NEW ART GALLERY & STUDIOS IN NORTH AUSTIN
EMERGE FROM HEART AND EXPERIENCE OF PREDECESSOR
-- New Austin Art Space Expands Size and Concepts of Old Artspoken Gallery --
Austin, TX, October 1, 2008 – North Austin’s newest fine art gallery got its beginnings at an old house
on Koenig Lane. That’s where three of the founding members of the new Austin Art Space co-op
shared studio and gallery space at Artspoken Gallery. Valerie Walden, Jan Knox and Rebecca Bennett
came to appreciate the effects of a mutually supportive creative environment and influence over the
presentation of their work.
When the owner of Artspoken moved to Alaska last year, the three stepped-up to re-organize the
gallery as an artist’s cooperative, bringing additional artists on board and holding more sponsored
exhibitions and juried shows. As their reputation grew, the handwriting was on the wall, crowded by the
plethora of hanging paintings. Everything seemed cramped. The hunt for a larger canvas began.
Valerie Walden, the manager of the new co-op, summed it up this way. “The location of the old space on
Koenig meant that there was little drop-in traffic to the gallery. And, if too many people attended an
artist’s reception, some had to park blocks away. The more we wanted to show off the gallery and the
artwork, the harder it was to do.
“That led us to consider larger spaces with sufficient parking capacity and the opportunity to catch the
eye of a wider clientele. That’s a tough set of criteria for traditional art gallery areas like downtown or
the East side. So, we stayed north and went into a decidedly untraditional retail space and doubled our
size to 1,250 square feet. We’re in a free-standing shopping center behind North Cross Mall, just off
Anderson Lane. We have more room to paint, more room to show and more room for art patrons.”
Jan Knox, one of the founding members especially liked the collaborative, cooperative nature of having
several artists working in proximity to each other. She observed, “Having talented people around that
see things differently can be energizing for your own work. It’s motivating and validating at the same time.”
Ms. Knox invited two of her colleagues from an informal painting group to join the new gallery and take
space in the studios.
Rebecca Bennett, another founding member, saw the greatly expanded gallery space as a distinct
advantage. She noted, “We have so much more room to present the work of our artists-in-residence.
And, the ceiling is 15 feet instead of 8 feet which is important when you do large pieces like some of
mine. Now, when we rent out the gallery space for a sponsored exhibit, the presenting artist can hang a
massive amount of work that can be comfortably viewed without feeling jammed or cluttered.”
Austin Art Space Gallery & Studios will open in late October 2008 with nine artists-in-residence and a
full agenda for the rest of the calendar year. Extended Grand Opening receptions and exhibits are
slated in November. And, December 5-21 the co-op will continue a tradition from Artspoken by holding
the Fourth Annual “12 Buy” Show -- a juried exhibition and sale of more than 100 works no larger that
12”x12” created by Austin artists. The small size makes the art more affordable for holiday gift giving.
The gallery is already taking reservations for sponsored exhibits and receptions. Many weekends in
January and February have already been booked.
Reflecting the wide range of artists-in-residence, the tenor of Austin Art Space will be notably
eclectic. The work on display will embody a broad array of aesthetics, from traditional landscapes to
avant-garde perspectives, from representational to contemporary. Likewise, virtually all mediums: oils,
acrylics, pastels, watercolors and mixed media will coexist in the space.
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About the Artists
Resident artists at Austin Art Space Gallery & Studios are:
Nikki Atkinson, www.nkart.com
Rebecca Bennett, www.rebeccabennettartworks.com
Claire Hees, www.clairehees.com
Martha Keating, MFKeating@sbcglobal.com
Jan Knox, www.JanKnox.com
Marilyn Rea Nasky, www.lightwithinstudios.com
Keva Richardson, kevarue@mac.com
Valerie Walden, www.WaldenArt.com
Debbie Willhite, dwillhite@austin.rr.com
About Austin Art Space Gallery & Studios -- Opening in late October 2008
Expanding from the heart of the former Artspoken Gallery emerges Austin Art Space Gallery &
Studios: a cooperative space for established and emerging artists to create, collaborate and present
their work. There are nine artists-in-residence at the studios. The gallery is available for rental for
public and private exhibits and receptions. Austin Art Space is located at 7739 Northcross Drive,
Suite Q, in a free-standing shopping center behind Northcross Mall. The public gallery is open Friday
and Saturday 11am – 6pm, or by appointment. Operating as a collective, the working studios are open
Monday through Friday whenever artists are on the premises. More information at www.austinartspace.
com, austinartspacegallery@gmail.com, or 512.771.2868.
| © Copyright Austin Art Space 2008. All rights reserved.. |
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