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Amanda Eyre Ward is aces with dysfunctional families. With her latest novel, Lovers and Liars (out May 14), the Austin author returns to some of the same winning elements of her 2020 bestseller The Jetsetters, a Reese’s Book Club pick – think: estranged siblings, epic baggage, swooning locales. Here, it’s the Peacock sisters descending on a Northern England castle for youngest Sylvie’s impulsive wedding. Everybody loses their mind a little, in ways that are comic but recognizable, in a large-hearted story about finding the people who really get you and holding on for dear life. – Kimberley Jones

If you don’t laugh, you cry, and no one knows that better than a mom. The Green Room – you know the place – is helping out those noble women by presenting a post-Mother’s Day, all-female showcase featuring Ivy Le, LaLaDanielle, DVND, Margeaux, and 2023 Best of Austin winner Rochelle McConico. It’s a mini-extravaganza, with poetry and music and comedy for every burnt-out lady in your life. Light it up and relax on a weekday. Come on, mamas. You’ve earned it. – Cat McCarrey

Between gallery installations, ICOSA Collective utilizes their window space facing the Canopy thoroughfare to showcase short-running art shows. These artists often experiment with the limits of their window framings while their work remains displayed 24/7. ICOSA Collective is proud to present this week the latest multimedia work from visual artist/curator Rebecca Marino, “DOGSBODY IS DEAD.” The Austinite takes inspiration from author Kathrine Dunn’s semi-autobiographical work Attic, which delves into life as a young woman incarcerated in the 1960s Midwest. The displayed art, ICOSA Collective promises, will unpack “the emotional/ behavioral standards placed upon women and the often tragic results that ensue.” – James Scott

This sweet opportunity comes to us from the Downtown Austin Alliance, the Pease Park Conservancy, and Ride Bikes Austin – so we know it's a damned good thing indeed. Take the self-guided Art & Parks Tour to explore the best of what Downtown Austin art and parks have to offer through this selection of curated murals, artworks, and green spaces. You can sign up anytime, so click that URL and get ready to learn the most vibrantly visual parts of your city soon – live and in person.

The local powerhouse of figurative painting, the art school that's the smart school for artists of all kinds, they've got a painting-along-at-home series going to help you keep your skills honed in these socially restrictive times, featuring live costumed models posing on camera and a thriving community of creatives rendering that lovely human biotecture from their separate studios. "Join us for a three-hour costumed-model drawing session. Use any supplies you wish, listen to music, share your work, chat with others. It’s a great way to stay connected with your art community!"

Art! Oh, I love it. But sadly, when I open my pockets, moths fly out. Good news for me and all my broke friends: Every Tuesday, the Blanton opens its doors to all visitors free of charge. Why, unburdened by the weight of an empty wallet, Austinites can mull the strange world of contemporary womanhood in “Unbreakable: Feminist Visions from the Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores Garcia Collection.” Or walk beneath the silver and mesh sculptures of Marie Watt’s “Sky Dances Light.” Or explore the past through its artistic pieces in “The Floating World: Masterpieces of Edo Japan.” Or enjoy any of the many, MANY other exhibitions available on this day: all for free. – James Scott

Use your smartphone to access self-guided tours of the outdoor public art sited by UT's award-winning Landmarks program any time you feel like it. BONUS: There's also a free, docent-led tour starting at Marc Quinn's "Spiral of the Galaxy" (1501 Red River) on Sun., Jan. 8, 11am.

Enter the fascinating world of illusions in this new venue that boasts a stunning array of intriguing visual, sensory, and educational experiences among new, unexplored optical wonderments.

This multimedia exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the beauty of botanical forms, expressed realistically and in the abstract, featuring the work of local artist Francine Funke.

Yowch! That’s what you’d be saying, you know, if you touched your tootsies to a lava-flooded floor. Thankfully, Austin is not located next to an active volcano … or is it? This scripted comedy sketch show is a fresh flow of bright burning comic talent sure to scorch expectations with “fun, loose, and experimental” material. Don’t believe me? Read this totally real quote from the comedy show’s Instagram bio: My ‘comedies’ are complete *poop emoji* compared to the greatest sketch group to ever sketch! –William Shakespeare. I can’t believe ol’ Willy really said that! But no one has ever lied on Instagram before, so best believe this show’s hot stuff. – James Scott

Minneapolis-born and -raised, Elizabeth Olds lived to a sturdy 94 but didn’t get the attention she deserved in her lifetime. The Harry Ransom Center’s new exhibit, which opened Feb. 3 and runs through July 14, aims to rectify that with a first-of-its-kind look back at more than 100 of her prints, paintings, drawings, and illustrations from the 1920s to the 1960s. Of particular note: her depictions of social and political change from her time as a Works Progress Administration printmaker. Want to go deeper? Drop in for one of the daily docent tours. – Kimberley Jones