Upon returning to the United States, Wester began painting in a studio at the Pump Project in East Austin. His photos, now digitally manipulated into a high contrast two-tone reminiscent of stencil art, are combined with bold, graphic imagery such as the Red Cross logo and Arabic text. Touching, but often hopeful, Wester uses bright primary colors and images of children in many of his pieces. For Wester, capturing the images and turning them into art has been a healing way for him to discuss his feelings about the war. ...

Artists need plenty of space to think, build, paint and flex their creative muscles. One such place is the new Pump Project Art Complex in East Austin, where 39 local artists fit under one roof to work, play, and create. “Being in this environment, there is always a great support system for your creativity,” said Pump Project artist Debra Broz. “Being around other artists, you can really feed off that.” Formerly Shady Tree Studios, the......