A Period of Dynamic Transformation at The Contemporary Austin

As one museum with two distinct sites, The Contemporary Austin is currently shaping a Master Plan to maximize the value of the museum’s existing space. Laguna Gloria, a fourteen acre site on Lake Austin, offers visitors a unique art-in-nature experience, with opportunities for the public to engage with art and the creative process at The Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park and the Art School. The Jones Center, the museum’s site located in downtown Austin on Congress Avenue, offers visitors the opportunity to engage with contemporary art in an architecturally significant building in an urban environment. Through these two sites, The Contemporary Austin aims to integrate contemporary art into the fabric of city life. To this end, The Contemporary Austin is undertaking significant improvements of both sites, which will begin with the renovation of the Jones Center.

The Moody Rooftop at the Jones Center

In May 2015, The Moody Foundation awarded The Contemporary Austin a $1.3 million dollar grant to support the construction of The Moody Rooftop at the Jones Center. The proposed enhancements will transform the rooftop into a destination for cultural events in our community, allowing the museum to offer additional public programs and increase rental revenue. The improvements to the rooftop are part of a strategic plan to renovate the Jones Center to accommodate larger exhibitions and to conform to The American Alliance of Museums standards for the handling and exhibition of art work.

The Contemporary Austin’s decision to retrofit the existing building at the Jones Center represents sound stewardship of the museum’s resources and a deeper commitment to serving the community. The proposed improvements will contribute to the revitalization of downtown Austin and the Congress Avenue cultural corridor, and increase the museum’s capacity to offer programming for diverse audiences.

The Master Plan for The Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria

In fall 2013, the Edward and Betty Marcus Foundation awarded The Contemporary Austin a $9 million dollar grant to support the creation of The Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria. Presently, the recognized landscape architecture firm, Reed Hilderbrand, is designing a Master Plan that will transform Laguna Gloria into a space for the public to experience exceptional works of art in a lush and vibrant natural setting.

To date, the site has featured sculptures by an array of acclaimed artists, including Tom Friedman, Orly Genger, Jim Lambie, Charles Long, Paul McCarthy, Tom Sachs, Monika Sosnowska, Do Ho Suh and Marianne Vitale. By further developing the Sculpture Park, The Contemporary Austin seeks to create a venue that is both richly useful for the local community and supportive of ambitious collaborations with artists and curators. Through careful planning, the Sculpture Park will continue to evolve into an extraordinary cultural destination, engaging new audiences with contemporary art and contributing to the cultural economy of Austin.