Camp Contemporary
Join us for Camp Contemporary, an elevated camp experience of food, wine, cocktails, live music, outdoor activities, and artist-led workshops for grown-ups!
All proceeds benefit The Contemporary Austin’s art education programs serving over 30,000 children and adults each year.
All-Inclusive Tickets include:
- Camp Feast by Chefs Lou Lambert and Larry McGuire, featuring Vaca y Vino and other local fare (see menu below!)
- Open Bars with nature-inspired craft cocktails by Sourced Craft Cocktails, Wines of Chile, and beer
- Live Music on the Camp Stage by the Echocentrics
- Nostalgic Camp Activities over 14 acres of land and water, including kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding in the lagoon, hammocks and lounges, and more
- Arts and Crafts with local artists (see featured workshops below!)
Camp Contemporary features two unique experiences:
- On the evening of October 15, Laguna Gloria will be transformed into an elegant campground for select overnight guests, including fully furnished luxury tents, meals, and activities. Ages 21+.
- On October 16, from 12–5P, day camp guests and overnight campers will enjoy a fully immersive “adult summer camp” experience ranging across the fourteen acres. Ages 21+.
For more information, contact Loren Mullins:
[email protected].
Camp Menu
The Camp Contemporary feast will feature Vaca y Vino, the heralded culinary event from Texas Chefs Lou Lambert (Lamberts Downtown Barbecue) and Larry McGuire of McGuire Moorman Hospitality (Clark’s, Elizabeth St. Cafe, Jeffrey’s, Josephine House, Lamberts, Perla’s), in which an entire steer is roasted onsite, Argentinian-style, for all to enjoy!
Inspired by South American traditions and local contemporary cooking, the delicious fare for meat and vegetable lovers alike will include charcuterie and cheeses, fall vegetable caldo and grilled escarole, empanadas, warm new potato salad, and generous amounts of oak-smoked brisket, Lamberts hotlinks, chocotorta, and Chilean wine.
Camp Stage
Camp Stage Presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Founded by Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma, Spanish Gold, and others) with lead singer Natalia Clavier (Thievery Corporation), the Echocentrics mix psychedelic rock with Southern soul—a genre-bending, quintessentially Austin project that’s not to be missed!
Gabe Vaughn, aka DJ Dangit, is a champion of organic, shoot-from-the-hip spinning. Vaughn owns Breakaway Records, an exclusively-vinyl store specializing in funk and soul of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, and can be heard on KOOP Radio.
Schedule and opening act to be announced.
Camp Artist Workshops
All workshops are included FREE with your Camp Contemporary ticket! Experiment with a range of art-making techniques and take home your own creations. Presented by H-E-B.
Natural Plant Dyeing with Celine Thibault
Learn to bind and dye textiles with designer, fiber artist, and natural dye expert Celine Thibault! Guests will create and take home items dyed with pomegranate, cochineal, and locally foraged plants such as black walnut, pine bark, and sheep sorrel.
Ceramics with The Contemporary’s Art School Instructors
Get your hands dirty! Use clay and pottery wheels to learn the basics of wheelthrowing with potters and Art School instructors Kim Donnet, Jennifer Hill, and Melissa Mencini.
Chain Stitching with Fort Lonesome
Kathy Sever and the Fort Lonesome team will be on site and chain stitching Camp Contemporary artist-designed bandanas and more! Shop the camp store and receive a complimentary custom embroidery with your name, initials, or camp design.
Cyanotypes with The Contemporary’s Art Educators
Get immersed in the cyanotype process and make your own 5×7" work using the nature and sculptures at Laguna Gloria, animal illustrations by artist Jules Buck Jones, and other objects. (Psst…see the beautiful cobalt blue artwork above for inspiration!)
Wood Burning with Abi Daniel
Design and create a custom wooden coaster with artist Abi Daniel! Learn techniques for drawing and etching with a wood-burning pen, a captivating way to make your mark!
Paint-by-Numbers Mural
Grab a paintbrush and join other campers to paint a large-scale mural! This collective art piece is designed and created by artist and Art School instructor Rebecca Borrelli and will be gifted to a local school once complete.
Getting to the Event
Parking
There is NO on-site parking at Laguna Gloria during Camp Contemporary, October 15 and 16, so please plan accordingly!
Overnight Guests (Evening of Saturday, October 15): Please park in the Mayfield Park lot at 3505 W. 35th Street, Austin, TX 78703 (to your left before you arrive at Laguna Gloria).
Day Camp Guests (Day of Sunday, October 16): Please park in the TXDOT lot at 3500 Jackson Avenue and take advantage of our free and convenient, round-the-clock shuttles to get you to Camp and back safely and quickly!
Shuttles will be available from 10:30A to 8:30P and will drop off at Laguna Gloria’s main gate.
The TXDOT parking area to access the shuttle is located along Jackson Avenue from 35th to 41st streets. Exit Mopac at 35th Street, head east, then take a left onto Jackson Avenue. Parking areas will be to your left.
Need a Ride?
If you choose not to take advantage of our shuttles during Camp Contemporary, please consider getting to and from the event safely and conveniently thanks to our sponsors Fare!
Download the app, enter the code ContemporaryATX into the Referrer’s Fare ID box during sign-up, and The Contemporary Austin will receive 10 percent of the total cost of every ride you take.
Your trip, and ALL future trips you take, will support the museum no matter your destination!
Schedule
View a detailed schedule and map of Camp activities for our Sunday day guests:
Want to Volunteer?
Be an essential part of this unique event, support art education at the museum, and enjoy the Camp experience by volunteering!
Visit us here to get involved.
Committee
Camp Contemporary Committee: Deborah Green (Chair), Will Bridges, Kim Dowling, Alice and Eric Foultz, Liz Lambert, Lou Lambert, Larry McGuire, Isadora McKeon, Chris Mattsson, James Moody, Steve Redman, Jane Schweppe, Russell Stanphill, Jesse Stowell, Gail Susholtz, Carol Wagner
Sponsorship
Camp Contemporary sponsors support the museum’s innovative art education programs, serving 30,000 children and adults annually. For information on sponsorship levels, including benefits and recognitions, please view the Camp Contemporary Sponsorship Packet.
To contact us directly for additional information, or to move forward with your sponsorship, please use the following links.
Request Sponsorship Information
Please contact Loren Mullins, [email protected], 512 453 5312 x 145, or Danielle Nieciag, [email protected], 512 453 5312, with additional questions.