Ney Restoration Announced
Now that Laguna Gloria has been restored to its architectural and scenic glories, can Austin’s other grand museum-estate be far behind? Apparently not. On Monday, Nov. 10, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett came to Hyde Park to announce that a grant from the Save America’s Treasures program would provide $250,000 for restoration and renovation of Formosa, former home of famed sculptor Elisabet Ney and now home to the museum which bears her name. According to Elisabet Ney Museum Director Mary Collins Blackmon, the grant will allow the organization to develop a comprehensive preservation master plan for the 3,600-square-foot stone home and studio, as well as the 2.5 acres that surround it. It will also serve to launch a campaign that will eventually raise $750,000 for the actual repair and restoration of the property. A timeline for renovations has yet to be established. Save America’s Treasures is a public-private partnership of the National Parks Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which recognized the museum as one of America’s most significant artists’ homes and studios in 2000. In 2001, the Ney was designated a National Trust Associate Site.
Photo Finish
Congratulations to Austin photographer Sean Perry on his awards in the 12th annual Fall American Photography Exhibition held by the Hubbard Museum in Ruidoso Downs, N.M. Perry won first place in “The American West” category for his image Dreams I’ve Had, a toned gelatin-silver photograph featuring a statue of horses on the UT campus, and took second place in the “Open” category.
Booked
Congratulations also to Chronicle Arts writer Barry Pineo on the news that Allworth Press plans to publish his book Acting That Matters. The book, which seeks to elucidate a technique of acting that could be applied to any given text, is drawn from Pineo’s work in the Austin Acting Workshop that he has been leading since October 2001.
Amster Auditions
The Austin Civic Orchestra is accepting applications for the Pearl Amster Concerto Competition to be held in January 2004. Wind, piano, and string players 18 years old and younger are eligible to apply and must submit first-round audition tapes by Dec. 1. Winners will appear in concert with the orchestra and receive college tuition assistance. For information and an application kit, contact Randy Harriman at rharriman@austin.rr.com or 441-2505.
This article appears in November 14 • 2003.