Articulations

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Wanna Buy a Painting? Or 153?

You know that the amazing Suida-Manning Collection that UT Austin acquired a couple of years ago did not come cheap. The university had to pony up $35 million for the 700 Old Masters paintings and drawings that comprise the collection, and that ain't chump change even in the New Austin. UT didn't quite have the funding in place to cover the full price of the acquisition and so has had pick up a little bit here and a little bit there. This past week, the UT Board of Regents contributed another little bit toward the payoff of the Suida-Manning, not by dipping into their own pockets (heaven forbid!) but by authorizing the sale of another collection held by the Blanton Museum of Art. As per a vote last Friday, UT is authorized to auction off the Harold Mertz Collection of Australian Paintings, a group of 153 contemporary works by artists working Down Under. If the name of that collection doesn't ring any bells, don't worry; apparently, it wasn't one of the museum favorites. Its place of pride was the Blanton basement, and reportedly it was never brought out for an exhibition. Oh well, I guess we weren't that interested in post-Modernist trends of late 20th-century Aussie art, after all. The Mertz collection is expected to draw $5-$8 million at auction.

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Hotel Return Benefits ARTS

One of the most depressing things about downtown Austin in recent years (that isn't traffic) has been the shuttered-up Stephen F. Austin Hotel. The Stephen F. used to be one of those anchors of the Avenue, a local institution that radiated a singularly Austin attitude -- a kind of class as the city defined it in an earlier and perhaps more courtly era. Its emptiness for the past umpteen years has always been felt, a great absence on our Main Street. Well, its re-opening as a newly refurbished Intercontinental Hotel is merely weeks away, and that long-awaited event has just been made sweeter -- for the local arts scene, that is -- by the designation of the grand opening as a benefit for ARTS Center Stage and the arts community. The gala is set for Saturday, June 10, and will showcase performing arts groups around town -- as many as want to be involved -- as well as raise funds for them. Raffle proceeds will go toward an "Arts Opportunity Fund" which ARTS Center Stage is establishing to support local small and mid-sized nonprofit performance groups at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Groups that would like to be represented in the event should get in touch with Courtney Johnson at ARTS Center Stage right away. She needs all materials by Friday, April 28. For more info, call her at 482-0800x104.

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Dachs Talks Long Theatres

Speaking of the Long Center, ARTS Center Stage says that one of the developers of the center's design program is coming to town to talk about it, and you're invited. Joshua Dachs, the Dachs in the prominent theatre consulting firm Fisher Dachs Associates, will be in Austin Tuesday, May 2, to discuss preliminary theatre design issues for the Long Center concert hall, the Topfer Theater, and Rollins Hall. The discussion starts at 5:30pm in the offices of TeamHaas Architects, 1011 San Jacinto, Suite 411. All members of the arts community are welcome; all you have to do is RSVP to Courtney Johnson at 482-0800x104, or [email protected].