Austin Friends of Folk Art

It’s coming up quickly—the annual AFFA Holiday Party! Next Sunday, December, please join us at Casa Chapala for food, drink, splendid company, holiday cheer, and our silent auction. More details in the announcement below. Please RSVP so that we know how many people to expect. Hope to see you there!

This Friday, November 8, please join us for a wonderful opening reception for an exhibit of folk art from AFFA’s permanent collection at IBC Bank on W. 5th Street downtown. There will be refreshments and a short film. See you there!

Wonderful article on Josefina Aguilar and her entire family of talented artists. Link courtesy of Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza.

Ceramics — Painted Red — Friends of Oaxacan Art During her lamentably short life, Isaura Alcántara Díaz was the innovator of an important and delightful genre of ceramics, a legacy she left when she died in 1969 at age 44. Her artistic collaboration with her husband, Jesús Aguilar Revilla, had a profound influence on the creative lives of four...

Your last chance to view the Global Connections exhibit is coming up soon! This collaboration between AFFA and the Old Bakery & Emporium is our largest exhibit to date, featuring works from our permanent collection of folk art. Be sure to drop by before it leaves!

The closing reception is:
Saturday, September 7th
Noon - 2 p.m.

Please note: The Old Bakery & Emporium will be closed from Monday, September 2nd - Friday, September 6th for Labor Day and routine building maintenance. We will reopen on Saturday, September 7th at Noon.

Guelaguetza Austin 2024 was a huge success. I was honored to serve as the Corn Goddess 2024. My thanks and appreciation to Maestro Ed Yepez and all who attended. It was a memorable night.

The opening of our exhibit, Global Connections, last Saturday (July 20) was a great success, attracting a number of arts supporters, artists, folk art collectors, and gallery owners. Among the visitors were Susan Sternberg and Martha Kull with the Visual Arts League of the JGallery at the Dell Jewish Community Center; Rowena Houghton Dasch, Executive Director of the Neill-Cochran House Museum; and Sylvia Orozco of Mexic-Arte, who brought guests from California with LA Self-Help Graphics.

Our deepest thanks to Carlos Brondo, our new board member, who generated the idea and curated the exhibit. His selection showcased the quality and diversity of the art in our permanent collection. We are also deeply grateful to Herlinda Zamora, OBE executive director, for allowing us to exhibit work from our collection at the Old Bakery and Emporium.

If you couldn't make it to the opening, please drop by the Old Bakery and Emporium at 1006 Congress Ave. to see our exhibit, which is on display in their Fine Art Gallery through September 7, 2024.

Enjoy these photos from the exhibit opening.

It’s today! At 1:00pm-4:00pm, join us at the Old Bakery and Emporium on Congress in downtown Austin for the opening reception of Global Connections, AFFA’s largest (so far) public exhibition of representative works from our extensive folk art collection. There will be food, drink, and live music—plus wonderful people to meet! See you there!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 20! This exhibit is a collaboration between AFFA and the Old Bakery & Emporium and will be our largest exhibit to date, featuring works from our permanent collection of folk art. Hope to see you all there!

Upcoming event at Mexic-Arte:

Join Us Saturday, May 4th for the Reveal & Ribbon Cutting Reception for the Mural:
The Sisterhood of Two Hearts/La Hermandad de Dos Corazones

Date: Saturday, May 4th, 2024

Time: 4:00–5:30pm

Where: Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX, 78701

Parking: Visit our website to see parking options near Mexic-Arte Museum

About the Project

This mural is part of the Annual Saltillo Day in Austin celebration May 3-5, 2024. In 1968 the Mayors from Saltillo and Austin formalized the Austin-Saltillo Sister Cities relationship focusing on citizen diplomacy, friendship, education, and culture. This year's activities includes Saltillo-based artists, Chous and Ann Sofia Flores creating murals at Plaza Saltillo and Mexic-Arte Museum with the assistance of Austin Independent School District’s International High School students supported in part by the City of Austin Economic Development Department. These two murals are the first public art installations on the 5th St. Mexican American Heritage Corridor & District connecting downtown to the eastside of Austin along 5th Street.

About The Sisterhood of Two Hearts

This piece is titled "The Sisterhood of Two Hearts" and portrays the scenic beauty of Austin and Saltillo as sister cities. It incorporates graphic elements such as cacti, flowers, a woman with a traditional Saltillo Sarape at the forefront symbolizing the reforestation of life and fraternity. Each part of this artwork contains elements that showcase the culture and history that binds these two cities together.

About the Artists

Julio Ávalos, also known as Chous, and Ana Flores Lavin are graphic artists and designers who specialize in large-scale murals and public art as well as traditional and digital illustration. Based in Saltillo, Coahuila, they have worked on major projects and explored their passion for the arts in Mexico and around the world. A main focus of their work is to engage in the recovery of public spaces and crime prevention through art and cultural management. In addition to their urban art projects, they have worked on branding for companies and produced creative output for various cultural festivals.

Coming this Sunday, April 28!

Some interesting items at this upcoming estate sale. Check it out!

Folk Art Bazaar & Estate Sale Explore a whimsical collection of folk art treasures and unique finds at our Folk Art Bazaar & Estate Sale - a feast for the eyes

Feast your eyes on these amazing creations from female artists in Central Asia.

A Global Tapestry of Craft: Championing Women Artisans of Central Asia in a New Lookbook Today, marking International Women’s Day, we are excited to share the result of a year-long collaboration.