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  "Native America: In Translation"

  Apsáalooke (Crow) multimedia artist Wendy Red Star curates a captivating exhibit of work from nine indigenous artists who actively challenge the oppressive forces of white supremacy and colonialism while honoring their heritage.

  Aug. 4-Jan.5

  The Blanton Museum of Art

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  Visual Arts

  Atelier Dojo: Remote Studios

  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!"

  Tuesdays, 1:30-4:30pm; Fridays, 6:30-9:30pm; Saturdays, 9:30-12:30pm. $5.  

  Click Here for Details

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  Visual Arts

  “Luster Woo” by MuthaGoose

  The impeccably named MuthaGoose is the collective brainchild of artists Jill Garcia and Kim Phu. They are two of the baddest muthas around, debuting their collaborative creativity with the sly, wry, “Luster Woo” exhibit at the Butridge Gallery in the Dougherty Arts Center. Both are well-versed in playing around with mediums, crafting sculptures and paintings created from all manner of found or upcycled items. For “Luster Woo,” MuthaGoose present their nostalgic-but-modern takes on women’s issues. On Wednesday, Jill Garcia will be present for the artist reception, answering questions about the duo’s process. Check out these indelible visuals highlighting how the more things change, the more things stay the same. – Cat McCarrey

  Opening reception: May 29; through June 22

  Dougherty Arts Center

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  Visual Arts

  “Wild and Precious” by Amanda McInerney & Lana Waldrep Appl

  “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?” asks the poet Mary Oliver. So do the artists Amanda McInerney and Lana Waldrep Appl, taking inspiration from Oliver’s question to create works highlighting the small but important beauties in our lives. McInerney’s work presents bold, botanical elements through mediums from print to stitched mixed-media art, confident graphics speaking against the unknowns in the world. Appl is a perfect highlight with that, her object-based work (showing plants, toys, ceramics) begging us to consider what is useful and actually important in the small moments. – Cat McCarrey

  Opening reception: Fri., May 24; on view Fri. & Sat. through June 22

  ICOSA

• Qmmunity

  Nightlife & Parties

  Big Tits, Bigger Dreams

  Brigitte Bandit hosts this non-competitive drag open mic that invites upcoming drag artists to hone their craft as well as get professional portrait and performance photography.

  First Saturday of every month, 6-9pm

  Cheer Up Charlies

• Arts

  Theatre

  Cirque du Soleil: Songblazers

  If you’ve ever thought to yourself, country music is great and all, but it could really use more trapeze artists and fire-breathers, then this is the show for you.

  Aug. 14-18

  Bass Concert Hall

• Qmmunity

  Community

  Community in the Park

  Queer Black Women Alliance begin their Community in the Park event series with “Beyond Juneteenth: Freedom & Resilience,” featuring emcee Joe Brundidge and work from artists Cailah Vette, Micailah OCaii, and Michael Hatcher – plus much more.

  Sat., June 1

  Republic Square

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Creating Encuentros: Changarrito 2012–2024

  Traveling in Mexico, you frequently encounter changarritos – portable food carts or tienditas run by hardworking entrepreneurs. The carts usually operate outside of any formal regulation and, in that way, mirror the resilience and creativity of Mexican culture. In 2005, artist Máximo González appropriated the concept of the changarrito as a way for artists to take their work directly to the people. The idea came to Austin’s venerable Mexic-Arte Museum in 2012, with dozens of artists displaying art and interacting with the public outside the Downtown gallery. The concept is back and will run through August. – Brant Bingamon

  Through August 25

  Mexic-Arte Museum

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  Visual Arts

  Date Nite Gallery Opening

  Landry McMeans’ artwork operates best on a grand scale. Her vividly colored desertscapes capture the vastness of sand-swept land and sun-crisped sky, but ground in the minute, detailed beauty that exists amid the expanse. Having evolved her process from the textured depths of 3D cardboard reliefs to hand-cut stencil prints, the Best of Austin-awarded artist now gets her own gallery in South Austin to showcase her colorful pop-inspired cacti, sagebrush, and other life flourishing in an arid Southwest landscape. Date Nite Gallery’s opening also features a makers market curated by Courtney Crash, food from local chefs, craft cocktails, and live music. – Doug Freeman

  Sat., June 1

  3908 Menchaca Rd.

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Deanna Miesch: “Flatland Revisited”

  Art and … math? Not as improbable as it may seem, especially when seen through the veil of fantasy. And that’s exactly what artist/gallerist/therapist Deanna Miesch does. Compiling works inspired by 1800s mathematician Edwin A. Abbott’s imaginary world of Flatland (with touches of fellow mathematician Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland, of course), Miesch presents reality with a fanciful twist. Her visuals show our world, blurred or tilted a little askew. It’s easy to see portals to another world in every line and angle. What dimensions will you discover? – Cat McCarrey

  May 31-Aug. 11  

  more info

  Lydia Street Gallery

• Qmmunity

  Nightlife & Parties

  Divina: Noche Drag Latinx

  At the start of her drag career, Divina host Tatiana Cholula told Qmmunity she’d be critiqued for not assimilating enough “American” culture into her acts. “Before I started Divina,” she said, “the scene was rich in amazing Latinx drag performers and artists, but there weren’t any spaces focused on them or they didn’t feel comfortable performing certain songs at certain spaces.” Thankfully, Tatiana did start Divina, and now every other Wednesday you’ll see Oilcan Harry’s stage taken over by the spirits of Latina legends like Gloria Estefan and Paulina Rubio – courtesy of local Latinx drag talent. – James Scott

  Every other Wednesday, 9-11pm  

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  Oilcan's

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  First Saturdays at Canopy

  The first Saturday of every month from 1-4pm, the 72 artists housed at the Canopy complex on Springdale Road open their studios to the public, allowing an intimate look into Austin’s visual art scene. Ivester Contemporary and ICOSA Gallery are also open, giving people a chance to see work in progress and fully realized gallery shows, as well as buy or commission new artwork. Sa-Ten, which recently expanded its hours from 7am-9pm every day, provides tasty Japanese libations worth their own trip, so grab a yuzu lemonade to sip and wander. – Lina Fisher

  First Saturdays, 1-4pm

  Canopy

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  Visual Arts

  Free Day

  Art! Oh, I love it. But sadly, when I open my pockets, moths fly out. Good news for me and all my broke friends: Every Tuesday, the Blanton opens its doors to all visitors free of charge. Why, unburdened by the weight of an empty wallet, Austinites can mull the strange world of contemporary womanhood in “Unbreakable: Feminist Visions from the Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores Garcia Collection.” Or walk beneath the silver and mesh sculptures of Marie Watt’s “Sky Dances Light.” Or explore the past through its artistic pieces in “The Floating World: Masterpieces of Edo Japan.” Or enjoy any of the many, MANY other exhibitions available on this day: all for free. – James Scott

  Tuesdays

  The Blanton Museum of Art

• Community

  Events

  Greater Austin Comic Con

  This family-friendly fan event promises face time with parody songsmith “Weird Al” Yankovic, martial artist Bolo Yeung (Enter the Dragon), and voice actors from Avatar: The Last Airbender and X-Men ’97, plus cosplay galore.

  Sat., July 20

  H-E-B Center

• Music

  Hole in the Wall’s 50th Anniversary

  What other still-existing business on the Drag can say it opened its doors on June 15, 1974? There’s been plenty of blips in the dive bar’s history – a brief closure from 2002 to 2003, a near-shuttering in 2015 – but by and large, for half a century, Hole in the Wall has prevailed. To celebrate, the club plots shows for every night in the month of June. Participating artists range from scene veterans, like cowpunk innovators Hickoids and Los Angeles transplant/X singer John Doe, to younger Hole regulars: Van Mary, Harry & Emmy, Loteria, and other “special guests” among them. – Carys Anderson

  Sat., June 1

  Hole in the Wall

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Jeffrey Dell “Tidal Waive”

  Tusa, Sicily, in addition to being a beautiful seaside Italian village, was also birthplace to artist Jeffrey Dell’s newest monotypes. He created the works during an artist’s residency, utilizing traditional printmaking materials to capture the vertical nature of his surroundings. In his artist’s statement, Dell explains his goal with the monotypes as interrogating what happens between seeing and understanding images. “The mind wants and expects to see certain things and is capable of leaping ahead,” Dell writes. “Mostly those leaps are amazingly correct, but sometimes they’re wrong. I’m trying to make work that creates a moment when it’s possible to notice such dynamics while also avoiding the ‘punchline’ of an optical illusion – that is, to deny a moment of ‘getting it.’” – James Scott

  Thursdays-Sundays. Through June 8

  Flatbed Press

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Martha's Contemporary: Hokey Pokey + What You See Is What You Get

  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.

  Martha's

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Monica Martinez-Diaz “A Trajectory of Grief” Opening

  Anyone who’s lost a loved one can testify to the unfamiliar pain of fresh grief. It really is an emotional roller coaster, full of shocking joy and debilitating sorrow, always appearing at unexpected moments. After losing her grandfather, artist Monica Martinez-Diaz channeled her pain into art. Her latest exhibit covers her journey using photography, books, and video work. It tackles the opposing forces of grief through bold colors and small details. Its loving appreciation of the people who travel through our lives is guaranteed to resonate. – Cat McCarrey

  Thursdays-Sundays. Through July 3

  Women & Their Work

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Nude Model Sketching

  Right, so you’re reading this because you saw “nude modeling” in the title, but then noticed the “sketching” and were still interested, because you’ve actually been wanting to capture an unclothed human figure on canvas or paper with pigments of one sort or another? Excellent – because this three-hour session happens at Atelier Dojo, the finest school of artistic realism in the city, run by painters Jennifer Balkan, Denise M. Fulton, and Karen Offutt. You don’t even have to be a student there: Show up anytime, use whatever supplies you need, and there’s only a $10 drop-in fee. – Wayne Alan Brenner

  Mondays. Through June 24

  Atelier Dojo

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Old Bakery Gallery: Fantastical Flora

  This multimedia exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the beauty of botanical forms, expressed realistically and in the abstract, featuring the work of local artist Francine Funke.

  Opening reception: Sat., Jan. 20, 1-4pm. Free.  

  Click Here for Details

  Old Bakery & Emporium

• Qmmunity

  Arts & Culture

  Sana Sana: Pride

  Drag artist Kino Kino hosts his monthly all-ages open mic, where anyone can bring any art form into this sacred space. June’s theme is, obvi, Pride.

  Sun., June 2

  Wake the Dead Coffee House, 1432 Old Ranch Rd., San Marcos

• Qmmunity

  Nightlife & Parties

  Second Chance Prom

  The Austin International Drag Foundation is known for throwing one hell of a party: Austin International Drag Festival ring a bell? So when they say that their fundraiser supporting local & global drag artists, this year’s festival, and the larger LGBTQIA community is themed around prom, it’s like: Wow! This here’s gonna be quite the function. Suit and dress up in yer finest attire and prepare to enjoy silent auctions, raffles, and – you guessed it – drag performances. Your high-school prom committee could never. – James Scott

  Sat., June 1

  Holiday Inn Austin Midtown

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  The Museum of Fine Arts, Austin

  Art by Charles Walter, Benjamin Bayne, and other international, national, and local artists.

  Sundays, 3-5pm. Donations accepted.

  1638 E. Second #326

• Qmmunity

  Nightlife & Parties

  UnBEARable!

  Chique Fil-Atio and Mascara Rivers host Austin's longest running camp comedy drag show with Basura and Summer Clearance on co-host rotation. Each month promises special guest musicians, comics, and drag artists.

  First Thursday of every month, 10pm

  The Iron Bear

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  Visual Arts

  Wyld Gallery

  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.

  Call for appointment

  Wyld Gallery

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Yamin Li’s “Gnortsma”

  Accenting soft, blurred pastels with sharp acrylics, Yamin Li’s “Gnortsma” exhibit reflects the uncertainty of life as an immigrant. Nothing is quite right in the series’ 20 paintings; the Chinese artist blends “habitual objects” – houses, trees, toys – with more unexpected ones, like a figure rendered with childlike collage bearing a medieval spear and sword. Li debuts her works at a May 2 opening ceremony, which runs from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Afterward, the Central Library will display the exhibit until July 14. – Carys Anderson

  Through June 14

  Central Library

• Arts

  Visual Arts

  Yard Dog: Paul Rodriguez

  Yard Dog presents the vibrant works of Paul Rodriguez, a printmaker from San Miguel de Allende. "And some very cool new paintings by Harry Underwood."

  Opening reception: Fri., Jan. 19, 7-9pm

  Yard Dog