Art in Austin During SXSW

As thousands of people descend on Austin for SXSW, we’re here to help you get outside the madness of downtown and into some art. We are lucky enough to be getting the cultural hot tips to balance a meeting/panel-filled week during SXSW from the one and only Alex Scull, Director of Principal Gifts and Gift Planning for Arts, Culture, and Collections at The University of Texas at Austin who has offered up an array of must-sees while in town.

To kick off the experience, have a quiet moment at Turrell's The Color Inside Rare Sunrise Sequence. 

Photo by Paul Bardagjy

One cannot go to Austin without experiencing Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin a work gifted by the artist and the only existing work of this nature and scale. Only a 10-minute stroll through campus, and you will find yourself among a one-of-a-kind public art program run by The University of Texas at Austin titled Landmarks.  This public art program has brought together fifty-plus significant works to engage with their community.  

Photo by Victoria Sambunaris

In honor of Women’s History Month, be sure to check out Landmarks Focused Female Art Tour (Simone Leigh, Jennifer Steinkamp, Nancy Rubins, Sarah Oppenheimer, and Deborah Butterfield). The Blanton App is a great resource to help guide you.

Nancy Rubens, photo by Paul Bardagjy

Rounding out the theme of Women’s History Month, Las Hermanas Iglesias is an exhibition executed by two sisters who have a very unique practice that explores feminism, cultural shifts, and community. 

Image courtesy of The Blanton

Hope these tips help you navigate some of the amazing art throughout the city!