Every year, the Museum hosts dozens of events, classes, performances, speakers' panels, and family programs to help interpret the continually unfolding Story of Texas. Here are some of the highlights from 2010:
Music and Puppets and Aerialists, Oh My!
Performances at the Museum
The Big Squeeze Accordion Contest
On Saturday, May 1, the Museum hosted the semifinals of The Big Squeeze Accordion Contest, sponsored by Texas Folklife. Squeezebox greats
performed before a panel of judges and the public on the Lone Star Plaza for a chance at the finals in Houston. Entertainment also included Grammy Award-winning conjunto band Los Texmaniacs; Cerronato; Conjunto Aztlan with special guest Joel Guzman; and Mariachi Corbetas, featuring 2009 Big Squeeze finalist Anthony Ortiz Jr.
In The Shadow Of Giants
In In The Shadow Of Giants, native Texan troubadour Craig Toungate portrays his great grandfather, Texas pioneer settler and member of Sam Houston’s army Meredith Toungate. The show tells the story of the Texas Revolution from the fall of the Alamo to the Battle of San Jacinto using original songs and narration based on eyewitness accounts and primary documents. The performance on March 12 marked the 174th Anniversary of the fall of the Alamo and the ensuing Sam Houston lead San Jacinto Campaign for Texas Independence.
Dear Mrs. Parks
Dear Mrs. Parks celebrates the life of Rosa Parks, the civil rights movement heroine. Incorporating musical traditions from blues, jazz, African, and gospel music, Dear Mrs. Parks follows three imaginary letters to Rosa Parks from three different voices in the civil rights movement - an activist, a martyr, and a beneficiary-- in a tightly orchestrated and inspirational composition. The mulit-award-winning musician Hannibal Lokumbe wrote the score and the libretto. The one-night-only performance at the Museum on February 13 included an ensemble of Texas artists, including a jazz quintet, choir and child soloists.
Limitless: A performance by Blue Lapis Light
In November, Blue Lapis Light, Austin's renowned aerial dance company, debuted a new dance piece, Limitless, outside on the Lone Star Plaza. Dancers performed on the facade of the Museum, defying gravity and expressing the limitless feeling of flying through space, inspired by the special exhibition Tango Alpha Charlie: Texas Aviation Celebration.
TEXplorations Puppet Shows
Austin Public Library's Literature Live! presents free puppet shows for ages 3 and over. Titles this year included Winter Tales and Tunes about holiday traditions around the world; A Taradillo Tale featuring puppets Bubba, Lou Ann, and the 'dillos as they discover a new territory that becomes the Capitol of Texas; and The King's Daughter That Lost Her Hair, based on an East African folktale.
Learning the Steps
On- and Off-Site Classes
Dancing Domingos
The Museum offered free dance lessons on Sundays afternoons, February to April, inspired by the special exhibition American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music. Austin-based instructor Dwip Banerjee taught the basics of salsa and merengue. Mr. Banaerjee also led a one-day family and kid-friendly dance workshop in March
Cooking Class at Central Market Cooking School
In April, the Museum, along with Central Market Cooking School, hosted an evening of Latin cusine with Diana Barrios-Trevino of Los Barrios Restaurant. Celebrating the many flavors (sabores) of Latino cooking -- including Caribbean, African, Mexican and South American roots -- students learned to prepare selections from these diverse and delicious traditions. The class was held in conjunction with the special exhibition American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music.
Beatboxing with John Pointer
During its annual free summer concert series, Music Under The Star, the Museum hosted a family music program teaching beatboxing -- vocally mimicking the percussion sections of a song to make the basic sounds of a rhythm section, create beat patterns, and make music without an instrument. The master class was led by John Pointer, an award-winning Austin musician and teacher who has also appeared in numerous national television commercials.
Runway Projects
Instructors from UT Austin's Department of Textiles and Apparel in November led a hands-on exploration of the Golden Age of Flight as seen through its fashions in this crash course in pattern making and illustration. This program was held in conjunction with the special exhibition Tango Alpha Charlie: Texas Aviation Celebration.
Starry Science Extravaganza
The Museum hosted an out-of-this-world family science day event in partnership with Girlstart in December. The day featured fun hands-on activities about space and aviation. This all-ages event was held in conjunction with the special exhibition Tango Alpha Charlie: Texas Aviation Celebration.
Special Occasions and Celebrations
Events
¡Salsa! ¡Salsa!
The Museum Grand Lobby was jumping on April 30 with an evening of salsa-filled festivities, in conjunction with the special exhibition American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music. The night included a salsa dance lesson with Dwip Banerjee; live music by Los Gallos; and complimentary cocktails courtesy of Don Julio. Sponsored by Texas Monthly and Don Julio.
World Refugee Day
On June 26, the Museum helped welcome our newest Texans as part of Austin's annual commemoration of the United Nations World Refugee Day. The event included an official naturalization ceremony for the friends and families of new American citizens-to-be along with live music and performances, children’s games, food, face painting, and fashion show. Collaborating organizations include Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, Refugee Services of Texas-Austin, Multicultural Refugee Coalition, Heart of Texas Peace Corps Association, Center for Survivors of Torture, and the City of Austin Refugee Health Screening Clinic.
Arabia Day in the IMAX® Theatre
The Museum hosted an Arabia 3D IMAX Family Day to celebrate the opening of the new documentary in the IMAX Theatre in May. The day included a talk-back panel and poster signing with Hamzah Jamjoom, from the film; a presentation from the Texas Camel Corps with a chance to get up close with real camels; live music from Austin's own 1001 Nights Orchestra; belly dancing; and an Arabic script writing activity with UT's Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
Fire Prevention Day
The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office hosted a special one day fire-safety event on July 3, held in conjunction with the Museum’s special exhibition, Texas Treasure: Inside Our Governor's Mansion. Part of the Texas Treasure exhibit focused on the act of arson and the inclusion of residential sprinklers in the reconstruction of the Mansion. Fire Prevention Day included a live burn demonstration, trained K-9 unit demonstrations, clowns and face painting, and fire-safety information emphasizing important fire safety practices such as “Have an EXIT Strategy,” “Stop, Drop, and Roll,” and the importance of smoke alarms. Fire service, burn treatment, and fire prevention organizations from across the state and country were showcased.
A Selena Birthday Celebration
On Saturday, April 17, the Museum commemorated Selena's birthday with a party fit for a queen of Tejano music. Held in conjunction with the special exhibition American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music, the Selena Birthday Celebration included a talk with Texas Monthly's Pamela Colloff, author of the April issue oral history about Selena; as well as a family-friendly dance party and sing-along with party favors, cake, and, of course, a piñata!
Spooktacular!
Several hundred visitors enjoyed the Museum's annual Halloween event, Spooktacular! The family-friendly evening event included costume making and a costume contest; face painting; eerie stories about Texas History; spooky art projects; and ghoulish treats from the Story of Texas Cafe!
Talking with the Experts
Speakers and Panels
Hubble 3D Screening and Panel
In this joint collaboration with the McDonald Observatory, Museum visitors attended a screening of the award-winning documentary Hubble 3D in the IMAX Theatre, followed by a speakers' panel with scientists from the University of Texas Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory. Research scientists and experts including G. Fritz Benedict, Karl Gebhardt, and Shardha Jogee, discussed how their current research makes use of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Backstage with the Band
In March, as part of SXSW week, exhibition curator Jasen Emmons of the Experience Music Project in Seattle presented a behind-the-scenes look at the making of American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Culture, sharing personal experiences of working with musicians featured in the exhibit, such as Carlos Santana, Linda Ronstadt, and Louis Perez.
Border Bandits Screening and Discussion Panel
Based on the oral history of Roland Warnock — grandfather of filmmaker Kirby Warnock — Border Bandits explores the alleged shooting of two allegedly unarmed Mexican Americans by Texas Rangers in 1915. A discussion of the film followed the screening. Panelists included Dr. Don Graham, University of Texas professor, author, and writer for Texas Monthly; Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, UT journalism professor, oral historian and director of the U.S. Latino & Latina WWII Oral History Project; and Antonio Leal, senior captain and assistant director of the Texas Rangers.
High Noon Talks
The monthly FREE lunchtime speaker series touches on fascinating topics from business to science to music in Texas culture. Click on each highlighted name to download a brief podcast interview.
- January: Carol Dawson, author of House of Plenty: The Rise, Fall, and Revival of Luby's Cafeterias, presents a captivating look at the history of the Luby's name and its long-standing impact on the state of Texas.
- February: A literary tour of some of Texas's quirkiest characters including the fantastically named Bozo Texino, Madam Candelaria, and Plennie L. Wingo, led by Gene Fowler, author of Mavericks: A Gallery of Texas Characters.
- March: Cristina Balli, program director at Texas Folklife, will provide a brief introduction to the history of conjunto music in Texas and a screening of Texas Folklife's documentary The Big Squeeze, which follows a group of musicians on their quest to play in the annual Accordion Kings and Queens Festival in Houston.
- April: Joe Nick Patoski, author of Selena: Como la Flor and frequent Museum collaborator, leads a discussion of the Tejano star's continuing impact on the musci world in the decade since her tragic death.
- June: Ali James, curator of the Texas State Capitol, presents a look at some of the best facts and fictions of the Governor's Mansion and the Capitol grounds.
- July: Mark van Gelder of Art Conservation Services of Austin offers an overview of what it takes to restore historic works of art, focusing on several of the paintings being restored from the Governor's Mansion.
- August: The State Fire Marshall's Office leads an introduction to investigating and preventing fires, including what it takes to be an arson investigator, how to determine the cause of a fire, and why sprinkler systems are so important.
- September: Historians Dan Utley and Cynthia Beeman, authors of History Ahead: Stories Behind Texas Roadside Markers, discuss researching Texas's most compelling stories using roadside historical markers as a guide.
- October: Dr. Hans Mark, professor of aerospace engineering at UT Austin, presents the history of the space race, the evolution of the space program and its impact on Texas.
- November: Debra Winegarten, author of Katherine Stinson: The Flying Schoolgirl, leads a conversation on the diverse opportunities that women have taken on in the field of aviation.
- December: Documentarian Patrick Fries leads a discussion of his documentary In the Shadow of the Blade, which follows the journey of a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter across America to hear the stories of Vietnam War veterans and the families they left behind.
Calendar of Public Events
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