This is the next to last set of photos that we’ll be showing on the Arthouse Construction Blog. We’ve decided that after next week, you’ll have to live in suspense until you see the final product in all its glory! But just to whet your appetite, check out what I saw today.
Here’s the big deal—in the space of a week, the massive movable wall in the main gallery on the second floor has been transformed from a steel frame to a smoothed out set of surfaces. Here you see a skilled craftsman doing the taping and floating on its finish. Very soon, you will be standing in air conditioned comfort, seeing fine artwork on this wall.
I took one straight-on shot on the big wall from the east side looking west.
Work on the rooftop is proceeding at a rapid pace. Craftsmen are doing meticulous finish on all the wood. And the mechanical room behind the screen area is about finished.
Here you see the skylight sections that will bring natural light to the second floor.
__ Click here for renderings of the finished building and to make a donation to the Arthouse Capital Campaign.
In just a few weeks time, Okay Mountain and Domy Books’ first ever joint exhibition will open for a golden three days off East Cesar Chavez. For the exhibition, New York/Austin-based artist Andy Colquitt has pulled together a collection of work by Austin-based artists who inspired him at a certain point in his life. As explained in Domy’s lengthy release, the year was 1988, when he [Andy] was “learning what it meant to be an artist.” Time (two weeks or so) will tell, but I for one am excited to view a collection of work through the perspective of someone not initially from Austin but who immediately found specific inspiration from people living here. At both Domy Books and Okay Mountain, come out and feast your eyes on the talent we have right here at home.
The most important shots this week are the last two shown here—the huge movable gallery wall on the second level is up and on its rails. Now you see how useful it will be in helping curators manipulate the space.
As for the roof, I could not get up to it when I was there—on the back stair the way was blocked by a scaffold. In the front one, workers were installing siding and I didn’t want to interrupt them. We’ll get some roof shots next week.
Elaborate scaffolding has been erected to enable workers to do the final finish on the south wall.
The downstairs group of offices has been sheetrocked out. The offices are now close to final finish.
What would a building be without restrooms? Here you see the ladies room with the stalls enclosed.
This is the big deal—here is a shot of the second floor, main gallery’s moving wall now on its rails. This shot is from the back looking towards the front.
Another shot of the installed gallery wall—looking front to back. Very impressive!
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Saturday’s opening reception for the first EVER Advanced Young Artists @ Arthouse Exhibition was an immense success. THANK YOU to the many who made it to the event, which marked the official conclusion of AYAA’s pilot semester. As testament to the evening, we provide (above) video of a performance by Naima Kenny, who worked with Wura-Natasha Ogunji, titled Introspection.
Installation images will be posted on our photostream by the end of the week. Better yet, visit Okay Mountain for gallery hours Wednesday 7-9pm and Saturday 12-5pm through July 31 to see the show in the flesh!
Last week Tony Feher was here developing ideas for an Arthouse commissioned site-specific installation which will be on view at the reopening and throughout the fall. Consider this your iPhone preview, courtesy of Arthouse curator Elizabeth Dunbar.
New to Tony Feher? Not to worry. I’ve compiled a list to help you out.
Work continues at a rapid pace—as far as visuals go, a lot of what is happening right now is mechanical and wiring, which doesn’t make for the most scintillating photos—but here are six shots for you to look at.
This shot of the south side today shows the massive silver mechanical unit behind the movie screen.
This photo from the mezzanine level looking down on the main gallery space shows the huge sliding wall that will soon be in place.
Another shot of the main gallery area.
Tile work continues in the restrooms.
The roof finish out is continuing – here is another view of the mechanical unit behind the screen.
Looking east on the roof—note the superb finish out on the side walls.
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This Saturday, July 17th marks the opening of the 2010 Advanced Young Artists @ Arthouse Exhibition! Stop by Okay Mountain from 6-8pm for food, fun, and an opportunity to experience and explore the artwork of our Young Artists and their mentors.
Advanced Young Artists @ Arthouse partners exemplary high school students with professional Austin area artists for a semester-long collaborative mentorship resulting in an exhibition of new work by both teens and their mentors. Advanced Young Artists @ Arthouse is supported by The Webber Family Foundation.
For more information on Advanced YA @ Arthouse check out the awesome video below.
EXHIBITION DATES: July 17-31
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, July 17, 6-8pm
Location: Okay Mountain, 1312 E Cesar Chavez Street, Suite B, Austin, TX
Gallery Hours: Wednesdays 7-9pm and Saturdays 12-5pm
For more information and to see student work click here
The projected completion date is getting closer and closer and you can feel the energy around the construction site. Here are five photos that show the progress on three levels.
This shot doesn’t begin to do the front entryway justice, but you can see how it is shaping up. Soon, regular streams of art lovers will be coming through this entry area and getting a full-on look at the grand staircase.
Here is the latest view of the second floor gallery, with the back and north side walls sheetrocked.
This shot shows how the community room looks now (facing east toward Congress Avenue) with an additional inner wall up and sheetrocked.
Workers are finishing the east and south walls of the rooftop deck.
A look at the rooftop screening area which in a few months will be a magnificent new focal point for downtown Austin art and cinema lovers.
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In October 2009, Mequitta Ahuja began her year at the Studio Museum in Harlem – alongside Lauren Kelley and Valerie Peraino – one of three talented and fortunate recipients of the Museum’s coveted year-long residencies. 10 months later, Ahuja, Kelley, and Peraino are installing their work for Usable Pasts, this year’s installment of the annual artist-in-residence exhibition, which opens July 15. Should you find yourself in NY while reading this post, Usable Pasts is not to be missed.
The 2009-2010 residency program at the Studio Museum concludes this September, and that’s JUST in time to organize, transport, and hang incredible new work right here in Austin, TX. Companion to Middlebrook’s massive creations, Ahuja’s paintings will command the main first-floor galleries at Arthouse’s grand reopening this October. In the meantime, here’s a sampling of what’s gotten us so excited:
Mequitta’s latest exhibition, titled Automythography, I, was held at BravinLee in New York City and consisted mostly of a range of self portraiture exploring ideas of cultural identity vis a vis meticulously crafted imagery, shapes and textures – in her hair. The term “automythography” was coined by African-American writer Audre Lorde and Mequitta uses this strategy in her imagery to explore the history, myth, and personal narrative in black culture. … might be good conducted an excellent interview with her where she goes into detail about her process and intent. For more images check out her work at her blog and at BravinLee.
Stay tuned for more on Arthouse exhibitions and programs as we continue build towards our grand reopening this fall.
Top: Dream Region (2009). Oil, Enamel, Acrylic and Waxy Chalk On Paper, 78″X104″.
Middle: Spark (2009). Waxy Chalk on Paper, 50″ x 114″.
