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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2009 > September > 26
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Arthouse raises $5 million, construction set to begin
Arthouse, the Congress Avenue contemporary art center, announced tonight that it has raised $5 million towards its planned $6 million renovation and that construction will begin next month.
The new design — by architects Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis of New York — will triple the available exhibit and program space from 7,000 square-feet to 20,830 square-feet. The arts venue will re-open in October 2010, in advance of the organization’s centennial in 2011..
“Despite the global economic challenges of the past year, local and national conditions have gotten stronger and a confluence of circumstances have given Arthouse a unique opportunity to leverage today’s highly favorable construction costs and financing rates,” said Arthouse board chair Stephen M. Jones.
The renovation project calls for changes to the building’s facade and both floors, adding new galleries, two studios, a 90-seat community/screening room as well as the addition of a 5,500 square-foot roof top venue for art, film and special events.
The building, at 700 Congress Ave., was originally a movie house, built in the 1920s. It then was a department store beginning in the 1950s. Arthouse purchased the building in 1995 and remodeled the first floor, opening the venue in 1998.
Visit an interactive feature on the project.
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The Roman Republic gives way to the Empire
‘The 24 Hour Roman Reconstruction Project’ continues at Arthouse. A miniature ancient Rome takes shape in the Congress Avenue contemporary art center guided by artist Liz Glynn in an extravagant group art-making project and dynamic history lesson.
Read more about it. And head to Arthouse before midnight tonight to join in on the fun.
By mid-afternoon the Roman Republic is complete, aquaducts and all.
Materials were harvested from leftover exhibit preparation and packing materials at Arthouse. The art center will close soon for a year to undergo a major renovation.
Some came in togas and played a board game based on the Roman Empire.
To mark the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire, members of the Univ. of Texas Wrestling Team gave a Greco-Roman wrestling demonstration. Latin phrases adorn banners hung around the gallery. “Audere est facere” means “to dare is to do.”
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The building of Rome begins
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — It’s 743 B.C,” said artist Liz Glynn at midnight Friday.
And so began the “The 24 Roman Reconstruction Project” at Arthouse, Glynn’s grand public participatory art-making event.
At the rate of about 1.23 years per minute, Glynn is leading the public in the construction — and eventual destruction — of the Roman Empire using scrap recycled materials.
See the full schedule of events. And head on down to Arthouse.
The seven hills of Rome — including Palatine, the centermost hill — are designated on the gallery floor.
Archaic Rome starts to emerge.
The Tiber River is painted as huts and pagan temples are built.
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