Banner with four images - one of a dance performance, one of women chatting at an art exhibit, one of a man at a pottery wheel, and one of an art teacher and child painting together.

Programs and Events

Upcoming Events  

 

A graphic with an image of six people standing in a circle looking dramatic, the logos for the Austin Creative Alliance, City of Austin, Dougherty Arts Center, and Escandalo, along with the text 'Escandalo - The Improvised Telenovela!'

Escandalo Improvised Telenovelas presents ¡Escándalo!

Saturday, August 29, 2026
8:00pm

Tickets for ¡Escándalo!

Join the (multiple) award-winning cast of ¡Escándalo! for an evening of improvised comedy and melodrama as they weave together a brand new, passion-filled telenovela based on audience suggestions. Star-crossed love, nail-biting intrigue, and dastardly villains will leave you wanting more… No two shows are ever the same!

Shows may contain adult themes, adult language, and prop weapons. The primary language is English with some Spanish peppered throughout.

Escandalo Improvised Telenovelas is part of the Artist Access Program, through the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department, Division of Museums and Cultural Programs, and the Dougherty Arts Center.

 

A photograph of a stage with various pixelated images around the edges and the text 'Early Era Collective Presents Present Perspective Project A Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertianment'

Early Era Collective presents The Present Perspective Project

Thursday, September 3 – Saturday, September 5, 2026
8:00 p.m.

Ticket Link and information for The Present Perspective Project

Contact Email: Info@earlyeracollective.org

This September 3-5, 2026, at the Dougherty Arts Center, Early Era Collective will premiere “The Present Perspective Project.” Featuring work by long-time Early Era Artists Daniel Broxton and Jairus Carr, this fall production of their eighth season will be an evening-length dance show split into two overlapping works. Journeying from past to present, this collaborative production will explore post-modern dance and street style fusion interweaving to tell one story.

Early Era Collective is part of the Artist Access Program, through the City of Austin’s Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Department and the Dougherty Arts Center.

 

An illustration of liquid colors and the text 'Pretty in Ink' additional text 'DAC Nights Pretty In Ink September 16, 2026, 7 to 9 p.m. A Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment'

DAC Nights: Pretty in Ink

Wednesday, September 16, 2026
7-9 p.m.

RSVP for DAC Nights Pretty in Ink on Eventbrite

Join DAC Nights as we become Pretty in Ink! Create your own set of colorful coasters using alcohol inks, a medium known for its bold hues and amazing marbled effects. Participants will experiment with blending techniques on blank ceramic pieces, guided by DAC staff. All supplies are provided—just bring your creativity and leave with unique, handcrafted artworks that are entirely your own.

This event is free! Registration is encouraged, but not required.

For more information about this event, email DACTheater@austintexas.gov

 

A close up portrait of a smiling person and the text 'Artist Professional Development Workshop Storytelling for Creatives Presented by Fabiana Melendez Ruiz Tuesday, September 29, 2026 six thirty - eight thirty p.m. A Austin'

Storytelling for Creatives

Presented by Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
6:30-8 p.m.

RSVP for Storytelling for Creatives on Eventbrite

How you talk about your work matters just as much as the work itself. Whether you're applying for opportunities, speaking about a project, or introducing yourself to someone new, having a clear sense of your story helps people connect with what you create, and why you create it.

This workshop is about finding the language for your practice. Learn how to shape your artist’s story without forcing it into a brand, and how thoughtful storytelling can become a practical PR tool. Guest Speaker Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz will discuss how to put together a compelling narrative, write an artist bio and statement, build a simple press kit, and share your work in ways that feel authentic rather than performative.

This is less about selling and more about telling the story only you can tell, while giving people a way in.

 

A graphic made up of three images of artwork, the first a photograph of irons, the second an abstract painting, and the third a painting of a person in an abstracted environment and the text 'A Austin'

Image Credit left to right: Cristina Velásquez, Photography, Quentin Pace, I’m not okay but I’m gone be alright, Yamin Li, Chaos & Order.

Artist Talk: Somos Animales Poéticos, On and On and On , and Out of Place

Wednesday, September 30, 2026
7–9 p.m.

Hear from artists Cristina Velásquez, Quentin Pace, and Yamin Li as they discuss the concepts, materials, and personal experiences behind their exhibitions currently on view at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery. Cristina Velásquez will share how photography, text, and archival intervention explore memory, identity, and personal mythology. Quentin Pace will discuss his use of abstraction, color, and symbolism to explore emotion, memory, and the shared threads that connect us. Yamin Li will reflect on how her paintings examine identity, belonging, and the experience of navigating between cultures and places.

Learn more about these exhibits at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery webpage.

This event is free and open to the public.


Digital Programming 

The DAC is proud to offer free digital programming for the public.

Video Art Lessons

Instructor-led video lessons in various different mediums of ceramics, drawing & painting, and digital arts.

Dougherty Arts Center Adult Art Classes Playlist

Dougherty Arts Center Youth Art Lessons Playlist

Artist Professional Development

The Artist Resource Center is pleased to host free monthly professional development workshops for artists. Covering a different topic each month, our workshops give artists the tools to develop and advance their careers in the arts.

Artist Resource Center Professional Development Workshop

Paper Pandemonium

Paper Pandemonium Webpage