Victorian steampunk fantasia created by the... more ›

Image from Zilker Park Residences. Sandwich king John Wooley is building a condo for himself and 73 of his closest market-selected friends near the shores of Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake. Beloved Austin icon Wanfu Too will be displaced. Check this website later for details about the Save Wanfu Too Benefit Concert. In a surprising twist, Wooley appears to have support of the Zilker Neighborhood Association, partly because the project will require no variances... more ›