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The Wheel of the Year inspires Austin's most provocative performance art ensemble to offer this occult burlesque chantry of witches, a sexy af prelude to the rituals for Samhain this fall. Created by Blaise Ricin, presented by the Vortex.

Shrewd Productions presents the first world premiere of local playwright Briandaniel Oglesby. This "hilarious and campy, but heartfelt" play deals with the very real themes of isolation and loneliness, and the bravery involved in searching for real connection in our disconnected world. Directed by Braxton Rae, starring Dane Parker, Jen Brown, Trey Deason, Shannon Grounds, and Andy Shaw.

Equipped with a bulletproof vest, some know-how, and a touch of irony, two icons of lesbian-feminist theatre use spoken word and movement as a call and response to urgent global predicaments. Peggy Shaw’s poetic musings are interspersed with Lois Weaver’s dance essays in which she wryly upends "how-to mania," with the duo hitting upon survival strategies for a world collapsing around them.

Readers, writers, and story-lovers converge to meet the best in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. This year's lineup includes author and activist Cory Doctorow, award-winning writers Gabino Iglesias and Sequoia Nagamatsu, Aztec gamer and artist Gonzalo Alvarez, and editor Rick Klaw, who's here celebrating new releases with Joe R. Lansdale and Josh Rountree.

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.

New figurative paintings by Arye Shapiro, based on live models and his experiments with poses, props and light.

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!"

That's right: Cap City Comedy Club, the longtime cornerstone of Austin's comedy scene for nearly four decades is at a new venue in the Domain. And here's Valerie Lopez with a closer look at what's in store for the scene via the venue. Click for details!

ColdTowne's new brick-and-mortar place is totally open, and who knows what they'll shake this city with next? But one truth remains: ColdTowne is a designated den of gold, baby, sweet comedy gold.

Here's an exhibition of works by Darryl Demps Jr., Brie Henderson, and Nathan Sing, three artists who use dreamy color palettes and whimsical compositions to invite you into their worlds.

Founded by comedians Raza Jafri and Andre Ricks, this club that operates out of Tiger Den on the Eastside is the city's only BIPOC-owned comedy venue.

Esther's Follies – Austin's not-so-secret weapon in the fight against ennui – the comedy gem that still dazzles this growing urban hub – returns to the weekly live and in-person stage of their club on Dirty Sixth, the whole troupe bringing back old favorites and debuting a new program of hilarity with topical, ripped-from-the-headlines sketches and musical numbers. And you do need a laugh or two, right about this time, don't you, citizen? (And how about a margarita to go with that?) We'd add that the mind-boggling illusions of magician Ray Anderson are a bonus in the night's clever spectacle … but, the way that arch maestro conjures mystery and delight, "bonus" would be an insult.

This hotbed of local performance is carrying on even more than usual, with an eclectic mix of live, mind-rocking comedy from some of Austin's best, all week long. Hey! The place is our cover story, as reported by Valerie Lopez! And, srsly, who would ever disagree with the sentiment of Monday night's Fuck This Week show? Check the website for details.

This is Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking's second annual exhibition showcasing Austin’s new and upcoming printmakers, curated by Alyssa Ebinger and featuring work from students who are receiving their BFA, B.A., B.S., or MFA with a major or minor concentration in printmaking from an Austin area college or university.

Beyond August Productions presents this comedic play by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton. The production is directed by Robyn Conner, and stars Shannon Embry, Jill Klopp Turner, Chuck Winkler, and Peter Young.

Says the artist Conner Yarbrough, "These paintings were created over three years when destruction was integral for regrowth and balance had to be discovered amidst chaos."

A collaborative photography show curated by Bianca and Riel Sturchio of 18 artists from Austin and its surrounding area. Focused on LGBTQ, chronically ill, disabled, and neurodivergent identities, ISYSM "embraces alternative approaches to photography through modes of making that honor the grit, the grime, the queer, the accidental, the immediacy, the power, and the magical potentialities of analog photography."

This is an exhibition of new works by Jonas Criscoe and Mai Gutierrez that explore the cultural connections between Texas and Mexico. Through the use of natural materials, found objects, and imagery, each artist expresses existence between the borders.

This summer group exhibition challenges the boundaries between fine art and craft, offering a range of functional objects made by fine artists – including furniture, eating utensils, clothing, and toys. Also, nonfunctional objects made by craftspeople – including paintings, photography and sculpture. With works by Jonas Criscoe, Ryan Thayer Davis, Jenn Hassin, Beili Liu, Dave McClinton, Steve Parker, Denise Prince, and more.

This local treasure of a venue, run by those Contemporary Austin folks who also bring us the Jones Center shows Downtown, is all about the outdoors – which is perfect for these trickily navigated times of ours, n'est-ce pas? Recommended: Stop by and breathe in the air, enjoy the lawns and gardens and the many examples of world-class sculpture arrayed across the property, and (as Frankie used to say) r-e-l-a-x.

Stephen L. Clark Gallery presents this new exhibition of works by Lance Letscher, the locally based artist internationally known for his vibrant, colorful collages of wood, metal, paper, and old books.

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.

Austin's most absurd and fun attraction will have its last day on September 24th, so visit while you still can! It's the Eureka Room, a participatory experience where visitors engage with curious and playful programming within a unique 100-square-foot room filled with light and sound.

This recently relocated bastion of elegance and superb curation presents a stunning exhibition of trompe-l'œil sculptures by Tamara Johnson — the artist's first solo project with the gallery.

Here's a two-person exhibition that features painting, installation, videography, and sculpture by Moll Brau and Wes Thompson. It's a deep dive into a pool of loneliness, triumph, and rebirth. It's a forest of mazes where fireflies provide the light. It's a show of creations from a pair of terrific, hardworking local artists and you don't want to miss it.

Ooooh, it's a scorcher! And here 17 artists have waxed visual on the title's theme, bringing you their response to the fiery furnace in which we find ourselves this season. With works by Xavier Schipani, Conner O'Leary, Rowan Howe, Loc Huynh, Weylin Neyra, and more.

Zilker Theatre Productions presents the story of a girl who dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, Matilda is a joyous romp for children and adults alike.

This new show features an impressive collection of artworks created via techniques and skills passed down through generations, especially highlighting work by master printmaker Sergio Sánchez Santamaría.

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.

In this new show at the excellent Downtown gallery, seven artists show artworks with the books (plays, poems, novels, comics, zines, and records) that inform and inspire them. With Emma Hadzi Antich, Jade Walker, Jason Stopa, Logan Larsen, Matthew Langland, Sarah Fagan, and Tim Thompson.

Anne Bobroff-Hajal and Craig Campbell use art to explore legacies of conquest, resistance, and endurance in the context of the Russian Empire.

For Leah Bury and Loria Mendoza's curatorial follow-up to their previous "Bodies of Work" exhibitions, they invited local creatives to showcase the human figure. Now witness this presentation of new images from more than 50 artists, including TVHeadATX, David Wehmeyer, Richard Samuel, and Manni Mora.

Shakespeare's classic of ill-fated love is here produced by City Theatre Austin for their new stage at Genesis Creative Collective.

This solo show by Tony Coleman features the artist's notable pop-culture icons with an otherworldly twist that's distinctly his own.

This is a weekly stand-up comedy showcase to help you pregame your Friday night on the town. (Snail Haven also features music shows, film screenings, and general hangs. Best bet: Follow @SnailHavenShows on Instagram and DM them for event details.)

South Austin’s first dedicated comedy venue is spearheaded by local comics Martin Henn, Andre Ricks, and Raza Jafri, and brings top-notch acts to South Austin every Wednesday through Saturday. Note: The upcoming comics – including nationally touring acts, local sweethearts, and everyone in between – will be listed on Instagram each night.

Follow the yellow brick road in this delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale, featuring the iconic musical score from the MGM film. Directed here by Zoë Adams, with musical direction by J. Quinton Johnson and choreography by Khali Sykes.

TexARTS' Professional Series presents this classic musical, based on the 1980s movie, featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick.

The Contemporary Austin presents an exhibition tracing the evolution of Eamon Ore-Giron's dynamic paintings over more than twenty years of creative practice, revealing how the artist mines the complex nature of Latinx identity, the history of the Americas, and the many legacies of abstraction in art. ALSO: The newest exhibition space here is called HOST and features work by María Fernanda Camarena and Gabriel Rosas Alemán (aka the Mexico City-based artist duo known as Celeste).

This snazzy spot for local and national stand-up acts has shows almost every night of the week.

The diverse lineup of hilarious, always surprising improv shows continues, with Pgraph and Maestro and the Big Bash and more, for the most unexpected delights of in-person entertainment.

Juliette Lepage Boisdron's first solo U.S. exhibition presents an aesthetic universe inhabited by expressive, majestic, and mystical women, caring insects, large observing eyes, exuberant plants, and plenty of animals.

The legend of Ronnie Velveeta lives on at this storied 'stablishment of a stand-up stage, where some of the country's hottest comics come to make the floorboards quake with laughter every weekend on Dirty Sixth. Brandie Posey: Sat., May 20, 8 & 10pm. Jake Flores: Sat., May 27, 8 & 10pm.

Dan Jian’s drawings are meditations on the act of looking and made using mostly dust. Charcoal dust and burned ashes are mixed and fixed on translucent paper, allowing the medium to form inklike gravitational washe, then worked with scissors, blades, and glue to create introverted landscapes filled with imaginary narratives and symbols.

This is Ray Donley's gallery of art by Native Americans, located in that company of artistic glory called Canopy and resplendent with creations from the original people of our struggling country.