Last week Arthouse at the Jones Center managed to rock Austin, even though the building is currently closed for massive renovation and expansion. The 11th annual Five x Seven art sale and exhibition took place through the weekend at the Whitley Building at 301 Brazos, with the Art SPLURGE and Art SOCIAL kicking off the exciting event.
Proceeds from art sold during the show went to Arthouse educational programs and exhibitions. Each 5” x 7” piece of art, submitted by hundreds of skilled contemporary artists, was displayed anonymously. This allowed equal opportunities, for both the artists and the collectors, as all artwork was priced at $100 and there were tons of eye-catching options. Once having purchased a piece, the buyer could see who created the newest addition to his or her art collection. There were small numbered tags hanging below each piece, which were then removed by the purchaser, and the work remained on display.
At 9pm on Thursday, May 13th, the sale began with the Five x Seven Art Splurge. Guests had first dibs on the art, which remained up through 6pm Sunday. The following night, Friday, May 14th, was the first Art Social. I was there for the soiree, courtesy of The Mohawk, from whom I won a pair of tickets through a contest the club hosted on Twitter. Participating artists and a guest also got in free. It was hot inside, but there were these awesome little Arthouse 5x7 fans at the entrance, which proved to be quite effective. The evening included not only an excellent art exhibit for a great cause, but also a live performance by Balmorhea, who drew quite a crowd with their impressive arsenal of instruments and soothing vocals. Guests enjoyed food, drinks, and furniture arrangements upon which to sit courtesy of the event’s sponsors. The catering was provided by Frank, Maria Maria, and The Cedar Door. Four Hands Home was responsible for the much appreciated seating areas.
Jen outside 5x7 Social. Photo: M. Ezarik
Soon to follow, you'll find here a collection of photos taken by local attendees, including a few fabulous, descriptive images shared by artist Meredith Kuntzsch, who was a participant in the 5x7 exhibit. She posted a great blog documenting her experience at the Social, including more photos she took at the event. I met Meredith at Art City Austin, where I instantly loved her vivid style, and you will, too. A feature article about the artist will be published later this week, in which you’ll be able to see some of her art and learn about some of the amazing things she does.
Also, check out Austinist's Snapshots: Arthouse's FIVE x SEVEN Art Splurge for a huge collection of great pictures.
Arthouse at the Jones Center, Contemporary Art for Texas, is reopening in Fall 2010 after the current expansion project. Its permanent home, which survived a minor construction-related fire earlier this month, is located at 700 Congress Avenue in Austin.
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