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AVAA’s Weekly Life Drawing Program met every Sunday and Monday throughout the year for 3 hour open sessions with a professional model. Life drawing classes are held every Sunday from 2-5 p.m. with our volunteer hosts George Anderson and Arye Shapiro, and on Mondays from 7-10 p.m. with our coordinator David Ferguson. Our popular sessions would not be possible with out the generous support from our great volunteers. Thank you to our wonderful life drawing coordinators!

Talks/Lectures:
International Artist Edward Povey & D. L. Tolar spoke to AVAA artists in December. They also held a salon exhibit and hosted a workshop at AVAA during their recent visit. AVAA is pleased to announce Povey & Tolar will be working with us regularly on their return to Austin in the upcoming year. (Artwork by Edward Povey)

AVAA and the Texas Society of Sculptors hosted Houston photographer Rick Wells at AVAA this fall to work with artists on their portfolio presentations. The artists worked directly with the photographer to get the look they wanted for their portfolios. AVAA plans to invite Mr. Wells back to Austin in 2008.

AVAA President Bill Keese, who has been elected to a second term as AVAA president, spoke to artists participating in AVAA’s 30th Anniversary Show at the Dougherty Arts Center in June. Keese has personally helped to support the arts industry in Austin by not only volunteering to lead AVAA into our next phase, but also by directly supporting our artists by purchasing artwork regularly to add to his private collection. Since beginning his role as AVAA president, Keese has purchased more than 44 works of art by local artists. Keese has also become a sought-after spokesperson for the arts industry in Austin, speaking most recently to a group of 150 Austinites at the LAMP Presentation at the UT Thompson Conference Center on Nov. 8, 2007. Many works by AVAA artists were featured in the presentation, which drew one of the largest crowds to date.

Exhibits Around Town rotated exhibits throughout the year at high-profile locations in Austin such as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (March 2007), The International Center of Austin (Oct. 2006), International Exhibit Tour – Austin, Denmark, Czech Republic (Oct. 2006-January, 2007), The Austin Bergstrom International Airport 2D & 3D Exhibits (Jan.-March 2007), the Dougherty Arts Center, and the Scarbrough Building Window Display and Lobby Exhibit, 6th & Congress, June-July, 2007. (Artwork by Martha Jacobson)

The AVAA Gallery & Studios, provided artists with a drawing and meeting space, along with affordable studio space conveniently located in central Austin. On Nov. 17th-Dec. 8th, AVAA hosted The Life Drawing Show. (Artwork by Cindy Corkill)

AVAA’s 30th Anniversary Reunion & Exhibit, juried by Rick Hernandez, Ken Hale & Jack White. The exhibit featured 47 artists selected to show 64 artworks at the DAC, June 28-July 30, 2007. A satellite exhibit featuring 10 artists also took place at the Scarbrough Building, 6th & Congress. AVAA received great press on the show including features in the Statesman, the Chronicle and Austin Monthly. Entertainment was provided by The Atlantics. To see works featured in the show, please visit our 30th Anniversary Slide Show. (Photo on the right by Donna Crosby)

The Austin Visual Arts Portal, is a web portal currently being developed that is designed to expand and maintain our high-traffic website “AVAA Online.” Features will include news updates, artist profiles, art resource links, along with a developing registry and art-related blogs. Thanks to our web guru Doug Watkins for bringing us into the 21st Century!

Community Outreach/Social Impact. AVAA continues to proudly sponsor Christopher Adejumo’s Greater Tomorrow Youth Art Program, weekend art workshops for at risk kids, held at Mitchies Gallery.

AVAA Artist Keith Davis and Director Kelli Montgomery presented an art workshop at a local children’s home this summer. Through volunteer support from our artists, we will continue to “foster the arts” by developing programs and providing artistic support for kids in need.

And finally, it just wouldn’t be right to end the season without mentioning one of our favorite AVAA projects of all times — Tim Pipe’s Intercontinental Mobile Art Gallery. That’s right, we are the proud sponsors of one of Austin’s most unique treasures, The Art Bus. Keep up the good work, Tim! (Photo by Donna Crosby)

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