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Join multiple Best of Austin award-winning author Spike Gillespie for a free hands-on art and poetry workshop. No art or poetry experience is required, and all supplies provided. Participants will decorate a journal using elements of collage, ink, pencil, and acrostic poetry, and you have permission to be creative and inspired!

Written by Miami playwrights Vanessa Garcia and Jake Cline, Jenna and the Whale is about life, death, and who we are in a community as individuals. This world premiere presentation is directed by Lisa Scheps for Ground Floor Theatre in collaboration with Broadway United, and features performances by Kelsey Mazak, Matthew Vo, Keaton Patterson, Jennifer Jennings, Tonie Knight, and Brooke Ashley Eden. And, look: Here's Bob Abelman's review of the show.

The comedy trio of Please Don’t Destroy is made up of Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, who are currently writing and making videos for Saturday Night Live.

Austin's largest women-and-nonbinary-artist-collective, atxGALS, invite you to the debut of "Horizons," a show featuring new works from Ahn Hee Strain and Danika Ostrowski. Here's a fine place to dance to live music, enjoy complimentary drinks, and support the local scene.

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.

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!"

Yuliya Lanina’s exhibition delves into the Austin-based artist’s complex and personal relationship with the war in Ukraine. Through animation, sculpture, and installation, Lanina continues her introspective exploration of the emotional and physical impact of war and trauma. See our cover story on this powerful work right here.

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!

See the interior of Hyde Park Theatre transformed into an art gallery for a show by a dissident Chinese conceptual artist, a man who was imprisoned and tortured for an art piece in which he organized an imaginary protest. Or maybe that's what they're doing, as HPT presents this intricate, puzzling Christopher Chen drama – under the direction of Ken Webster, with performances by Norman Tran, Esther Park, Rebecca Robinson, and Robert Pierson. And, look: Here's Bob Abelman's review of the production.

For this summer series, Cloud Tree has divided its main exhibition space into 23 sections and offered the spots to artists, giving them a platform and space to share their art on their terms – so you can head over and see these local wonders on your terms: leisurely, improving your day with beauty. Featuring work by Meena Matai, Hallie Rae Ward, Peyton Hornberger, Rochelle Feinstein, Nate Fuss, Desiree Hullaster, Jonah Dillon, George Elkanah, and more.

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.

Here's a grand showcase of the Davis Gallery's family of artists, conjuring a sort of pool party for your eyes. Come swim the depths of diverse and original Austin-based art, with an astonishing array of work by Randall Reid, Caprice Pierucci, Jan Heaton, Ben Livingston, John Sager, Denise Fulton, Dana Younger, and many more. And here's Brenner review of this superlative show.

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.

What could happen when you give five comedians a bong and a microphone? You're about to find out.

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."

This laugh-out-loud love story about the outrageous escapades of a royal family is set to the music of the iconic 1980s rock band the Go-Go’s and includes the hit songs, “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation,” and Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven is a Place on Earth” and “Mad About You.” Featuring the Go-Go’s very own Kathy Valentine as music director.

This is an exhibition of new work by Darcie Book and Vy Ngo, in which the artists invite you to experience an abstract landscape that considers the limitless possibilities of existence in a space without confines – beautifully rendered here with sculptural painting, installations, and natural materials.

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.

"We don’t typically see an artist’s vision board, only the by-product of blood, sweat, and tears." Oh, we can see them now, though! At this excellent exhibition of boards by Erin Cunningham, Stephen Daly, Valerie Fowler, Melanie Hickerson, Mindy Johnston, Steven Bernard Jones, Kathy McCarty, Jacqueline May, Lawrence McFarland, Deanna Miesch, Jon Eric Narum, Jennifer Prichard, Benné Rockett , David Thornberry, Madelon Umlauf, and Deborah Vanko.

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.

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.

City Theatre presents William Inge's American classic and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an endearing portrait about the line between family and self-reliance, restraint and desire. Directed by Payton Trahan.

This new collection, now available at Austin's premiere online gallery, celebrates the risograph work (2019-2023) of Marfa-based artist Eva Claycomb.

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.

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

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.

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.

Oh, this is realism, all right. It's the type of precise realism that underpins the most fantastic, evocative imagery – portions of our world in all its shadow-riddled glory – and it's seen here in a display of stunning new oil paintings by Tracey Harris, James Andrew Smith, Sara Scribner, and Shane Scribner.

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.