Rooftop Sessions: Summer Lovers

with Neon Rainbows, Country Fried Dance, Phillip A. Townsend, and RF. Alvarez

Knee-slappin', boot-scootin’, heat-beatin', and a whole lotta summer lovin’!

Do-si-do on down to the Jones Center on July 15 (Wed) for Rooftop Sessions: Summer Lovers. Pals, gals, lovers, and friends, refresh with frozen Cowhand Coladas and hit the dance floor with line dancing lessons by Country Fried Dance and DJ sets by Ed West of Neon Rainbows.

Arrive early for a soft launch of Phillip A. Townsend's new book Transcendence: A Century of Black Queer Ecstasy, 1924–2024. Published by Art Gallery at Black Studies (AGBS) at The University of Texas at Austin, get a first glance at the richly illustrated catalogue for the landmark exhibition curated by Townsend.

Separately ticketed! Austin-based artist RF. Alvarez is bringing his very sought after (and very intimate) LOVERS nude figure drawing session to the Jones Center. Limited tickets available, strictly 21+. This separately ticketed offering includes access to the rooftop party. Learn more here.
 
SADDLE UP AND HOEDOWN!

 
Event Schedule
5:30–6P Soft launch for the new catalogue Transcendence: A Century of Black Queer Ecstasy, 1924–2024 with Phillip Townsend & AGBS
6P Rooftop & bar opens
All night DJ sets by Ed West (Neon Rainbows)
6–8P LOVERS: Adonis, a life drawing session in the Community Room with RF. Alvarez (ticketed separately, 21+) – Sold out!
7–8P All levels line dance lessons with Country Fried Dance
8:30P Bar closes
9P Museum closes
 
For accommodation needs, please contact [email protected]
 

Event Partners

Neon Rainbows began in 2012 as a homage to the culture of gay country-western bars of the 80s and 90s, and a place to enjoy 90s Country music. What started as a queer Country Dance experience—featuring classic country jams & remixes provided by DJ Ed West - has become more than just a party. Neon Rainbows is an ecosystem of Dance Parties, Live Music Showcases, Queer LineDancing, Two-Stepping Events & more. Neon Rainbows is a community and it is a lifestyle. Neon Rainbows is a well-recognized brand of authenticity, known by many as “a guaranteed good time” - and is a staple in the cultural significance of Austin, Texas, powered by Texas Queers. Photography by Erika Rich
 

When you’re with Country Fried Dance, we dance to absolute bangers that span multiple genres and decades, so there’s truly something for everyone! From silly, to sassy, to spicy, all the way back to traditional heel-toe line dance classics like Boot Scootin’ Boogie! Dance is for everybody. CFD’s Nico Osier teaches with patience, clarity, and kindness so that folks of all ages, identities, and experience levels feel welcome & successful. They use gender-neutral lead/follow language in their pardn’er dance style to welcome the realities of your body. CFD is more than dance lessons—it’s a growing Austin community. Photography by Erika Rich
 

RF. Alvarez is an Austin-based artist whose figurative paintings are characterized by evocative scenes that blend personal memory with romantic allegory. Alvarez and his work have been featured in Texas Monthly, Cultured Magazine, and The New York Times. He has had solo shows in Austin, London, Los Angeles and New York, and has exhibited in art fairs including The Armory, NADA Miami, and Felix Los Angeles. He was recently awarded the Delfina Prize at The Armory Fair and will spend the fall in London as part of the prestigious residency program at the Delfina Foundation. LOVERS is Alvarez's first venture outside of his full-time art practice, and he hopes to bring together the local community through artistic learning, creative exploration, and delicious agave spirits.
 

Transcendence: A Century of Black Queer Ecstasy, 1924–2024 is a richly illustrated catalogue that emerges from the landmark exhibition curated by Phillip A. Townsend. Expanding on the exhibition’s scope, the book traces a century of Black queer life through visual culture, examining how it has been imagined, expressed, and celebrated across generations. Through a wide array of artistic media, it centers the ecstatic dimensions of Black queer experience—where joy and struggle, sensuality and spirituality, and liberation and constraint exist in dynamic tension. Dr. Phillip A. Townsend is the Curator of Art at AGBS at The University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Art History from UT Austin (2024, 2016) and his B.A. in Art History from The University of South Florida (2014).