Programs and Events
Upcoming Events
Dance Waterloo presents Kinetic Threads
Friday, July 31 – Saturday, August 1, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Contact: info@dancewaterloo.org
Some knowledge arrives through others, passed hand to hand, carried in a quiet “you should ask them.” Other understanding is gathered slowly through lived experience, shared spaces, and the people we come to rely on. Kinetic Threads traces these pathways of exchange, following how information, care, and insight move between us through shifting moments of solitude and connection. Without a single spoken word, the body maps how we come to know, not just through what we learn, but through who we learn it from. This is a dance about the invisible networks that hold us: referral, memory, trust, and mutual reliance.
Dance Waterloo is part of the Artist Access Program, through the City of Austin’s Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Department and the Dougherty Arts Center.
Image Credit Left to Right: David Cook, Texas Bluebell, Zoee Xiao, On Our Way to See Dada Bear, and Darla Barolini, Crush.
Artist Talk: Recovering the Lost Words, Little Memories, and The Classroom
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
7-9 p.m.
Hear from exhibiting artists as they discuss the concepts, materials, and inspirations behind their exhibitions currently on view at the JCB Gallery. Artists from Recovering the Lost Words will share how their work reconnects viewers to nature through interpretations of words removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary. Zoee Xiao will discuss how Little Memories draws from shared childhood experiences to celebrate curiosity, wonder, and the beauty of everyday life, while Darla Barolini will speak about how The Classroom explores education, community, and the evolving dynamics between students and educators through painting and installation.
This event is free and open to the public.
Learn more about these exhibits at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery webpage.
Star Bandit Foundation presents 2026 Stargaze Theater Festival
Thursday, August 13 – Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 20 – Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for 2026 Stargaze Theater Festival
The Star Bandit Foundation is proud to present the 2026 Stargaze Theater Festival, returning to captivate audiences with five never-before-seen short plays by emerging Austin playwrights.
All five short plays will be presented each evening over two weekends of stellar performances at the Dougherty Arts Center. Ticket proceeds directly support Star Bandit Foundation’s mission to nurture local artistic talent and enrich Austin’s cultural landscape.
Star Bandit Foundation is part of the Artist Access Program, through the City of Austin’s Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Department.
DAC Nights: Down the River Wild
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
7-9 p.m.
RSVP for DAC Nights: Down the River Wild
In honor of National Parks Week, DAC Nights is celebrating the parks. Come see a screening of the Smithsonian documentary Epic Yellowstone: Down the River Wild and create your own mini riverscape to take home!
This event is free! Registration is encouraged but not required.
Epic Yellowstone: Down the River Wild will be screened twice, beginning at 7:05pm and 8:05pm.
Studio Smarts: Designing a Studio That Works for You
Presented by Lindsey Millikan
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
6:30-8 p.m.
RSVP for Studio Smarts: Designing a Studio That Works for You
This workshop will guide artists on how to create, organize, and maintain an effective studio, whether at home or in a commercial space. It is designed for artists of all levels who want to optimize their creative environment for productivity, health, and long-term success. Attendees will learn best practices for lighting, ergonomics, organizing and filing artwork, balancing technology with practical tools, and creative storage solutions—all strategies to help artists work more efficiently, sustain their practice, and thrive in their studio space.
Image Credit left to right: Cristina Velásquez, Photography, Quentin Pace, I’m not okay but I’m gone be alright, Yamin Li, Chaos & Order.
Artist Reception: Somos Animales Poéticos, On and On and On , and Out of Place
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
7-9 p.m.
Celebrate the opening of three new exhibitions at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery! Enjoy an evening of art, conversation, and community as we welcome Somos Animales Poéticos by Cristina Velásquez, On and On and On by Quentin Pace, and Out of Place by Yamin Li.
Learn more about these exhibits at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery webpage
Digital Programming
The DAC is proud to offer free digital programming for the public.
- Video Art Lessons
Instructor-led video lessons in various different mediums of ceramics, drawing & painting, and digital arts.
- Artist Professional Development
The Artist Resource Center is pleased to host free monthly professional development workshops for artists. Covering a different topic each month, our workshops give artists the tools to develop and advance their careers in the arts.
- Paper Pandemonium