Michael Ray Charles highlights shows at galleries, museums

The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum is on a roll. It just wrapped up the first-ever Austin solo show for bone fide Texas titan James Surls. The cultural center named for the late Austin sculptor Charles Umlauf leads off the 2019-2020 season with a rare local exhibit by Michael Ray Charles, the groundbreaking artist who taught at the University of Texas for many years, and now teaches at the University of Houston.

In the 1990s, when Charles introduced his reframed images from America’s racist past, some viewers reeled from the widely-distributed stereotypes that some had forgotten, others wished to forget, and still others, perhaps younger audiences, never knew existed.

Since then, Charles has been exhibited around the world. It will be interesting to see how his work resonates in a time when American racism in the public square has entered a new phase of brazen directness.

2019-2020 ART SEASON

These Austin centers for visual art have announced at least partial seasons. Always check austin360.com and the venues’ websites for updates.

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Big Medium

(916 Springdale Road and off-site locations; 512-939-6665, bigmedium.org)

The organizers of EAST, WEST and the Texas Biennial advocate for art all the time.

Sept. 6-Oct. 5: “Sanctum,” curated by Alyssa Taylor Wendt

Nov. 16-24: East Austin Studio Tour

Blanton Museum of Art

(200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; 512-471-7324, blantonmuseum.org)

Austin’s most comprehensive art museum offers a wealth of aesthetic choices year-round.

Through Sept. 19: “Jeffrey Gibson: This Is the Day”

Through Dec. 29: “Lily Cox-Richards: She-Wolf + Lower Figs

Through Aug. 25: “Mapping Memory: Space and History in 16th-Century Mexico”

Sept. 7-Dec. 1: “Charles White: Celebrating the Gordon Gift”

Sept. 14-Dec. 8: “Joiri Minaya: Labadee”

Oct. 27-Jan. 12: “Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders”

Oct. 27-Jan. 12: “Arte Sin Fronteras: Prints from the Self Help Graphics Studio”

Dec. 14-June 28: “The Artist at Work”

Jan. 11-July 12: “Ed Ruscha”

Feb. 16-May 17: “The Avant-Garde Networks of 'Amauta': Argentina, Mexico and Peru in the 1920s

June 21-Aug. 30, 2020: “Expanding Abstraction: Pushing the Boundaries of Painting in the Americas, 1958-1980”

Camiba Art Gallery

(6448 E. US 290, Suite A102; 512-937-5921, camibaart.com)

Always a whirl of art activity in Northeast Austin and on the road.

Aug. 17-Aug. 31: “Studio Scene 3: Camiba Art Tours Annual Exhibit”

Sept. 7-21: “Valerie Fowler: The Story of the Deer in the Road”

Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center

(1165 Angelina St.; 512-974-4926, austintexas.gov/carvermuseum)

Ongoing: “Constant Escape: Works by Adrian Aguilera, Betelhem Makonnen and Tammie Rubin”

Ongoing: Re-Membering Is the Responsibility of the Living: An Installation by Taja Lindley’

Ongoing: “Our People: The Life and Works of Angela Shelf Medearis”

Co-Lab Projects

(1023 Springdale Road Suite 1B; 512-300-8217, co-labprojects.org)

Through Aug. 31: Brooke Bamford: Current #Bitres Artist

Through Aug. 31: Adrian Armstrong: “Highs and Lo-Fi’s”

Sept. 7-28: Dave Culpepper: “That’s Not Going Anywhere”

The Contemporary Austin — Jones Center

(700 Congress Ave.; 512-453-5312, thecontemporaryaustin.org)

The latest in contemporary art right in the middle of downtown.

Ongoing: Jim Hodges: “With Liberty and Justice for All (A Work on Progress)”

Sept. 14-Jan. 19: “The Sorcerer’s Burden: Contemporary Art and the Anthropological Turn”

Feb. 13-Aug. 2: “Nicole Eisenman”

The Contemporary Austin — Laguna Gloria (highlights)

(3809 W. 35th St.; 512-458-8191, thecontemporaryaustin.org)

See the ever-evolving Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park.

Through Oct. 31: Nick Nicosia: “The Twins”

Sept. 14-Jan. 19: Jessica Stockholder: “Save On Select Landscape & Outdoor Lighting: Song to Mind Uncouples”

Ongoing: Sarah Crowner: “Garden Sculpture Blue” and “Garden Sculpture Grey”

Ongoing: Ugo Rondinone: “The True”

Davis Gallery

(837 W. 12th St.; 512-477-4929, davisgalleryaustin.com)

A selection from some of Austin’s best artists.

Through Aug. 31: “Circadian Buzz: Summer Group Show”

Sept. 3-7: Pop-up Show Ysabel LeMay: “Tales from the Green Room”

Sept. 14-Oct. 12: Jan Heaton & Friends: “Big Pink Blanket of Love”

Emma Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center

(600 River St.; 512-974-3772, austintexas.gov/esbmacc)

Art amid a busy cultural center in a busy part of town.

Through Aug. 31: Yareth Fernandez: “E Muro y El Ocelote”

Through Oct. 5: Foto ATX: Caminos Youth Leadership Presents: “Examining Identity through the Lens of Youth”

Sept. 13-Nov. 23: Jesus Toro Martinez: “Tierra Sagrada/Sacred Land”

GrayDuck Gallery

(2213 E. Cesar Chavez St.; 512-826-5334, grayduckgallery.com)

Always worth a visit to this lovely location in East Austin.

Through Aug. 25: “The Contemporary Austin Crit Group”

Flatbed Center for Contemporary Printmaking

(3701 Drossett Dr.; 512-477-9328, flatbedpress.com)

The new studio — the group’s third — is open.

Lora Reynolds Gallery

(360 Nueces St.; 512-215-4965, lorareynolds.com)

A gallery defined by refined taste and far reach.

Through Aug. 31: Mike Osborne: “Federal Triangle”

Through Aug. 31: Leon Polk Smith: Prints

Mass Gallery

(705 Gunter St.; 512-535-4949, massgallery.org)

Recently relocated, this nonprofit and gallery space is a creativity magnet.

Sept. 6-Oct. 18: Bonnie Staley and Christine Garvey

Nov. 1-Dec. 14: Carlos Rosales-Silva, Diego Mireles Duran and Brooke Burnside

Mexic-Arte Museum

(419 Congress Ave.; 512-480-9373, www.mexic-artemuseum.org)

Through Aug. 25: "Young Latinx Artists 24: Buen Vivir/Vivir Bien

Through Aug. 25: "Expresiones en Esculturas/ Expressions in Sculptures""

Sept. 13-Nov. 24: "Dia de los Muertos & Community Altars"

Dec. 13-Mar. 1: "Unseen Prints from the Mexic-Arte Museum Collection"

Dec. 13-Feb. 9: "Mix ‘n’ Mash"

Dec. 13-Jan. 7: "Nacimiento Popular"

Feb. 14-March 1: "Totally Cool Totally Art"

April 10-May 31: "Bruno Andrade Retrospective"

June 19-Aug. 23: "The Young Latinx Artists 25"

Pump Project Gallery

(3411 E. Fifth St.; pumpproject.org)

An East Austin art space that provides working studios and gallery facilities.

Through Aug. 31: “Light Alchemy/Essentials Creative”)

Russell Collection Fine Art Gallery

(1009 W. Sixth St.; 512-478-4440, russell-collection.com)

Carefully curated popular art in the West Sixth district.

Sept. 7-15: Peter Max

Oct. 5-31: Daniel Maltzman

Nov. 2-30: Hunt Slonem

Stephen L. Clark Gallery

(1101 W. Sixth St.; 512-477-0828)

Literature, film, photography and art meet at the cultural nexus.

Texas State Galleries

(233 W. Sessom Drive., San Marcos; 512-245-2647, txstgalleries.org)

A mix of the academic and the exploratory in San Marcos.

Aug. 26-Nov. 12: “Philosophy of the Encounter”

Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum

(605 Azie Morton Road; 512-445-5582, umlaufsculpture.org)

More than just a charming outdoor venue, it is a serious center for art.

Sept. 5-Jan. 3: “Michael Ray Charles”

Nov. 20-Jan. 19: “Design Shine”

Summer: “The Big A** World of Bob Daddy-O Wade”

UT Visual Arts Center

(2300 Trinity St.; 512-471-3713; utvac.org)

An exhibition space situated in UT’s Department of Art and Art History.

Sept. 20-Dec. 6: “Nikita Gale: Easy Listening”

Sept. 20-Dec. 6: “Kenneth Tam: Details”

Sept. 20-Dec. 6: “Maria Antelman: Mechanisms of Affection”

Sept. 20-Oct. 18: “Saakred: Sin Nombre, Sin Cuerpo”

Wally Workman Gallery

(1202 W. Sixth St.; 512-472-7428, wallyworkmangallery.com)

A superb selection of artists are represented at this two-level gallery.

Through Sept. 1: “America Martin: Solo Show”

Sept. 7-29: “Sarah Ferguson: Cynosures”

Oct. 5-27: “Will Klemm: Box of Light”

Women & Their Work Gallery

(1710 Lavaca St.; 512-477-1064, womenandtheirwork.org)

Promoting art created by women working in Texas and beyond for more than 40 years.

Sept. 12: Red Dot Art Spree 2019

Sept. 13-Sept. 22: Red Dot Art Spree Exhibition

Oct. 5-Nov. 14: Preetika Rajgariah

Jan. 18- Feb. 27: Mihee Nahm

March 7- April 16: Jill Bedgood

April 18: Spring Bash 2020

April 25-June 4: Emily O'Leary

2019-2020 AUSTIN ARTS SEASON

We've split up our traditional previews of the arts season into five stories.

Aug. 9: Dance

Aug. 16: Classical

Aug. 23: Art

Aug. 30: Theater

Sept. 6: Culture