Austin Arts Collective

July 16, 2026 - September 13, 2026

From Austin Central Library:
"Where Memory Becomes Land is the final project created by local, emerging curators who have participated in the inaugural Curation Fellowship Program, in partnership with local non-profit arts organization _OFCOLOR and Austin Public Library.
The _OFCOLOR x Austin Public Library Curation Fellowship is a seven-month program designed to support emerging and community-based curators interested in developing exhibitions, public programs, and creative projects that connect art and audiences in meaningful ways.
This exhibition brings together artists who engage with lived experience, (im)migration, and cultural inheritance through material and process. Using fiber, clay, textiles, photography, and layered forms, the works trace how stories move across borders and take shape in new environments. These pieces hold traces of personal and collective histories, grounding memory in physical form.
Shaped by a collaborative curatorial approach informed by multiple lived perspectives, the exhibition is grounded in care, openness, and critical inquiry. It treats the library as a shared public space for rest, encounter, and exchange.
These featured artists, from historically minoritized backgrounds, consider how boundaries are formed and maintained while asking who is seen, who is heard, and who has access. Together, they invite viewers to engage evolving understandings of identity, place, and connection."

Reception July 26, 2026 | 1:00 - 4:00 pm

July 06, 2026 - August 15, 2026

From the Dougherty Arts Center:
“The Classroom is an exhibition featuring large-scale paintings and classroom desks exploring education from both educator and student perspectives. Vibrant, expressive paintings depict imagined classroom scenes inspired by the artist’s teaching experience, while the desks blend art history with teenage iconography to create an immersive installation. Together, the works explore themes of connection, community, and growth, contrasted with isolation and apathy, reflecting the classroom's broader societal impact."

Artist Reception: Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 7-9 p.m.
Artist Talk: Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 7-9 p.m.

July 06, 2026 - August 15, 2026

From the Dougherty Arts Center:
"Little Memories is a collection of works inspired by childhood memories shared between the artist Zoee Xiao and her children. Through her whimsical interpretation of childhood, Zoee’s paintings celebrate the beauty of simplicity, the magic in the mundane, and everyday wonder. The exhibition invites viewers to slow down, rediscover childlike curiosity, and appreciate the subtle joys woven into ordinary life."

Reception July 08, 2026 | 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Artist talk August 12, 2026 | 7:00 - 9:00 pm