Programs and Events
Upcoming Events
Kung Fu Cowgirl presents Light
Thursday, May 28 – Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 4 – Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Light is a one-woman play that blends deeply personal storytelling, music, and the visual poetry of traditional Chinese shadow puppetry. This innovative solo play tells the story of a daughter’s journey to understand her father through memory, distance, loss, and love. It is deeply personal, yet powerfully universal. A touching theatrical experience about family, memory, and the love that stays with us. After moving audiences in Beijing, Harbin, New York, and Austin, Light (光) returns to the Dougherty Arts Center as an intimate solo performance written, directed, and performed by Snow (Xue Zheng).
Kung Fu Cowgirl is part of the Artist Access Program, through the City of Austin’s Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Department and the Zilker Hillside Theater.
How to Write About Yourself: Tips to Write About Yourself and Your Art
Presented by Natalie Earhart
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6:30–8:00 PM
RSVP for How to Write About Yourself on Eventbrite
Join Austin Emerging Arts Leaders for a hands-on workshop where you'll learn how to craft a thoughtful and professional artist bio and statement for your website, grant applications, exhibitions, and more. Through guided writing exercises, warm-up prompts, and feedback, attendees will have time to begin drafting their own materials in a supportive setting.
DAC Pride: Every Act of Life
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
7-9 p.m.
RSVP for DAC Pride Every Act of Life on Eventbrite
Join DAC Pride for a screening of the Terrence McNally documentary, Every Act of Life!
Every Act of Life profiles world-renowned playwright Terrence McNally’s pioneering 5-decade career in the theater, focusing on the struggle for LGBT rights and his pursuit of love and inspiration at every age. Featuring Angela Lansbury, F. Murray Abraham, Larry Kramer, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Edie Falco, Christine Baranski, Patrick Wilson, Billy Porter, and many more.
This event is free! Registration is not required, but theater capacity is limited so early arrival is encouraged to secure a seat.
For more information about this event, email DACTheater
Artist Talk: Land and Sea, Realms, and Morphology & Modularity
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
7-9pm
Hear from artists Anita Horton, Charlotte Seifert, Victoria Majesta Marquez, Jamie Spinello and Kristen Van Patten as they discuss the ideas, materials, and processes behind their exhibitions currently on view at the JCB Gallery. Horton and Seifert will reflect on how their work explores the landscapes, waters, and everyday life connected to Texas’s land and sea. Marquez will discuss her surreal, maximalist paintings that transform spontaneous textures and natural forms into immersive imagined realms, while Spinello and Van Patten will share how modular forms and abstract structures inspired by nature, architecture, and mechanics shape their sculptural and ceramic works.
This event is free and open to the public.
Learn more about these exhibits at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery webpage.
DAC Pride: Disco Inferno!
Thursday, June 25, 2026
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
RSVP for DAC Pride Disco Inferno on Eventbrite
Dance the night away and make yourself a Pride souvenir!
Cut a rug and bust a move this Pride at the DAC! For one night only, the DAC theater will be transformed into a Discotheque, featuring a guest DJ and special surprise guests! Signature mocktails and treats will be on hand to keep you energized, and art activities to create your own signature looks under the shining disco ball.
This event is free! Registration is encouraged but not required.
For more information about this event, email DACTheater
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