Learn more about exciting developments at The Contemporary Austin, including the Laguna Gloria Master Plan and the Jones Center Renovation, here.
The Contemporary Austin is pleased to announce the Suzanne Deal Booth Art Prize, a biennial, unrestricted international art award of $100,000 to be given to an artist selected every two years, which will also include a solo exhibition and scholarly publication. An independent advisory committee comprising renowned curators and art historians will select the recipient. The Suzanne Deal Booth Art Prize is funded by a generous gift to the museum by arts professional and museum trustee Suzanne Deal Booth and administered by The Contemporary Austin. Learn more here.
The Contemporary Art Museum for Austin
Mission: The Contemporary Austin reflects the spectrum of contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, education, and the collection.
Vision: The Contemporary Austin aspires to be the contemporary art museum for Austin and an essential part of city life. Through its unique combination of urban and outdoor sites, The Contemporary will embody an eclectic and collaborative spirit.
Museum Without Walls
A Discussion with Louis Grachos
Learn more about the many ways that we are inspiring our home city and get to know our executive director, Louis Grachos, and his ideas on the future of our city’s visual arts. Special thanks to Sanders\Wingo.
The Contemporary Austin comprises two locations: the historic Jones Center in downtown Austin, and Laguna Gloria, a unique, fourteen-acre art-in-nature site that includes the landmark Driscoll Villa, the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park, the Gatehouse Gallery, and the Art School at Laguna Gloria.
Jones Center
1851
The first three-story brick building in Austin is constructed on the corner of 7th Street and Congress Avenue.
1877
Tobin’s Drug Store opens at 700 Congress Avenue.
1911
Texas Fine Arts Association (TFAA) is formed.
1926
700 Congress Avenue becomes the Queen Theater, featuring a balcony and proscenium stage.
1956
Lerner Shops moves into 700 Congress and renovates by adding storefront windows, a second floor, and a new front elevation on Congress, including an awning over the sidewalk.
1995
Texas Fine Arts Association purchases the vacant building at 700 Congress and renovates the first floor.
1998
TFAA / The Jones Center for Contemporary Art opens to the public.
2002
TFAA changes its name to Arthouse at the Jones Center.
2008
Arthouse unveils the renovation and expansion plans for the Jones Center, designed by Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects.
2010
Arthouse at the Jones Center reopens.
2011
Arthouse at the Jones Center and the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) celebrate 100 and 50 years, respectively. At the same time, the two institutions formalize a merger under the temporary name AMOA-Arthouse, rejoining the two primary organizations that constituted the Texas Fine Arts Association.
2013
AMOA-Arthouse debuts its new name and brand: The Contemporary Austin.
Laguna Gloria
1911
Texas Fine Arts Association (TFAA) is formed.
1943
Texas legend Clara Driscoll donates her lakeside, 1916 estate in west Austin to be used “as a Museum to bring pleasure in the appreciation of art to the people of Texas.”
1961
TFAA splits into two separate entities. Laguna Gloria Art Museum is created with the purpose of owning and operating the museum and grounds, and presenting exhibitions and educational programs in the Driscoll Villa.
1983
The Art School’s 4,100-square foot facility is constructed on the grounds of Laguna Gloria.
1996
Laguna Gloria Art Museum changes its name to Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) and moves its primary exhibition space to 823 Congress Avenue.
2003
The Driscoll Villa and gardens and key features of The Art School complex are refurbished and restored through a successful $3.6 million Laguna Gloria Renewal Project.
2008
The historic Gatehouse is restored and the Art School studios expanded by 2,500-square feet of new ceramics and painting space.
2011
Arthouse at the Jones Center and the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) celebrate 100 and 50 years, respectively. At the same time, the two institutions formalize a merger under the temporary name AMOA-Arthouse, rejoining the two primary organizations that constituted the Texas Fine Arts Association.
2013
AMOA-Arthouse debuts its new name and brand: The Contemporary Austin.
Read more about the history of Laguna Gloria in "Glorious Renewal," published in the Austin Chronicle, March 25, 2015.
Board of Trustees
Richard Marcus, President
Jeanne Klein, President-Elect (2017)
Mark Hanna, Treasurer
Milam Newby, Secretary
Wilson Allen
Elizabeth Baskin
Suzanne Deal Booth
Mike Chesser
Katelena Hernandez Cowles
Kim Dowling
Eric Foultz
Laura Gottesman
Deborah Green
Justin Halloran
Eric Herschmann
Teresa Hubbard
Jannette Keating
Mickey Klein
Kathleen Loughlin
Chris Mattsson
Larry McGuire
Will Meredith
Fredericka Middleton
Ross Moody
Don Mullins
Brad Nelsen
Elysia Ragusa
Shalini Ramanathan
Lora Reynolds
Jane Schweppe
A. Kate Sheerin
Elizabeth Stanley
Rodney Susholtz
Jill Turner
Melba Whatley
Darrell Windham
BETTY AND EDWARD MARCUS SCULPTURE PARK AT LAGUNA GLORIA
The Contemporary Austin was awarded a $9 million grant by the Edward and Betty Marcus Foundation to help create an unparalleled arts destination at Laguna Gloria, with the majority of the funds committed to commissioning and acquiring sculpture and permanent outdoor installations by some of today’s leading artists. In honor of the foundation, this major feature at The Contemporary Austin’s outdoors site is named the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria.
Already well known for its historic significance and the Art School, Laguna Gloria will continue to grow into an exceptional art-in-nature experience with exhibitions, commissions, and vibrant community engagement through public programming and educational initiatives. The Contemporary Austin’s ongoing land stewardship program, designed in collaboration with an environmental firm, will ensure that this precious reserve of natural beauty in the heart of the city will become even more resilient, diverse, and welcoming for art and nature lovers alike. Find out more here.
