Top 10 (+1) Major Shifts in Austin Visual Arts in 2014
In the visual arts, 2014 was marked by transition: for galleries, curators, and critics
By Seth Orion Schwaiger, Fri., Jan. 2, 2015
Top 10 (+ 1) major shifts in Austin visual arts in 2014
1) TINY PARK CLOSES – SORT OF Phantom gallery Tiny Park lives on through curatorial collaboration, social media, and philanthropy. (See No. 6.)
2) GRAYDUCK OPENS NEW SPACE Still polished but more personality – and exhibitions have followed suit (Hixx collective wearing nothing but camo-paint, et al.).
3) REBECCA MARINO TAKES OVER CURATING PUMP PROJECT Marino balances the community/education minded programming of predecessor Debra Broz with more edgy, contemporary, content-rich exhibitions.
4) THREE CRITICAL VOICES MOVE FROM AUSTIN Austin Chronicle's Andy Campbell, Glasstire's Dorota Biczel, and everything-man Russell Etchen now serve as Austin's ambassadors to Houston, Peru, and L.A.
5) ASA HURSH BECOMES ART ALLIANCE AUSTIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Hursh retooled the Alliance's arts economic development model integrating more homegrown contemporary artists and curators.
6) CO-LAB RELOCATES Taking on leasing studios alongside its exhibition program will be a game changer (reopening later this winter). Ease the transition at www.indiegogo.com/ or www.tinyparkgallery.com while purchasing artwork.
7) BLANTON CURATORSHIP CHANGES Veronica Roberts curates "Converging Lines," her first show at the museum. Influential curator Annette DiMeo Carlozzi retires.
8) CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN EXPANDS COMMUNITY OUTREACH With projects at Pump Project and grayDUCK, they're doing more than just showing their faces at openings.
9) APARTMENT AND MICRO-GALLERIES TAKE ROOT ATM Gallery, Little Pink Monster (expanded to Canopy!), Permanent.Collection, Lower Left, SOFA (reopened!), Test Tube, etc.
10) UT'S MFA PROGRAM IS ONE YEAR SHORTER New students have two years to get to know Austin and vice versa.
11) POP AUSTIN DEBUTS The high rollers surprised many with their glamorous pop-up gallery and high sales. I'd bet we'll see them again in 2015.
