Advanced Academic Services is part of the Austin Independent School District. This blog provides information, activities, and events regarding advanced academics and high ability children and teens. Smart without compromise. Potential without limits.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Austin Public Library Unicorn University - Maker Lab



Unicorn University

Unicorn University is a series of programs to  introduce and teach the community about how to use the Cricut Maker, the different materials that can be used with the maker, and the various projects that can be completed with this machine.  

Each class is limited to 10 participants.  Teens and Adults only. 

Let’s get crafting! Learn how to set up and connect the Cricut machine, to use the Design Space software & use the Cricut machine to make a stencil and create a wooden sign. This event is free to the public, but you must reserve a spot using the link provided below.

Please be sure to arrive 15 minutes before your class starts.  If you are 10 minutes late your place may be assigned to a customer on the wait list.

Time:
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm



Saturday, May 11, 2019

West Austin Studio Tour 2019 Begins May 11th!


West Austin Studio Tour 2019
West Austin Studio Tour 2019
May 11-12 & 18-19

It's time for Big Medium’s West Austin Studio Tour (WEST) – a free, annual, self-guided art event spanning two weekends in May. WEST provides opportunities for the public to meet the artists and artisans of Austin in their creative spaces. Big Medium partners with the Austin Public Library to feature exhibitions at library branches within tour boundaries. WEST maps will be available at all Austin Public Library locations while supplies last. The Big Medium website includes an overview of tour stops and schedule of events, as well as information on each artist. For more information about the art exhibits at the Austin Public Library, contact Carlos Brondo at 512-974-7753.

Austin Central Library Gallery| Calder Kamin | Mixed media, recycled materials, animation
Kamin's solo exhibition, “What a Mess” at the Austin Central Library Gallery showcases trash transformed into sculptures, animations, and installations, commenting on the mess humans have made for our natural neighbors throughout our existence. Dedicated to the student strikes #FridaysforFuture. Artist Talk on May 16, 6-8 PM.

Austin Central Library 4th Floor | Susan Scafati | Pigment and silver gelatin photography, mixed media installation, sculpture
Scafati's exhibition in the 4th floor windows features a 60-foot, site-responsive installation that reimagines our constructed landscape as a suspended spectrum of everyday urban forms in flux. On view in the 6th floor living room are archival pigment and silver gelatin prints and sculptures inviting us to think about how representation of one's self and one's world is expressed in our visual, virtual culture. Artist reception on May 17, 7-9 PM.

Austin Central Library 3rd floor | Rosemary Wells | Watercolor, gouache
Central Library exhibits beloved author, Rosemary Wells’ illustrations from her book, Yoko: Show and Tell. This exhibition is curated for pre-k audiences, while taking young-in-heart audiences back to their childhood nostalgia of growing up with Wells’ comforting stories. The exhibition is located on the third floor in the Children's area.

Little Walnut Creek Branch | Alex Giffen | Oil-based printmaking ink, paper, gouache dye
“I like to create work based on the possibility of expansion. The tree you see every day, the flowers you have outside and what would they possibly look like in another universe? What else could be hiding here? I like to explore textures found on the planet that seem other worldly and how they could possibly interact with known things.”

North Village Branch | Francine Funke | Acrylic, watercolor, ink
“My 'Floral Phenomena' series explores a wide variety of floral and botanical forms and the myriad ways I express them artistically. This includes large paintings on canvas and works on paper, as well as whimsical three-dimensional, hand-cut paper pop-ups. I will also be showing recent work which combines traditional media, such as watercolor and acrylic paint with photography and digital manipulation.”

Manchaca Road Branch | Texas Health & Human Services – Mental Health Awareness Art Exhibit
One in five Americans struggles with mental health, yet it’s still not discussed as openly as physical health. Artworks on display for WEST belong to Texans of all ages about why mental health matters to them. Together we can help demystify this often-taboo topic by using creative avenues to personalize every experience and battle the stigma of mental health through art.

Pleasant Hill Branch | Kevin Munoz | Acrylic, ink, latex, graphite, screenprint
Bold and graphic layouts, loose brush-work, and warm colors are all elements Munoz uses to create his visual world. Rhythmic patterns and serene landscapes surround the weathered characters in his work as he explores concepts of identity, longing and happiness. His inspiration includes his native lands of Guatemala and South California, midcentury design, recent photos of ancient art and plants.

Twin Oaks Branch | Arcilia Gonzalez | Charcoal, acrylic, india ink
“I create pieces using mediums that limit my color palette to black and white so that I may strip my work to basic elements of light and dark, texture, and above all, detail. I see powerful detail in landscapes, and my goal is to capture a scene that feels so simple, yet contains so much.”
Images, clockwise from top: In Search Of Happiness, 2016, Kevin Munoz; Blue Lotus, 2016, Francine Funke; Fractured Paradigm, 2018, Mental Health Exhibit; Backpack Bones, 2018, Alex Giffen; Roadside View, 2018, Arcilia Gonzalez

Friday, May 10, 2019

Austin Public Library Storytime (Ages 5 and under) Carver Branch


Storytime for children aged 5 and under and their parents, featuring stories, songs, fingerplays, rhymes, and crafts or other extension activities. Program length can vary.
Programs begin on time, for best experience we recommend you do too! Please arrive a few minutes early to gain entrance. Note that in some locations, free tickets (available in the branch on the day of the program) will be required for admittance. 

11:00 AM, Saturday, May 11, 2019

1161 Angelina St.
512-974-1010

Contact individual branches to arrange group visits of 5 or more children to storytime events.

Free and open to the public | Gratis y abierto al público

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Imagine & Discover a World You Can't See at NANO!


This 400 square foot exhibition includes hands-n interactive exhibits that invite exploration of nano phenomena and real world applications and implications. Play with magnets to explore how material behaves differently at different sizes! Build a large model of a very tiny structure called a carbon nanotube! Try to build and balance a stable nano world!

For more information, visit www.whatisnano.org for more information via digital media, video, podcasts, and more!

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Young Masters Program Announced - Deadline November 15, 2019

Young Masters Program



Eligibility: Texas 8th to 11th grade students (or home-schooled students who have achieved a comparable status towards high school graduation) who are legal US and Texas residents
Intent: To advance the creative economy of Texas by investing in the future of the arts.
This program awards grants to talented young artists to further their studies in their chosen field. This grant is not a college scholarship. The most talented young artists will receive the title of Young Master and will be awarded grants of $5,000 per year to further their studies in their chosen arts disciplines. Students are to receive the grant for up to two years, but they must submit a plan for study annually. Students must be participating in a school-based arts program, summer institute, a specialized course of study, or receiving private lessons from a qualified instructor. Students must maintain passing grades in all academic areas. Applications will be from the student, his or her parent/guardian, and his or her arts instructor. This program is available every other year.
Deadline: November 15 , 2019 is the next deadline for this program.

Follow this link to sign up for notifications about this program.
For more questions, please contact:
Chuck Winkler 
chuck@arts.texas.gov
512/936-6575