The Blanton Museum of Art is a part of the College of Fine arts in The University of Texas at Austin, with a permanent collection of substantial range and depth. It is the principal art museum in Austin, with collections and exhibits on a par with art museums throughout the country. Positioning itself as a gateway between the University community and the general public in Austin, the Blanton is committed to building the finest collections possible, being a vital resource for teaching in a broad variety of disciplines, and to making their offering available to art lovers of all ages.

Originally known as the University Art Museum, the Blanton dates back to 1963, when a new building for the art department designated some gallery space. The Blaton Museum began collecting in earnest throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and gained a large group of important paintings from a private donation from the acclaimed author James Michener. The Blanton took an early leadership role in the promotion and preservation of Latin American art, founded on the donation of some two hundred paintings and 1,200 drawings from the collection of John and Barbara Duncan. Other permanent holdings include the C. R. Smith Collection of Paintings of the American West, and nearly one thousand contemporary prints donated by Charles Clark of McAllen, Texas. Now, the museum has over 17,000 works in its permanent collection.

The museum also offers a great number of traveling exhibitions, with topics that range from cultural to political art. Whether featuring the sculpture of New York's Park Place Gallery Cooperative, the performance-installation work of Michael Smith and Joshua White, woodcuts and engravings by Albrecht Dürer, or Rembrandt's etchings, the rotating exhibitions are world-class.

The public programs available at the Blanton are diverse and exciting. They offer public tours of the museum, guided by knowledgeable docents who can answer questions about the collections and exhibits. Each month, they host an art party known as "B-Scene," featuring live music by Austin bands, gallery tours, art-making activities, light snacks, and a cash bar featuring their signature cocktail, the Blantini. The last Tuesday of the month brings the Bach Cantata project, a choral performance held in the majestic atrium of the museum. Hot Art Hip Kids is a program for children, and for adults, they also offer educational lectures on their exhibitions, as well as Third Thursday, a themed event held in the evenings. Classes and workshops on many different subjects are also available.

With the opening of the new Blanton in April 2006-following a 2 1/2 year building project—the museum was for the first time able to house all of its collections under one roof, becoming the premier art museum in Central Texas. In its new home, with its rich and versatile collections, magnificent galleries, fun and diverse programming, and an enthusiastic and committed group of staff and volunteers, the museum continues its mission to promote the arts in Austin to the students attending the University of Texas of Austin and the general public.

Ki lives in Austin Texas and works as realtor helping people interested in Austin real estate. His website provides current statistics on his Austin real estate blog along with a search of the Austin MLS.

Labor Day weekend in Austin this year promises every imaginable kind of activity, with something for everyone, young and old, in the works. Some choices for end of summer fun locally include Texas Longhorn events, the Austin Bat Fest, and a day of yoga, among other celebrations. If you’re a sports fan, the Texas Longhorns are playing a home game the Saturday before Labor Day, and the game will be held in Darrel K. Royal Memorial Stadium, as usual. The beginning of Longhorn football season in Austin is always a day filled with excitement and anticipation, and this year is no different from any other, so get out your burnt orange and white clothing and head to the U.T. campus for a day of competition and rivalry.

Another popular event is being organized for its fourth year this year, the 4th Annual Austin Bat Fest, which will be held on and around the Ann Richards Bridge Saturday and Sunday prior to Labor Day. This event promises various activities, musical performances, a diverse choice of food and drink, and many other family-oriented arts, crafts, educational displays, and other bat-related festivities. The estimated attendance for BatFest is about 40,000 spectators and participants, so come early to see and hear thirty different musical acts perform on two different stages and watch as over 1.5 million Mexican free tail bats soar over the clear waters of Lady Bird Lake and the Austin skyline. This event partially supports the bats and their colony under the downtown bridge and admittance is just $5.00, so come out and see what all is being offered at the 150 different booths which will be set up in the festival area, on the Congress Avenue Bridge, which was recently renamed to honor former Texas Governor Ann Richards. While there, you can sample the different cuisines or enjoy shopping among the numerous offerings of stained glass, pottery, art objects, photography, jewelry, fine art, and other eclectic goods being sold at the festival. The event will remain open until midnight Saturday night and ten p.m. Sunday night, so there will be plenty of time to shop and celebrate during this event.

Another sporting event being held over the Labor Day weekend in the Austin area is the 7th annual Labor Day Cup, which is a soccer tournament for children which serves as a kind of practice for the coming season, and this event is being sponsored by Nike this year and promises fun for all. The games are being played at fields throughout the Austin area and the tournament is being organized by the Lonestar Soccer Club. In addition to the soccer tournament, a tennis tournament is also being held over Labor Day weekend in the Austin area, and those interested in participating may sign up online for both the soccer tournament and the tennis tournament, which is affiliated with the U.S. Tennis Association.

A free day of Yoga is being held again this year on Labor Day too, as it has been since 1999, and this event is the perfect opportunity to learn the different styles of yoga as well as become familiar with different teachers and studios, at an inviting price: free! The classes are being held at studios across town, and some individual studios are offering food and drinks after the classes as well, and participants are invited to stay, relax and enjoy the day.

Many water-related parties are also on tap, and one of these events is the Splash Days event which celebrates the gay community and includes an “adult swim” party with D.J.s and a dance. Some of the related activities will be held at a downtown hotel and a schedule is available online for this event too.

There are many other smaller events being held, and many celebrations on and around Lake Travis as well as Lake Austin, with cookouts being planned in local parks and other facilities. However, it is important to remember that motorized water c rafts are prohibited on some area lakes during the holiday, and the waters of Lake Travis are very low this year, so boaters are being advised to use caution when boating in area lakes at this time. There are many other choices of activities in the Austin area, and since the Labor Day weekend marks the end of the lazy days of summer and a return to school for the kids, use your time wisely and enjoy the day relaxing, celebrating, and having fun, since you won’t get another chance until next year!

Ki is a real estate broker in Austin. His maintains a site focused on Austin real estate which provides a graphical search of the Austin MLS. In addition he provides market updates on his Austin real estate blog.

An area of Austin which is currently undergoing revitalization is the old Mueller Airport area, near the intersection of Manor Road and Airport Boulevard in East Central Austin. This location offers residents and visitors alike many interesting opportunities. Housing is very affordable in the area, including single family homes and duplexes, and also numerous nice but inexpensive apartment complexes. Since this area is just a few miles from the University of Texas campus, it is ideal for students and faculty members, as well as downtown area employees who are looking for a neighborhood which is affordable yet extremely close to downtown business and entertainment districts and the college area. Manor Road itself is home to many fine restaurants, including El Chile, and El Gringo, both wonderful restaurants specializing in Mexican cuisine, and Hoover’s , a southern-style restaurant specializing in BBQ and various other regional Texas specialties. The Eastside Café, a popular restaurant which specializes in natural and fresh from the garden choices, is situated on Manor Road just across the interstate and is very convenient for U.T. students, faculty, and visitors to the campus area. The Eastside Café has a reputation for very fresh seafood as well as tempting steaks and other entrees. All of these restaurants have been patronized by well known political visitors recently, including Bill Clinton’s visit to Hoover’s while campaigning in Austin with his wife Hillary and family.

The University of Texas sports facilities are also very close to the east-central vicinity of Austin, especially Dish Faulk field, for Longhorn baseball fans, and Royal Memorial Stadium, for Longhorn football fans. Both of these sports venues are near the intersection of Interstate 35 and East Martin Luther King Blvd, which runs somewhat parallel to Manor Road, east of Interstate 35. The Erwin Center is also just a stone’s throw away, at Red River and Martin Luther King, just west of the interstate.

Prior to closing in 1999, Mueller Airport was the oldest municipal airport in Texas, and it originally opened to the public in 1930. After the new Bergstrom International Airport was established south of Austin at the site of the old Bergstrom Air Force Base, Mueller Field closed to air traffic, and is presently being redeveloped as a center for the arts, affordable homes, and many other exciting businesses and attractions. The old airport site encompasses 711 acres of space, and is designated for “mixed use” development now, including many movie-making related facilities. The site is home to the new Austin Studios film-making complex, which includes soundstages, sets, and various other commercial ventures associated with Austin’s burgeoning motion picture, theater and arts communities. Many of the old airport hangars have been converted to use as soundstages for these endeavors, and the area is ideal for this type of activity, since it is such a large area, and so conveniently located, but is still very quiet and has a rural feel to it since it has not been developed or inhabited much in the past, especially since the airport relocated.

The site will eventually be home to 10,000 residents and has been referred to as an “urban village”, with its proximity to the major urban areas yet its small town flavor. The site will eventually include schools, shops, homes, apartment complexes, entertainment and various other businesses and services. In addition to these exciting, revenue-generating ventures, the area is projected to include 140 acres of public open spaces and 13 acres of hike and bike trails, making the neighborhood very pedestrian-friendly as well as offering immediate access to Austin’s fine mass transit system, the Cap Metro bus routes.

Right across Manor Road from the old airport entrance is another attraction for sports fans, the Morris Williams Golf Course, which is an eighteen-hole public golf course, with green fees of twenty dollars or less on a year-round basis. This area is also very accessible to out of town visitors, since both Manor Road and Martin Luther King eventually intersect with U.S. Highway 183 when travelling east or northeast. U.S. 183 serves the Austin metro area as a loop around the eastern perimeter of the city, where it is referred to as Ed Bluestein Blvd. It also intersects with Highway 290 East and Highway 71 East, as well as Interstate 35, so it is very convenient to get in and out of the east-central community around the old Mueller Airport.

This area is sure to become a vital part of Austin in the very near future, and offers the finest attractions and amenities now for every segment of the population, young and old alike!

Ki works as a Realtor in the Austin area. His site is filled with information about Austin real estate and provides visitors a free search for Austin Homes. You can also find updated information on mortgage interest rates.

With over 50,000 students there are numerous entertainment venues around the University of Texas. Austin is frequently referred to as the live music capital of Texas. And although when people talk about the music scene in Austin they usually think of downtown the campus area also reflects this saying with nightspots such as the Hole in the Wall, which is an Austin institution and has been the home of many local recording artists for more than twenty-five years, as well as the U.T. campus itself, which hosts regular live music performances in the Cactus Café, which is adjacent to the student union and which is located in the West Mall area. There are also faculty-oriented clubs and restaurants such as the Campus Club, at the corner of 24th and Guadalupe, which offers a daily special and a variety of top-notch choices in a buffet-style setting.

Other notable establishments in or around the campus area include the Frank Erwin Center, which hosts Longhorn basketball, and many other national as well as local sporting events and concerts and is located on the eastern rim of campus, adjacent to Interstate 35. The Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, which is a few blocks north of the Erwin Center, is home to the University of Texas Longhorn football team, and nearby Disch-Falk Field hosts U.T. Longhorn baseball games, and is directly across the highway from Royal Memorial Stadium on Interstate 35. One of the largest Austin metropolitan area hospitals, Brackenridge-Seton Hospital, is also just a few blocks south of campus, and is the oldest public hospital in Texas. The hospital complex includes the Children’s Hospital of Austin and the University Medical Center, all of which offer first class medical treatment for acute as well as long term care, ample parking, and many other facilities in a very convenient location.

In addition to football and basketball, the university sports and recreation department provides track facilities, including one of the only lighted intramural fields in the country, at the intramural fields complex, which is situated along the intersection of 51st and Guadalupe Streets in the North Loop neighborhood. The complex is about a mile north of the campus itself, and the intramural fields are home to the U.T. Rugby team. In the neighborhood of Hyde Park, just north of the University of Texas, there are also museums and golf courses including the Elizabet Ney Museum, which is one of the oldest museums in Texas. The Hancock Golf Course, which was established in 1899, is just a few blocks away as well, and allows golfers to play the course on a daily fee basis. All and all, the University of Texas campus area in Austin offers something for everyone, and is one of the most popular destinations for locals, University students and tourists alike. There is always something to do on or near campus.

Ki works as a realtor in the Austin Texas real estate market. His site provides visitors a free search for Austin Homes along with updated market commentary on his blog covering Austin real estate.

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the five largest universities in the country, and currently nearly fifty thousand students attend the university, which is home to the U.T. Longhorns. Most of the students live in the U. T. campus area, which encompasses an area from Interstate 35, which runs along the eastern perimeter, to Lamar Boulevard, which circles the western edge of the campus, including numerous fraternity and sorority houses. The campus also extends to Martin Luther King to the south and the campus itself is just a mile or so north of the State Capitol Building and the Capitol complex. The northern edge is roughly around 27th Street, and among these fours borders are some of the most interesting sights in the Austin area.

There are many nice apartment buildings, condominium projects and single as well as multiple family dwellings in the campus area, with prices affordable enough for new students and nice enough for faculty, grad students and the more affluent. There are many “commune-style” homes in the area, which require the residents to share the chores, bills, meals and other expenditures and are very affordable due to the shared financial input of the inhabitants, but don’t offer quite as much privacy as a traditional apartment complex. However, these residences do offer more of a home-like atmosphere, which appeals to the newer students. Many of the commune-style homes, apartments, condos, sororities and fraternities are situated within a block or two of “the Drag”, which is how the students refer to Guadalupe Street, the major thoroughfare through the campus area. North of the University of Texas is the neighborhood of Hyde Park which some students can on occasion find a house to rent. But since Hyde Park has become a more desirable neighborhood over the last 10 years rents can be expensive. If students go a little farther north they find the North Loop neighborhood where rents are a little more affordable.

The east side of “the drag” skirts the western edge of campus proper, which includes the U.T. Tower, student union, various education halls, and the West Mall, where campus-related political gatherings are held outdoors. Many students can be found reading, walking to and from class, or eating on the steps and benches which are strategically located in the west campus area, or at many of the food kiosks and stands, which feature ethnic fast foods of all kinds, especially many oriental and Indian foods.

Students of all nationalities attend U.T., and all of them can find regional cuisine in the area, even on the campus itself, with the Texas Union offering a wide selection of meals, drinks and snacks. The other side of “the drag” encircles an area which is full of shopping boutiques, churches, student centers, restaurants, bookstores and one of the largest assortments of street vendors in the Austin area. The street vendors sell a little bit of everything, but seem to specialize in silver jewelry and Indian clothing, as well as hats, shirts, other clothing items, music, posters and memorabilia. These items are usually quite inexpensive, and a vast selection of styles, colors, and regional favorites can be found in the numerous stalls full of merchandise which line the west side of Guadalupe Street. There are also ice cream shops, pinball parlors, and many clubs, some of which offer live music.

Ki helps individuals looking for Austin real estate. His website provides updated statistics on his Austin real estate blog along with a search for Austin Homes.

There is more live music going on in Austin, Texas on any given night than there is in any other city in the world. That’s why the city has put a trademark on it’s slogan “Live Music Capital of the World.”

There are hundreds of live music venues in the city and its immediate environs. Many are situated in three main entertainment districts: Sixth Street/Red River, the Warehouse district and South Austin. Sixth Street/Red River is the famous sector in downtown Austin that is known around the world for it’s live music scene and often boisterous crowds that fill Sixth Street on the weekends when it is closed to traffic. The Warehouse district runs west from Congress Ave. along Fourth and Fifth Streets. That’s where Antone’s is located, the venue that USA Today has named the best blues club in the country. In South Austin, there are a number of clubs on South Congress, South First St. and South Lamar that offer up some of the best new and original music in town.

The road to its live music capital status began way back in the 1960’s when a spirit of eclecticism appeared with the hippies and anti-war protesters of that era. Inclusion was in and exclusion was out, no pun intended. With the 70’s, this eclectic spirit gave birth to a form of music that was often called progressive country. Joe Ely, along with co-Lubbockites Jimmy Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, brought this music down to Austin and hooked up with Marcia Ball and Delbert McClinton and cosmic cowboys like Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphy, Rusty Weir and Ray Wiley Hubbard. Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings came back from Nashville during that time to settle in Austin where they could take control of the production of their songs. A wild and powerful musical vortex formed that saw psychedelic rock and roll mix with straight out country and blues at venues such as the Armadillo World Headquarters, Threadgill’s, the Soap Creek Saloon and the Broken Spoke. It was cool to dig the psychedelic sound of the 13th Floor Elevators and the uncompromising country licks of Alvin Crow at the same time.

Then, in 1975, a 30-minute University of Texas music program was accepted by a number of PBS affiliate stations and Austin City Limits was launched and has become the longest running program in the history of PBS. It has propelled Austin to the forefront of the music industry’s consciousness in the US and around the world. That first program featured Willie Nelson, but has since put Texas music notables such as Marcia Ball, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Asleep at the Wheel and many, many others in the national and world spotlight.

In more recent years, the South by Southwest showcase every Spring that brings nearly 1500 musicians and musical acts to town to be seen and heard by industry executives and AR types, along with the Austin City Limits Festival in September, have kept the city on the national music map. In addition, dozens of other smaller festivals are held each year, as well as a number of nationally significant ones in the surrounding Hill Country such as the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Old Settlers Reunion in Buda, just south of town.

The Austin music scene has always been a free-wheeling, break-the-mold, think-out-of-the-box kind of affair. That early eclecticism lives on in the current scene, although some characteristics of the town’s soundscape seem to have become entrenched. Sixth Street/Red River attracts a younger, party animal type of crowd with it’s rock and roll, blues and punk scene. The Warehouse district caters to a bit older and more professional crowd in general. And South Austin retains the feel of Austin in the 70’s with its nouveau hippie coffeehouses and crowds and its preference for good singer/songwriters. Still, there are always exceptions to those general tendencies just about anywhere you go.

Austin remains a city where musical creativity and talent thrive and defy expectations. That can be experienced close up and personal in any number of live music venues on any given night.

Escapeso Austin Real Estate is a small company working in the Austin Texas real estate market. They provide a graphical search of the Austin MLS along with commentary on their blog about changes in the Austin real estate market.

Austin, Texas is home to many different attractions with great food, shopping, and entertainment venues. Many think of Sixth Street as Austin's premiere hotspot, but there are several other interesting yet relatively overlooked areas in town. One of the most popular and diverse places in Austin for great food and entertainment is a strip along Guadalupe Street affectionately referred to as the Drag. From around 34th Street at the northern edge to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, great food and shopping abound, along with a few curiosities.

Austin is renowned for its live music scene, but the clubs aren't all downtown. The Hole in the Wall is one of the most renowned and stored venues in the history of Austin, with 25 years of experience bringing in both great local talent and road shows in many styles ranging from old-school country to rock and pop. With its dim lighting and homey atmosphere, the Showdown is a great bar in which you can kick back and observe the tides of burnt orange flocking to and from class. Spider House is one of Austin's most eclectic places to share a pitcher of Lone Star, the National Beer of Texas with friends, with regular influxes of live music and DJs. The decor is based most obviously from vintage gliders, chairs and tables with dozens of Christmas lights to provide illumination and the odd sculpture of a naked child urinating in a bathtub. Such expression is much more commonplace in Austin in part because of its long connection with the University of Texas.

Since the University of Texas at Austin is located directly off Guadalupe, many businesses have taken advantage of the huge influx of students. As a result, there are many great stores to check out. As far as apparel, American Apparel has recently opened a store directly across from the West Mall of the University. Other stores include Whole Earth Provision Company and Tyler's, the source for "Keep Austin Weird" shirts and assorted UT-related garb. Toy Joy on 29th and Guadalupe offers a plethora of creative gifts and eccentric toys for all types.

As far as food goes, the Drag offers more choices than many other areas in town, partially because of the diverse student body that frequents the area. Madam Mam's makes great Thai and Chinese food, while just down the road lie several venerable Austin establishments such as Burger Tex, Dirty Martin's (Home of the Kum-Bak Burger), and Veggie Heaven, a favorite for vegans and health-conscious people. Kerbey Lane Cafe is the place to go if you're looking for late-night food ranging from enchiladas to classic American fare. Don't forget to try the famous pancakes, which come is several delicious and fruity flavors. Tom's Tabooleh offers great falafel and other various Middle Eastern fare, using locally grown and organic ingredients. They also have a wide selection of fresh hummus and Greek dolmas available every day. Wheatsville Co-op is a local grocery which sells local and organic produce as well as a variety of health foods and a great deli to boot. For those in search of a tasty ice cream treat, options abound: The famous Amy's Ice Cream has many different and unusual types of creamy delights, including Guinness or Shiner Bock ice cream. So if Austin's where you want to be, don't forget to check out the Drag (it's kind of hard to miss).

Ki is a realtor working in the Austin Texas real estate market. On his site he runs a blog about Austin real estate and provides visitors a free search for Austin Homes.

With the different varieties and styles of live theaters in Austin, a night at the theater could be wild and rambunctious, or a beautiful and classy affair. On the east side of town, one can find small, arty theaters such as the Salvage Vanguard, while downtown patrons can take in the ballet, or a family-friendly show at the Zach Scott.

In 1932, the Zach Scott Theatre got its start as the Austin Civic Theatre, and is central Texas’s oldest resident theater. Zachary Thompson Scott Jr. was born in 1914, son of Zachary Thompson Scott, one of Austin’s premiere surgeons. Zach Scott was raised in Sweetbrush, the family estate off Windsor Road. Scott Jr. dashed his father’s hopes of following in his footsteps when he graduated UT as an actor, moved to Hollywood, and enjoyed a successful film career. In 1972, an 8,000-square-foot theater facility with a 200-seat thrust stage was built, and the Austin Civic Theatre officially changed its name to Zachary Scott Theatre, after the Scott family provided the final funding for the facility.

Today Zach Scott Theatre has roughly 10 productions every season, with shows such as Shear Madness, and David Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries, coming back season after season due to their high popularity. Currently the theatre is running Speeding Motorcycle inspired by legendary off-the-wall Austin musician and artist, Daniel Johnston.

Zach Scott also appeals to Austin’s young crowd by offering the Project Discovery program which offers ticket prices under 5 dollars to school-aged children. Project Interact, Zach’s professional youth company, has run for over 2 decades performing original shows for central Texas schools.

For those looking for some edgier theater, Salvage Vanguard Theater has been providing new original material since 1994. The theater’s founder, Jason Neulander, has been very involved in the local theater scene, and began the “Independent Theatre Conspiracy” which brought together 8 small local theaters in hopes of cross promotion. Neulander is also a founding member of Austin’s Performing Arts Research Coalition group, which is part of a national initiative to study the performing arts’ impact on communities.

Several local writers came together to produce Salvage Vanguard’s runaway hit “Intergalactic Nemesis”, read in the style of an old radio play, including live sound effects. The buzz grew, and now the show tours nationally. When the theater isn’t putting on a local production, they are hosting music or film nights, and providing space as an art gallery during business hours.

Founded in 1956 as the Austin Ballet Society, Ballet Austin has since grown into a professional company and puts on 5 different productions every season. Stephen Mills has been with Ballet Austin for over 20 years, and is the company’s current artistic director. Mills draws inspiration from many contemporary music composers, and has even choreographed ballets to pieces created by local musicians, such as local pianist Glover Gill.

Recently, Ballet Austin relocated to the Butler Dance Education Center and Community School in downtown Austin. Ballet Austin Academy is the official ballet school of Ballet Austin, which steers its students into professional careers in dance. Also, the Butler Community School is open to the public offering a wide variety of classes from yoga and pilates to hula and (obviously) ballet.

Though Ballet Austin has put on their productions at UT’s Bass Hall for the past 20 years, all future productions will be performed at the newly finished Long Center for the Performing Arts, which will dazzle crowds with not only the fine production value of the performance, but also the beautiful new architectural surroundings.

Ki is a realtor in Austin. His website provides information about Austin real estate along with a free search of the Austin MLS for Austin area homes. You can also keep up to date on the market through his Austin real estate blog.