We are pleased to partner with Texas Society of Architects to bring you Visionary Voices, a new speaker series featuring celebrated public artists from across the country. The series aims to encourage thoughtful consideration of the role of public art and its relationship to public spaces, examining the often blurred line between art and architecture. The lectures will also highlight the participating artists’ bodies of work and will offer a sneak peek of commissions they are executing for the City.

New American Public Artist  launched the series on January 30, 2018 with a discussion of Kempelen’s Owls, their upcoming sculpture for Austin’s Green Water Treatment Plant Re-Development site within the Seaholm Eco-district.(A video of their presentation is featured below.)

Local artist Beili Liu—whose work has been exhibited from Munich to Shanghai, and whose 2013 installation Thirst for Ladybird Lake in Austin was widely celebrated--was the featured artist on April 10. (A video of their presentation is featured below.)

Thoughtbarn, an Austin-based collective whose projects have been awarded by the American Institute of Architects and Public Art Network, among other national organizations, was featured on August 14.  (A video of their presentation is featured below.)

Massachusetts-based artist Janet Echelman, a recipient of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in Visual Arts, honoring “the greatest innovators in America today,” and whose works, sited around the globe, combine ancient craft and modern technology rounds out the series for 2018 on October 9. Please join us!

2018 SCHEDULE

All lectures are at 6PM at Texas Society of Architects, 500 Chicon Street.

New American Public Art (Somerville, MA)                             

January 30

Beili Liu (Austin, TX)

April 10 

Thoughtbarn (Austin, TX)             

August 14

Janet Echelman (Brookline, MA)

October 9

All lectures will be held at 6PM at the Texas Society of Architects building at 500 Chicon Street, Austin, and are free and open to the public. Parking is available onsite.