Art Alliance Austin, a nonprofit organization known for hosting events and programs, has announced that it will shift to a model of supporting artists by raising and distributing funds. It will also change its name to A3.
Zilker Theater Productions Summer Musical
A3 was originally established in 1956 as the Women’s Guild of the Texas Fine Arts Association. In 2005, the organization rebranded as Art Alliance Austin. For decades it was best known for co-presenting the annual Fiesta at Laguna Gloria Museum, an annual art festival that helped raise funds for the museum and provided a variety of activities for the general public. In 2016, Fiesta was rebranded as Art City Austin and grew to include an art fair.
Art City Austin, photo courtesy of Downtown Austin Alliance.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, A3 has remained dormant. The organization’s last social media post was in July 2020 to announce that Art City Austin would not occur in 2020 due to the pandemic. The organization’s website is no longer functioning as the domain has expired. Former Executive Director Patricia Shults was hired in 2018, departed the organization in July 2020, and took a position as Executive Director of Names Family Foundation in Fircrest, Washington. Earlier this summer, Laura Esparza was appointed Executive Director of A3.
Laura Esparza
Ms. Esparza has worked as the Cultural Affairs Division Manager of the Museums and Cultural Programs Division of the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department for over 17 years. Prior to that she served as the director of the Museo Alameda in San Antonio, the first Smithsonian affiliate outside of Washington, D.C. She holds an MFA in Theater and Community Arts Development from the University of California, San Diego, and a BA in Community Arts Development from Western Washington University.
A3’s restructuring as a Local Arts Agency will enable it to support the arts by expanding on the efforts of the Cultural Arts Division operated by the City of Austin’s Economic Development Department. The Americans for the Arts website notes that “Local Arts Agencies promote, support and develop the arts at the local level ensuring a vital presence for the arts throughout American communities. LAAs are diverse in their makeup…but each LAA, in its own way, works to sustain the health and vitality of the arts and artists locally, while also striving to make the arts accessible to all members of a community.”
In a press release, Ms. Esparza explained, “Government cannot do it all. Sometimes our local community of individual supporters, businesses, and corporations must step up to the plate to sustain the rich cultural tapestry that is part of Austin’s identity. Many arts organizations did not recover from the pandemic economy. We have to face the reality that many of the institutions we’ve come to love and enjoy could go away if we don’t act with all due haste.”
A3 will celebrate its new name and the launch of a new website on Thursday, September 12, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Canopy (916 Springdale Road).
