Articlulations

After only 13 months at the helm of the Austin Museum of Art, Chief Executive Officer Sid Mallory has decided to move on. Mallory, the first person ever to hold the post of CEO for AMOA, has taken a development position with the Dallas Opera and will be heading to Big D in August. While to some it may feel like Mallory just got here, in fact, his year-plus has been quite productive, including the opening of AMOA's downtown galleries at 823 Congress, the receipt of a $1.5 million gift from Dr. & Mrs. Ernest C. Butler, and the hiring of NYC curator Elizabeth Ferrer to fill the position of director/senior curator. Unfortunately for AMOA, however, Mallory's departure comes on the heels of the departure of Michael Kaufman, once tagged as the next chairman of AMOA's board, for a job on the West Coast. These moves leave the board and Ferrer, who begins work July 15, scrambling to fill leadership holes and sustain the museum's momentum in building a permanent downtown space. On the plus side, the progress of the last year puts AMOA in a much more stable position than it was in when Daniel Stetson resigned as director two years ago, and as it moves forward now, it will be able to rely on the skills of Mr. Arts himself, longtime patron Alfred A. King.

Comedy Honors

One of the hopes for the Big Stinkin' International Improv Festival is that it will help launch talented improv groups to more prominent national and international gigs. Well, this year's fest certainly did that for host company Monks' Night Out; it's just been named the American team in the improv competition at this year's Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. And when we say the American team, that's precisely what we mean; there's only one. It competes against one British team and two Canadian teams in four shows, July 21-26. Fans of the Monks may wonder who in the troupe will get to go. Alas, the festival, which pays the way for all the competing troupes, restricts each team to just three players. Choosing the three Monks was not easy, but founding member Marc Pruter finally chose Joseph Anthony, Christie Ingram, and himself. Anyone wanting to wish these three bon voyage can catch them weekly Thursday through Saturday at the Velveeta Room. Call 453-MONK for info.

Also winning comedy honors this week were three contestants in the local round of the Latino Comedian of the Year Contest at Capitol City Comedy Club. The contest, sponsored by Hollywood's Laugh Factory comedy club in conjunction with the Latino Laugh Festival, held in the Alamo City last year, seeks an outstanding Latino comic to send to the 1998 Montreux Comedy Festival in Switzerland. Austinite Jesse Pangelinan, Houstonian Sheila Rivera (seen here with Los Mojados Brothers Comedy Festival), and San Antonian Don Macias Rippy were chosen to advance to the Regional Finals in San Antonio June 30. There, three contestants will be chosen for the National Finals in Los Angeles July 30. For more, call 467-2333.

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