With South by Southwest (SXSW) in full swing, Austinites are keeping an eye out for celebrity sightings around the city. Last week’s Texas Film Awards offered an opportunity to see several celebs gathered in one place. Honoring legends of the Texas film industry, the annual fundraising event inducted new members into the Texas Film Hall of Fame, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Austin Film Society (AFS), the milestone year for the Texas Film Hall of Fame welcomed new members Michelle Rodriguez, Tim and Karrie League, and Noah Ha ..read more

If it's been a while since you've visited an art gallery, West Chelsea Contemporary is ready to remind you that it is anything but your typical experience. Offering world-class art in a dynamic, interactive setting, WCC produces museum-quality exhibitions year-round with programming that is free and open to the public. With a focus on pop art, street art, graffiti, and post-graffiti, the gallery bridges the gap between emerging artists and legendary masters, creating a dynamic dialogue between past and present. This season, WCC welcomes an electrifying new exhibition: "Dopamine + Disintegrat ..read more

Texas Performing Arts has unveiled its 2025-2026 Broadway in Austin season, bringing a mix of fresh productions and returning hits. The lineup features multiple Tony Award winners, including several shows making their first appearance in the city. The season features productions like & Juliet, which reimagines Shakespeare through modern pop hits, and The Great Gatsby, bringing F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel to musical life with a jazz-infused score that captures the spirit of the Roaring Twenties. Adding to the excitement, Disney's Beauty and the Beast returns for its first North Am ..read more

Some of Texas' highest achievers in the arts were recognized on February 26 for their contributions. The 12th annual Texas Medal of Arts Awards were held here in Austin at several locations, with awards handed out at the Governor's Mansion. Two Austinites made the list, plus one more the capital city can stake at least a partial claim to. Gary Clark Jr., the blues guitarist and songwriter often credited with modernizing the genre, and Elizabeth Crook, the author of six novels including The Which Way Tree and The Night Journal, represented Austin. Elizabeth Crook accepts a bouquet from young ..read more

Austin's spring art season blooms with exhibitions that explore memory, identity, and the spaces between reality and imagination. From Jiab Prachakul's intimate portraits of the Asian diaspora at The Contemporary Austin to Kristin Moore's atmospheric paintings of iconic Texas landmarks at Dimmitt Contemporary Art, artists are examining how personal histories and cultural displacement shape our understanding of place and belonging. Several artists are also working at intersections of traditional and experimental techniques this season. Carl Hammoud's intimate drawings and paintings at Lora Re ..read more

The 2025 iteration of South by Southwest (SXSW) kicks off on Friday, March 7, and as has long been the case with the festival, you don’t really need a badge or a wristband to get out and take part in it. If you’re curious as to where to go, here are 10 free events and activations that are sure to be worth the effort. Most of these events give priority to whomever arrives first, but read carefully in case you need to reserve space. Stay tuned for a list of free and low-cost music events coming soon. Criterion Mobile Closet – March 7-10If you’ve been on the internet at all in the last couple o ..read more

For Austin Opera’s 40th birthday, it's getting a dramatic season and a new $7.5 million building. On February 26, Austin Opera announced its headliners for the upcoming 2025-2026 season, which opens in November. To kick off its 40th-anniversary celebration, Opera music director Timothy Myers will conduct “Celebrate Opera! A Spectacular Birthday Concert” at the Long Center. This month, guests can get tickets to a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical Carousel, created in partnership with Boston Lyric Opera and led by Obie Award-winning director Anne Bogart. The season concl ..read more

The arts organization behind the Austin Studio Tour, Big Medium, has announced that it is shutting down. In an open email to the community Friday, February 21, it said the decision followed "many years of financial hardships and tireless efforts to renew and rebuild Big Medium with limited resources." The letter is also visible on Big Medium's home page. Austinites didn't necessarily interface directly with Big Medium — or realize when they were doing so — but the organization was influential all over town because it brought artists and admirers of the arts together on a large scale. The Aus ..read more

Something about the orange and white stripes of Whataburger have had a hold on Texan hearts for 75 years. Now locals and visitors alike can dive into the aesthetics in a new fan art gallery popping up at South by Southwest (SXSW). The Whataburger Museum of Art (WMOA) will be open to the public and badge holders March 8 and 9. It is a silly idea, but the art on display showcases some real skill, from a contemplative still life of a semi-crumpled bag to a touching portrait of people wearing Whataburger merch while hugging their dog. The unique architectures shapes many of the images. Getting f ..read more

Generally speaking, collecting art can be an expensive hobby to get into. Pieces often cost in the thousands, making the art world an inaccessible one for the average person. This is one reason behind the Affordable Art Fair, which is returning to Austin's Palmer Events Center for the second year in a row from May 15-18. For 26 years, the Affordable Art Fair has served around the world as an entry point into the art world for new collectors, or just the art curious. The event will showcase thousands of art pieces of all types from (mostly) local galleries, as well as performances, talks, tou ..read more