Letter from the Executive Director

 
Dear friends,

When I stepped into the role of Ernest and Sarah Butler Executive Director and CEO at The Contemporary Austin in 2020, I was struck by the museum’s unique potential—to be a vital, welcoming home for contemporary art in a city defined by creativity, experimentation, and change.

Five years in—and a global pandemic later—I’m proud of how far we’ve come. We’ve expanded our programs, deepened our community partnerships, and continued to evolve how and where we meet our audiences. In moments as complex and uncertain as these, I believe deeply in the role art can play—as a refuge, a catalyst, and a way forward.

Art gives us permission to pause. To slow down. To see beyond our own point of view (or at least to try).
 

 
This past year, we were honored to be the first museum to present solo exhibitions by artists-to-watch Jiab Prachakul and Tenant of Culture, alongside hometown hero and Austin native Raul De Lara. We also extended exhibitions across both of our sites with The Canvas Can Do Miracles and Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers, activating meaningful dialogue between the Jones Center and Laguna Gloria.

Exhibitions are our foundation—but they’re also a starting point. From artist talks and panels to Rooftop Sessions and outdoor festivals, our programs invite audiences to return again and again, encountering the work in new ways. This season alone, we welcomed poet and New York Times bestselling author Ocean Vuong; Candice Hopkins, Executive Director and Chief Curator of Forge Project; and collaborated with community partners including Future Front Texas, Slow Fashion Festival, Austin Film Society, and Friends Fair.
 

 
Because making art is as vital as seeing it, The Art School at Laguna Gloria remains a cornerstone of our mission. Serving artists and makers of all ages and experience levels, the school offers nearly 650 classes taught by 67 instructors, reaching more than 5,400 students annually—a thriving, creative ecosystem in its own right.

Our family programs and K–12 initiatives plant the earliest seeds for a lifelong relationship with art. Free monthly programs like Second Saturdays Are for Families and Arty Party invite children and caregivers to explore the sculpture park and make art together. Through AISD partnerships such as Seeing Special Things, our educators served more than 1,500 students and supported over 300 teachers across 20 campuses during the 2025 academic year—helping to fill critical gaps in public arts education.

To sustain this work, we launched The Very ’Rary in 2022—an all-ages fundraiser that now draws more than a thousand visitors to Laguna Gloria each year. This annual afternoon of art and amazement celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2026.
 

 
Accessibility has been a priority from the start. In 2022, we unveiled a new ADA ramp at Laguna Gloria, extending wheelchair access to previously unreachable areas of the sculpture park. Since then, we’ve continued to expand our offerings—adding Braille materials, colorblind-enhancing glasses, sensory-support resources, and new tour formats including Spanish-language, ASL, and stroller-friendly tours. Both locations also offer free admission days and participate in citywide initiatives like Free Week and Austin Museum Day, welcoming thousands of visitors at no cost.

As we move into 2026, I’m excited to welcome you back for a dynamic season ahead, including Sable Elyse Smith: Clockwork, the artist's first solo show in Texas and recipient of the generous 2026 Suzanne Deal Booth / FLAG Art Foundation Prize, and HOST: Laura Lit at both locations.
 

 
We’re also proud to see Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses, which premiered at The Contemporary Austin in 2024, continue its international tour—traveling to the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania; Bonnefanten; and Museum Tinguely—before concluding at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles in 2026. Organized by our Head Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs Alex Klein, the exhibition marks the most comprehensive museum survey of Cheng’s six-decade career.

I hope to see you soon and often—whether it's in our galleries experiencing a new exhibition at the Jones Center, strolling through the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park, or while trying your hand at one of our classes (I’ll be at the ceramics wheel this spring!).

And if you're inclined to doing some (or all) of the above, consider becoming a Member! Enjoy all the special perks that come with membership, while supporting the work we do at The Contemporary.

Warmly,

sharon maidenberg
Ernest and Sarah Butler Executive Director and CEO
 
 

•••

IMAGES
1. sharon maidenberg at the Jones Center. Artworks by Patrick Dean Hubbell. Photography by Carly Stone/BFA.com.
2. Installation view, Jiab Prachakul: Sweet Solitude, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, 2025. Artwork © Jiab Prachakul. Photograph by Alex Boeschenstein.
3. Raven Halfmoon, Flagbearer, 2022. Stoneware and glaze. 145 x 54 x 48 inches. Installation view, The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria, Texas, 2025. Artwork © Raven Halfmoon. Courtesy the artist and Ross + Kramer Gallery, New York. Photograph by Alex Boeschenstein.
4. Ragna Bley, Solaris, 2025. Thermochromic paint, acrylic, gesso, primed cotton canvas, and steel. 96 1 ⁄ 8 × 165 3 ⁄ 8 × 2 inches. Commissioned by The Contemporary Austin. Courtesy the artist. On view at The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria, 2025. Photograph by Brian Fitzsimmons.
5. Installation view, HOST: Raul De Lara, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas, 2025. Artwork © Raul De Lara. Photograph by Alex Boeschenstein.
6. Raven Halfmoon and Candice Hopkins at Laguna Gloria. Photography by Brian Fitzsimmons.
7. Summer of Friendship Festival at Laguna Gloria. Photography by Rebekah Flake.
8. Friends Fair Launch Party at the Jones Center. Photography by Levi Thompson.
9. Ocean Vuong Reading and Conversation at Distribution Hall. Programmed in conjunction with Jiab Prachakul: Sweet Solitude and in partnership with First Light Books. Photography by Rebekah Flake.
10. The Art School at Laguna Gloria. Photography by Levi Thompson.
11. Second Saturdays Are for Families at Laguna Gloria. Photography by Brian Fitzsimmons.
12. Austin Museum Day at the Jones Center. Photography by Rebekah Flake.
13. Seeing Special Things - AISD school visit to the Jones Center.
14. Portrait of Sable Elyse Smith. Photography by Tommy Kha.
15. Portrait of Laura Lit. Photography by Noah Lit.
16. Installation view, Carl Cheng: Nature Never Loses, The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center on Congress Avenue, 2024. Artwork © Carl Cheng. Image courtesy The Contemporary Austin. Photograph by Alex Boeschenstein.
17. Portrait of Carl Cheng. Photography by Nina Fernandez/BFA.com.