Insider Guide to the Best Contemporary Art Galleries in Texas

In addition to the Blanton Museum’s excellent compilation of contemporary works, Austin is home to numerous innovative galleries worth visiting. Any guide to galleries in the state’s capital has to start with The Contemporary Austin (The Contemporary for short), which has two locations – the Laguna Gloria Art Museum in West Austin and the Jones Center on Congress Avenue. The beautiful 14-acre site at Laguna Gloria overlooks Lake Austin on the Clara Driscoll Estate, once owned by the city’s patriarch, Stephen F. Austin. In addition to the historical Driscoll Villa, Laguna Gloria visitors can enjoy temporary, long-term, and permanent contemporary sculpture and art installations in the Gatehouse Gallery and the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park.

The museum’s downtown campus, The Contemporary Austin Jones Center, was designed by New York firm Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis (LTL), and includes over 5,000 square feet of exhibition space and a roof-top deck for events and temporary installations, such as Jim Hodges’ current display, With Liberty and Justice for All (A Work in Progress).

Now located in East Austin, the large open-plan grayDUCK Gallery is as much an opportunity to experience art as it is to view it. Specializing in progressive works from both rising and recognized regional artists, the gallery also hosts film, music, and performance events in their mission to make the arts accessible to all. Be sure to check out the Collectors Show opening on May 20th, where local collectors will share favorite pieces from their homes.

Established in 1980 in a 100-year-old historic house, the Wally Workman Gallery is one of the city’s most beloved contemporary galleries. The surrounding area on West 6th Street is known as Austin’s art district, and with two floors of exhibition space, the Wally Workman Gallery is its premiere stop. The gallery collaborates with Aether Magazine and Art Austin to promote the local visual arts scene, representing over 50 artists both emerging and established.

While not exclusively a contemporary gallery, the McNay Art Museum is not to be missed, housing a fabulous collection of prints and sculptures from American artists after 1970. Highlights include Abstract Expressionist painting and sculpture, geometric abstraction, and assemblage and minimal sculpture. The museum demonstrates its continued commitment to both contemporary and local art with regularly rotating installations on the entry wall of the AT&T Lobby. On display currently is San Antonio-based Leigh Anne Lester’s expansive work A Variety of Forms Recovering from Transubstantiated Clarity.

Founded in 1978 by teacher Will Hipps and local painter Richard Childers, Texas’ oldest artist-run collective, 500X Gallery, is located in an early twentieth-century tire factory and air-conditioning warehouse near Fair Park. With over 3000 square feet of exhibition space, the gallery features monthly exhibits by the 17 current board members from September to June (closing in July due to lack of central cooling!) All part of the gallery’s combination of history and charm. The gallery also hosts a juried exhibit titled “Expo,” a contemporary survey of work chosen by a guest curator from the local arts community.

Established in 1983, the McMurtrey Gallery is one of Houston’s top art destinations. The gallery represents a number of Texas contemporary artists and acted as the debut venue for internationally acclaimed photographer Keith Carter. Other featured artists include Robert Jessup, Troy Dugas, Michael Guidry, Lance Letscher, and Katie Maratta, along with a select group of photographers and first-time exhibitors.

Still one the biggest names in Houston’s contemporary art scene, the Barbara Davis Gallery has introduced the works of internationally acclaimed artists to Texas for over thirty years. Owner Barbara Davis helped nurture influential names like Joseph Beuys, Kiki Smith, and Allan McCollum, and her gallery was one of the first Texas galleries to be included in the prestigious Art Basel Miami Beach Art Fair. Davis also brought innovative international exhibitions such as Leipzig Select, artists from the New Leipzig School, and exhibitions for Beijing East Village artists Zhang Huan and Li Wei. Her beautiful space remains a favorite destination for both the curious art lover and serious collector.