Because maybe you don’t want to fill every moment of your two weekends – or, especially, the days between – with glorious, body-rocking, soul-vibing music and outdoor celebration among a frenzied throng of humanity? We mean, here are five recommended diversions from all that happy hullaballoo, five local options for some different cultural enrichment and edification and even, yeah, downright fun.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden
So near to ACL Fest’s Zilker Park epicenter, the Umlauf’s famed garden features expertly carved bronze or stone cynosures by Charles Umlauf and others anchoring sight among much bright foliage and tree-towered paths. Suggestion: Go with a friend, wander like a melody, and create a little romantic music of your own.
Tue.-Fri., 10am-4pm; Sat.-Sun., 11am-4pm. 605 Azie Morton, 512/445-5582. umlaufsculpture.org
Zach Theatre: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Lucha libre meets Broadway here in Austin’s premier live theatre venue, where Kristoffer Diaz’s dramatic comedy follows the life of wrestler Macedonio Guerra, a “jobber” who’s paid to lose to bigger-name stars in the ring. Macedonio meets a young Indian man from Brooklyn, who he wants to team up with, and promotional antics ensue. Unspoken racism, politics, and courage are woven through this play that leaves it all on the mat. Directed by Jerry Ruiz, starring Hollis Edwards III and Nicholas Ortiz, and we’ve got a full review of the show.
Through Oct. 23. Thu.-Sat., 7:30pm; Sun., 2:30pm. 202 S. Lamar. $25 and up. zachtheatre.org
Davis Gallery: “Beyond the Western Sky”
The group show at this elegant space just a couple blocks east of the South Lamar corridor features works by B. Shawn Cox, Faustinus Deraet, Garrett Middaugh, Dana Younger, Julie Davis, and Felice House. Works by, in other words, a veritable supergroup of Austin-based visual artists – whose creations will thrill your rods and cones with their complexly evocative power.
Through Oct. 15. 837 W. 12th, 512/477-4929. davisgalleryaustin.com
Butridge Gallery at the DAC: Three in One
“The Bliss of Solitude” Saul Jerome E. San Juan presents his plein air paintings, featuring new watercolors painted in Wimberley and the Big Bend region of West Texas.
“Fragments of the Landscape” Tiffany Heng Hui Lee utilizes shape, color, and texture to create mixed-media collages, paintings, and sculptures to capture segments of the natural landscape.
“Nature in Vogue” Neena Buxani’s vibrant paintings of flora and fauna highlight the glamour of the natural world.
Through Oct. 29. Mon.-Thu., 10am-10pm; Fri., 10am-6pm; Sat., 10am-4pm. 1110 Barton Springs Rd., 512/974-4000. austintexas.gov/jcbgallery
Wally Workman Gallery: “Monochromes”
Wally Workman’s been brightening this stretch of West Sixth since 1980, and the latest show here reveals painter Carol Dawson exploring the life cycles of flowers – through their buds, infancies, blooms, and deaths – using only three pigments, at most, to vividly manifest the idea of growth through restriction. Here is the beginning and the end of botanical delights, and here are so many poignant points between.
Oct. 8-30. Opening reception: Sat., Oct. 8, 6-8pm. 1202 W. Sixth, 512/472-7428. wallyworkmangallery.com
This article appears in October 7 • 2022.