Upcoming Events


Eyes to See - Art Opening Reception

Saturday, March 30th, 1-4 pm

Eyes to See opening reception 3/30

 

Join us at The Old Bakery & Emporium on Saturday, March 30th from 1-4 pm for the opening reception of "Eyes to See". The exhibition features the work of native Texan artist and retired military veteran Kurt Ritterpusch.

Eyes to See is a collection of works representing three years of Kurt's recent paintings. Inspired by the beauty of America, Kurt's work depicts the organic, inorganic, rural, and urban. His work aspires to truly see his subjects, not just look at them.

Using value, color, shape, and lines, Kurt attempts to capture the world and create compositions that direct the viewer’s eyes to interesting facets of our environment and world.

"Eyes to See" will be on display in the Fine Art Gallery through May 4th, 2024. 

Click Here to RSVP for FREE!


Become a Consignor

Images of hands working on three traditional crafts: woodworking, weaving, leather work.

We are currently reviewing work of new consignors and would love to welcome new creators into our Old Bakery & Emporium family!

The Old Bakery & Emporium welcomes artists and artisans who work in a large range of mediums. Our store features work from Austin creators who are age 50+, and whose work embraces the one-of-a-kind aspect of handmade art and items. We are especially looking for traditional crafts that express any and all cultural heritages, for example: weaving, beadwork, leather work, jewelry, metal work, embroidery, woodwork, etc.

To be considered an Artist Consignor, one work must present handcrafted work, as well as meet our age requirement.

To receive additional information about becoming an Artist Consignor, please email Herlinda Zamora.

 


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Past Events:

Fantastical Flora: Artist Talk with Francine Funke

Fantastical Flora

Artist Talk - Saturday, March 2nd, 2024 at 2 pm

Artist Talk 3/2 at 2pm

 

Join local Austin Artist Francine Funke on Saturday, 3/2 at 2 pm at The Old Bakery & Emporium to learn about her artistic process and inspiration for the "Fantastical Flora" exhibition.

The Fantastical Flora exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the beauty of botanical forms, expressed realistically and in the abstract. It is a walk through nature, mystery, and introspection.

Francine Funke is a multifaceted artist whose artwork includes mixed media archival pigment ink on canvas and paper, acrylic paintings, collages, works on paper, photography, and installations. Francine has collaborated with many private collectors, art consultants, architects, museums, and galleries nationwide.

Learn More and RSVP for FREE!

Fantastical Flora Art Opening - January 2024

Fantastical Flora

Opening Reception - Saturday, January 20th, 1 - 4 pm

Fantastical Flora art opening reception 1/20/24 from 1-4 pm

Join us at The Old Bakery & Emporium on Saturday, January 20th from 1-4 pm for the opening reception of "Fantastical Flora". The exhibition features the work of local Austin artist Francine Funke.

The Fantastical Flora exhibition is a comprehensive exploration of the beauty of botanical forms, expressed realistically and in the abstract. It is a walk through Francine's artistic journey with nature, mystery, and introspection.

This multi-media exhibition will provide the viewer with a new and intriguing way of looking at the world we now inhabit - and perhaps even a glimpse into the hybrid universe of tomorrow.

Learn More and RSVP for FREE!

Downtown Holiday Stroll December 2023

Holiday Stroll

The Old Bakery & Emporium will be open and making spirits bright during this year’s annual Holiday Stroll presented by the Downtown Austin Alliance on Saturday, December 2nd from 5-9 pm. 

This event welcomes folks of all ages and includes several fun and festive activities for the whole family including photo opportunities with Santa, cookie and ornament decorating, and more!

Click Here to Learn More

AVAFest - "Celebrating Women Veterans" November 2023

  


AVAFest 2023 Event November 4th

 

The Old Bakery & Emporium has partnered with the Austin Veteran Artist Festival to bring you a new art exhibition entitled
"Celebrating Women Veterans"

The exhibition will open on Saturday, November 4th, 2023, and will be marked by an opening reception from 1 - 4 pm. The exhibition will be on display through January 6, 2024.

The exhibit features the work of eight unique Austin women artists
who are military veterans.  

This special art exhibit celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the Women's Armed Forces Integration Act, which allowed women to become permanent, regular members of the US armed forces in 1948. 

 

Tai Chi Class

As part of the Austin Veteran Arts Festival, The Old Bakery & Emporium is hosting a free Tai Chi class taught by Air Force Veteran David Pickens on Saturday, October 14th at 3 p.m.

About Your Teacher:

David Pickens is the former National Chairman of Tai Chi and Kung Fu for the United States Amateur Athletic Union, as well as one of the founders of World Tai Chi Qigong Day in Central Texas. He also was the first person in Texas to instruct Tai Chi for college accreditation in 1977. David is a former USAF veteran and veteran peer counselor for Austin Community College and Austin Samaritan’s veteran’s outreach.

Austin Museum Day 2023

  

Museum Day

 

On Sunday, September 17th, 2023, the Old Bakery & Emporium is proud to participate in the 26th annual Austin Museum Day. 

Join us from 1 - 3 pm and enjoy live music by local musician Lucas Julian Carballeirawho studied classical guitar, attaining a BA in Classical Guitar and a master's degree in music theory. During his studies, he spent a year abroad at the Superior Conservatory in Vigo, Spain, under the tutelage of Margarita Escarpa. Throughout his studies, Carballeira traveled all over North America and Europe. He received masterclasses from the top guitarists in the world, including David Russell, Sergio Assad, Lorenzo Micheli, and many others. This is made possible by the Economic Development Music Department.

Additionally, guests can experience fine art by Franklin Mendez, look into Austin's history in our museum, and shop for handmade creations by local Austin artists in our artisan emporium

As always, the Old Bakery & Emporium is free to visit and open to the public. Eventbrite RSVP's encouraged, but not required. 

RSVP on Eventbrite

Old Bakery Park Mural Project Survey

  Old Bakery Park Mural Project

The City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department and the Old Bakery & Artisan Emporium are partnering with the Downtown Austin Alliance to transform Old Bakery Park.

This Community Activated Parks Project will include an active community engagement process to explore ideas about how to revitalize this downtown greenspace through a new Writing on the Walls mural that tells the story of this area of Austin.

Give your feedback to let us know what you'd like to see in this future downtown mural. 

Take the survey today!

Writing on the Walls

 

Thank you to the talented artists and local leaders who have joined our community engagement events regarding this project so far.

Your feedback is valuable, and we look forward to working together to create a beautiful new mural!

 

Writing on the Walls Community Engagement

 Franklin Mendez: A Retrospective of Paintings Opening Reception

 Franklin Mendez: A Retrospective of Paintings Opening Reception

Saturday, August 26th, 1 - 4 pm

The exhibition will showcase decades worth of work from local Austin artist Franklin Mendez.

Franklin Mendez is an Austin-born Marine Corps and Vietnam Veteran with a civilian career spanning 35 years in the corporate art world. This unique combination of lifelong experiences has produced an impressive and diverse collection of work.

“I’m 78 years old and I am still painting every day. I wake up with a purpose in life. I want to continue learning as there is so much to learn. I paint to heal my invisible wounds and my hope is that others may find healing in my art. 

Every painting is an exploration of the unknown. Even though I have painted many varied compositions, each brush stroke in every painting is still a dedicated and deliberate attempt to learn. The process of learning art is in your eye and at your fingertips.”

- Franklin Mendez

The exhibit will be displayed August 26th - October 21st, 2023 at the Old Bakery and Emporium at 1006 Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78701

Click here to RSVP for FREE on Eventbrite

Franklin Mendez: Painting Retrospective Opening Reception 8/26

 

Empire's Echo Closing Reception

On Saturday, August 12th, we are hosting a closing reception for our current art exhibition 
Empire's Echo: a dual exhibition by Anne Bobroff-Hajal and Craig Campbell.


Visitors are invited to dialogue with the history of Russia, whose “great and terrible projects” over centuries can also help us understand Putin’s invasion of Ukraine today. This exhibition sets the quiet resonance of day-to-day life on the periphery of the Russian Empire against the fevered aristocratic competition at its autocratic Moscow center.

The exhibit and the closing reception are FREE to attend and open to the public.

Click Here to Learn More & RSVP

 

Closing Reception

2nd Annual MidSummer Festival

 2nd Annual MidSummer Festival

Saturday, June 24th, 1 - 4 pm

Click here to view photos from this event

Our annual Midsummer Festival honoring the Old Bakery & Emporium's Swedish American heritage will be held on June 24th, 2023 from 1 -4 pm!

Mark your calendars and get ready for FREE fun for the whole family!

The festival will include multiple Swedish events and activities, including:

Live Music by Scandinavian folk artists Mira Dickey & Ian Files, Traditional & contemporary Swedish and Scandinavian songs by the Norrsken Three (“Norrsken” is Swedish for “Northern Lights”),   Live demonstration of Swedish flat-plane wood carving,   Swedish treats by Fika Table,   Flower crown-making station,   Traditional Swedish maypole, and  Dala horse piñatas.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Click here to RSVP on Eventbrite

FREE Parking will be available in the Governor's Mansion parking lot behind the Old Bakery & Emporium. Guests can enter the parking lot from 10th Street between Congress and Colorado St. (please note that 10th street is one-way headed west)

 

Midsummer Festival 2023

Abstract Rhythms

Abstract Rhythms encompasses the work of three artists who met through their common love of art: Joseph Jay, Malina Cipleu, and Larry Akers

Although working in different mediums, their art is connected through a sense of harmony, rhythm, and fluidity. The artists invite the viewer to tune into the cadence of the artworks and to find the relationships between light and sound, pattern and rhythm that infuse these works. 

SAVE THE DATE! 

When: April 8th, 2023 from 1 - 5 pm

What: Abstract Rhythms Opening Reception

Where: Old Bakery & Emporium, 1006 Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78701

Both the opening reception and the exhibit are free to attend. Abstract Rhythms will be on display at the Old Bakery & Emporium through May 13th, 2023

Abstract Rhythms Opening Reception April 8th

Walking in My Shoes: The Art of Robert R. Jones

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Old Bakery & Emporium presents Walking in My Shoes exhibit and opening reception on Saturday, January 14th, 2023, from 1 – 4 pm. The event will take place at the Old Bakery & Emporium located at 1006 Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas.

The exhibition will showcase the work of artist Robert R. Jones, as the Old Bakery recognizes and highlights African American art during Black History Month. "Walking In My Shoes" is an artistic exploration into the notion of walking in someone else's shoes. This perspective shift gives the viewer a different angle from which to experience love, entertainment, and empathy.

The opening reception will feature:

Panel discussion entitled “The Artist, the Author, and the Collaboration” Event Moderator: Dr. Cindy Brandimarte, Author of two award-winning books Inside Texas and Texas State Parks and the CCC with a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Texas Book signing & conversation with Joleene Maddox Snider, author of Claiming Sunday: The Story of a Texas Slave Community

The event and exhibition are free to attend. Click here to RSVP on Facebook!

Jones’ art will remain on exhibit from January 14 until March 18, 2023, at the Old Bakery and Emporium.

Walking in My Shoes Art Opening January 14th from 1-4 at the Old Bakery & Emporium

Downtown Austin Holiday Stroll 2022

 The Old Bakery & Emporium will be playing a special role in this year’s annual Holiday Stroll presented by the Downtown Austin Alliance.

On Saturday, December 3rd from 5 pm – 10 pm the Old Bakery will be hosting the first public engagement event to get community feedback for a new mural on the south-facing wall of the park located at 1006 Congress Ave in Austin, Texas.

Community members will learn about the project and share their vision for a new mural. The event will feature several opportunities for people to provide feedback and share their vision including an online poll, a life-sized timeline of the building’s history, and a downtown mural coloring book where people can draw and share their vision for the new mural.

This event welcomes folks of all ages and includes several fun and festive activities for the whole family including: photo opportunities with Santa, ornament decorating craft table, and  winter wonderland featuring igloos for exploring!

Join the Old Bakery and Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation and share your vision for the next downtown mural!

Downtown Austin Holiday Stroll 2022

 

Tom Lea Combat Warrior Art Opening - 10/22/22

Tom Lea Combat Warrior Art Exhibit Poster - Takes Place on Saturday, October 22 from 1:00 to 5:00pm at The Old Bakery and Emporium on 1006 Congress Avenue

The exhibition will highlight twelve giclee prints of Tom Lea's works and photographs from the Tom Lea Institute in El Paso, Texas. The Tom Lea Combat Warrior Art exhibit focuses on Tom Lea's Life Magazine WWII series. The exhibition also includes U.S. combat veteran and Director & Founder of AVAFest, Glenn Towery. 

Furthermore, the exhibit will feature work from combat veterans Peter Buotte, Lorenzo Quinonez, Kurt Ritterpusch, Franklin Mendez, Raphael Melis, Ben Freeman, and Patrick Redbird. 

Ceremonial Performance: 

Traditional American Indian Veterans Association

Event Speakers:

  • Moderator: Mike Warren from FOX 7 Austin
  • Adair Margo: Founder of the Tom Lea Institute spoke about How Tom Got the War Out of his Head
  • Holly Packard Cobb Executive Director & Producer of the Tom Lea Insitute provided an introduction to Tom Lea's WWII Art video presentation
  • Event Producer and Honorable Judge Bill Stubblefield spoke about Tom Lea's historical importance
  • Event Producer and Founder of AVAFest, Glenn Towery, spoke on the event's meaning

Click here to View Photos from the Event

MidSummer Festival - Summer 2022

 Celebrating Swedish American Cultural Heritage in Austin, Texas. MidSummer Festival at the Old Lunberg Bakery & Emporium.

MidSummer Festival
Saturday, June 25, 2022
at the Old Bakery & Emporium
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Brought to you by the Old Bakery & Emporium and Oakwood Cemetery Chapel!
 

• Try traditional Swedish strawberry cake from The Fika Table Bakery
• Be entertained by Swedish Magician Bertil Fredstrom "Black Bert" and his jugglers
• Learn the difference between gnomes (tomte) and trolls from Amy Evenson
• Help break open a Swedish Dala Horse piñata and sign-up to win one to take home
• Make a flower crown and wear it just like people at festivals in Sweden do
• Listen to Swedish music
• Cool off with delicious paleta (frozen pop) from Mom & Pops

This is an indoor and outdoor FREE public event.
Fun for the whole family!
 

Magician. Gnome. Strawberry cake. Popsicle. Hands making flower crown.
 

The MidSummer Festival is the final event in the To Fika series. The series was done by the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel. In Swedish culture, Fika is a daily cultural tradition in which people stop working and spend time with colleges, coworkers and friends over coffee and sweets. Fika is about companionship, fellowship, chatting and socializing.

To learn more about Swedish immigrants that helped build Austin read the beautifully researched digital exhibit by Oakwood Cemetery chapel: To Fika.