Top 9 (Plus Three) Memories & Best Happenings in 2009

1) BOB 'DADDY-O' WADE'S 40-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE (SOUTH AUSTIN MUSEUM OF POPULAR CULTURE)

2) DAMIAN PRIOUR'S 30-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE (UMLAUF SCULPTURE GARDEN & MUSEUM, CURATED BY CLINT WILOUR)

3) JILL PANGALLO'S 'LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU' (TEXAS BIENNIAL)

4) STANDING OVATION FOR KELLY FEARING at Michael Duncan's Texas Biennial lecture.

5) MEMORIAL SPEECHES FOR ROBERT DALE ANDERSON at Okay Mountain and the Austin Visual Arts Awards

6) DOMY BOOKS bustled with events and brought in great out-of-town artists.

7) ROI JAMES' SO SWEET THANK-YOU SPEECH at the Austin Visual Arts Awards.

8) THE 'PIECED TOGETHER' GROUP GRAFFITI SHOW TOURED THE U.S. with curator Nathan Nordstrom taking Texas wildstyle to Cali and NYC.

9) EAST AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR – making art headlines where art headlines have never been printed before.

10) CO-LAB INSTALLATIONS! There is something nice about a whole room full of noncommercial art.

11) BILL DAVENPORT SITTING AT THE GIANT MUSHROOMS ON AUDITORIUM SHORES Nice. The temporary outdoor sculpture project between Art in Public Places and the Texas Biennial was new but turned out successful.

12) TALKING ART WITH HAMZA WALKER (ARTHOUSE) The juror for "New American Talent 24" was outgoing and hilarious, saying things like, "You can parachute me into a city, and I will find the artists."