Austin’s favorite art-filled weekend kicks off with a bang with Collectors Reception on Friday, April 29; Black Fret Music Stage lineup revealed.
(AUSTIN, TEXAS – April 2016, source) – Art Alliance Austin is thrilled to announce that this year’s Art City Austin festival will include an evening reception at the Palmer Event Center on Friday, April 29 from 6 to 10 p.m. The reception will celebrate Art City Austin’s newest programming addition Art City Fair presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Art City Fair will be a highly curated contemporary art area that will showcase galleries from across Texas as well as self-represented artists displaying work on large gallery walls, similar to national art fairs. Art City Fair will feature traditional art fair style booths including 10′ white walls and mounted lighting.
“We are extremely thrilled to offer this incredible opportunity to our community and bring the very first art fair to Austin,” said Asa Hursh, Executive Director of Art Alliance Austin.
The reception caps a full day of art and music at Art City with a two-part reception. First, the Collectors Reception taking place on Friday, April 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets will include a swag bag and limited edition Art City Austin poster. Beverages will be provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Winebow, Charles Smith Wines, Michelob Ultra and Ziegenbock and food by Stella San Jac. Patrons can then stay for the Art City Reception from 7:30 to 10 p.m. with an extensive selection of complimentary bites hosted by Stella San Jac and a cash bar. Stella San Jac is led by Executive Chef Michael Cerrie and features an eclectic southern menu serving a mix of healthy cuisine and comfort food. Admittance will include admission to the entire weekend of Art City Austin. Tickets to the Collectors Reception are $30 or $50 per person. Ticket information is available here.
Participating galleries and artists in Art City Fair will include: Circuit12 Contemporary (Dallas), Hello Studio (San Antonio), Yvonamor Palix Fine Art (Houston), Muir Gallery (Houston), CAMIBAart, POP Austin, Big Medium, Flatbed Press & Gallery, Deborah Argyropoulos, The Public Trust (Dallas), Beef Haus (Dallas), Jeff Scott, Todd Sanders, Roadhouse Relics, Sandi Steward, Rebecca Bennett, Robin Roberts-Walker, Inner Lite Art, YARD DOG, and Co-Lab.
Mathew Zefeldt, Abundant Still Life, 2015, acrylic on canvas, courtesy of Circuit12 Contemporary (Dallas).
“Tito Beveridge of Tito’s Handmade Vodka is an incredible supporter of the visual arts in Austin and this wouldn’t be possible without his dedicated and enthusiastic support,” said Asa Hursh. “Last year, Tito’s Handmade Vodka sponsored the Austin Art Pavilion which was a test for this year’s concept. This year, the Art City Fair wouldn’t be possible without their support and we’re thankful of Tito’s shared vision in building a stronger visual art market in Austin.”
Julia Gilmore, Louboutin Shoes, 2013, oil on canvas, courtesy of the artist.
Art City Austin will take place Friday through Sunday, April 29 – May 1. After the past seven years of calling Cesar Chavez home, Art City Austin, formerly known as Fiesta, has relocated to the beautiful and scenic Palmer Events Center along the shores of Lady Bird Lake downtown, located at 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, Texas 78704.
Austin’s original fine arts festival and national juried art show of 200 locally and nationally recognized artists and galleries is a family friendly event featuring local food trailers, beer, cocktails and interactive projects for kids of all ages. Festival tickets are $10 for adults. Children under 12 and Art Alliance Austin Members get into the event for free.
For more info, please see www.artallianceaustin.org/artcity.
Art City Austin is once again partnering with local music nonprofit Black Fret to provide a stellar lineup of local Austin musicians to play on The Black Fret Music Stage Presented by 93.3 KGSR. Black Fret is a 501c(3) public charity that is built upon the simple principle that our local music, like the symphony and the opera, is worthy of the community’s support. Through their generous patronage, Black Fret has been able to award $280,000 in grants to Austin musicians in just two years.
The lineup for the stage will include a number of Black Fret Grant Recipients and the schedule can be found on the Art Alliance Austin website www.artallianceaustin.org/artcity. The following artists have been announced to perform: Barbara Nesbitt, Barfield, Dan Dyer, Eric Tessmer, Hard Proof Afrobeat, Jonathan Terrell, Jackie Venson, Sarah Sharp, Tameca Jones, Warren Hood, Water & Rust, Zeale and more special guests to be announced.
“Black Fret is excited once again to have the opportunity to present our awarding winning musicians to the thousands of attendees of Art City Austin,” said Colin Kendrick, Founder of Black Fret. “We truly enjoy curating the Art City music stage and love integrating with another stellar nonprofit that supports our local art scene.”
Lincoln Durham performing at Art City Austin 2015 on the Art City Austin 2016 sponsors include Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Ziegenbock, Michelob Ultra, Black Fret, Terry McDaniel & Company Investment Counsel, HEB Grocery, Hartman & Moore Attorneys at Law, Stella San Jac Restaurant, ICON Design & Build, Capital Spectrum Inc, Ideal Signs, BURY, Brown Distribution Company, Republic National Distributing Company, Sweet Leaf Tea, Lyft, Oxford Commercial, Cushman Wakefield, Industry Print Shop and KIND Healthy Snacks. Art City Austin 2016 media sponsors include TRIBEZA, Austin Monthly, 93.3 KGSR, KUT and KUTX, The Austin Chronicle, CultureMap Austin, Do512 and Do512 Family. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
“Art City is the best place to build an art collection,” said Joel Sumner, Art Alliance Austin Board Chair. “The art at Art City ranges from painting, sculpture and photography to jewelry and metalwork, and features styles from traditional to modern to contemporary. The work exhibited is all for sale and this is also a great opportunity to meet the artists and even commission custom pieces. We find that many of the attendees not only go home with beautiful work to fill their home or office but that they are also creating new connections and lifelong friendships with artists.”
The festival remains an authentic Austin tradition that celebrates the community through the arts. Art City Austin is the culmination of a national jury selection process that selects the best artists from across the country to exhibit and sell their work in April of each year. This year the festival will bring back many award-winning artists from past years as well as attract exciting and fresh new talent. A full list of exhibiting artists, complete with images of artwork and links to artists’ websites, will be available on the Art City webpage www.artallianceaustin.org/artcity.
“We all know how much new construction there is in Austin, and so that means that there’s a lot of blank walls out there,” said Steve Maddox, Art City Austin 2016 Committee Chair and Art Alliance Austin board member. “Let’s fill them up. Attending Art City Austin is the best way to do that. So either bring the family or bring your architect or interior designer and let’s find that piece of art that you’ve always wanted.”
About Art Alliance:
Art Alliance Austin works collaboratively with artists, museums, independent curators and galleries to create a diverse and powerful series of programming which highlights Austin as an emerging contemporary arts capital. Art Alliance’s mission is to support and contribute to the growth, prominence and sustainability of Austin’s art scene, ultimately making Austin a great art city. Art Alliance Austin programs and partnerships now engage more than 40,000 people annually and produce an estimated $2.5 million in annual economic impact. In addition to Art City Austin, Art Alliance Austin produces Austin Art Weekly, ARTBASH, the Austin Art Break series, PechaKucha Austin, ArtAustin.org and works collaboratively to develop public art projects. Art Alliance Austin is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department. For more information on becoming a member, supporting or sponsoring Art Alliance Austin, please see www.artallianceaustin.org.
Media Note:
For media credentials to this year’s Art City, for interview requests or other general press inquiries, please contact the team at Juice Consulting:
Heather Wagner Reed
713 208 3891
heather@juiceconsulting.com
Amber LaFrance
469 877 1533
amber@juiceconsulting.com