Best Art Direction

ALLGO & Sharon Bridgforth

Always greater than the sum of its acronym, Austin Latina/o Lesbian Gay Organization exceeds the breadth of a traditional queer community group. Now, since their move to the old Mrs. Baird's bread factory on Tillery, their sharpened focus on the arts has sparked new energy. The new Tillery Street Theater as a viable event, performance, and music venue and community-space-for-hire sure didn't hurt, but we think it's more about the programming. Under the direction of the artist-in-residence, local arts avatar Sharon Bridgforth, the injection of artist dialogues, collaborative performances, intensive workshops, and sizzling community dances into ALLGO's already hotly anticipated calendar (Baile de Amor, Dia de los Muertos, Pride Fandango, etc.) makes the case that yes, organizing around the political is all well and good, but you can't build deeply rooted community without culture. Give someone a slice of bread? You've given them survival. Give someone a generous hunk of lovingly hand-kneaded, multigrained, cornmeal-dusted dough loaded with nuts and berries, bake it to golden, break it with them, and put a mango on top? You've given them a meal.

Tillery Street Theater
701 Tillery, 512/293-1250
www.allgo.org