Art Spark Texas

10/22/2026

Our friends at Dance Waterloo are creating a special event open to all, November 7th!
Explore memory, place, and return in a movement workshop inspired by Joy Harjo’s journey back to the Chattahoochee River.

Returning to the River: A Community Movement Workshop, presented by Dance Waterloo in collaboration with the Asian American Resource Center, invites participants to explore memory, place, and return through movement inspired by Joy Harjo’s journey back to the Chattahoochee River in An American Sunrise.

Through an accessible warm-up, guided improvisation, contemporary movement, and individual and group exercises, participants will consider how places remain with us, what it means to return, and how the body can carry memories of home, land, and change. Movement prompts may draw from the qualities of water, including flowing, gathering, redirecting, pausing, and returning.

The workshop focuses on exploration and personal movement choices rather than memorizing formal choreography. Participants will be encouraged to interpret each prompt in a way that feels meaningful and comfortable to them.

No previous dance experience or familiarity with An American Sunrise is required. Movements can be adapted for different bodies, abilities, energy levels, and comfort levels. Find out more at dancewaterloo.org

Some places stay with you, even after you leave. 🌊

What would it feel like to move with those memories?

Join Dance Waterloo and the Asian American Resource Center - City of Austin for Returning to the River, a free community movement workshop inspired by Joy Harjo’s journey back to the Chattahoochee River in An American Sunrise. Taught by Mia Moi and Tikiri Shapiro

Through guided movement and creative exploration, we’ll consider the places we carry, the changes we’ve weathered, and what it means to return. Follow the qualities of water: flow, gather, pause, find another way.

There’s room for whatever you bring that day. Move standing or seated, take breaks, and participate at your own pace. No dance experience or reading beforehand needed.

📅 Saturday, November 7 | 12–1:15 PM
📍 Asian American Resource Center
💧 Free to attend with RSVP. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive shoes, and bring water.

Come on your own or invite someone who feels like home. Register through the link in our bio.

Part of An American Sunrise: A Season of Embodied Return, Dance Waterloo’s yearlong NEA Big Read project.

This project was supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from Arts Midwest. Learn more at arts.gov.

10/20/2026

What makes an art space truly accessible?

It's a question every gallery, studio, and cultural organization should be asking.

During a recent gathering at almostrealthings Art Spark Texas' Celia Hughes joined artists and members of the disability community for a conversation about accessibility in the arts and how we can create more welcoming, inclusive spaces for everyone.

From physical access to communication and programming, accessibility is about more than getting through the door. It's about making sure everyone has the opportunity to participate, create, connect, and experience art.

Want to make your own creative space more accessible?Art Spark Texas has a helpful guide on our website with practical considerations for artists and cultural organizations.

Visit our ATXGo website for more information! https://atxgo.org/

10/19/2026

Art Spark Texas Executive Director Celia Hughes was pleased to welcome special guest Martin Wilde to Voices of Access on KOOP Radio!

Based in Chicago, Martin is an award-winning Audio Description writer, narrator, and producer whose work spans live performances, film and media, museums, parks, and more. His expertise helps make arts, culture, and public experiences more accessible to people who are blind or have low vision.

In 2021, Martin and colleague Bridget Melton received the American Council of the Blind’s Vernon Henley Media Award for their live Audio Description of the U.S. Presidential Inauguration.

We're delighted to have Martin share his experience and insights with our listeners! https://tinyurl.com/2xfekvmc

10/17/2026

Donna Provencher, from Bourne, Texas is a professional writer and journalist, an actor and director, and an avid advocate for disability awareness and inclusion in the arts. She makes a habit of casting talented neurodivergent individuals with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities in production leadership roles in her plays, as well as recommending cast members to other central Texas theater productions
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Donna Provencher, from Bourne, Texas is a professional writer and journalist, an actor and director, and an avid advocate for disability awareness and inclusion in the arts. She makes a habit of casting talented neurodivergent individuals with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities....

10/16/2026

Pebbles Wadsworth has let her own artistic voice take center stage. She came to Texas in 1993 to be the Director of UT Performing Arts Center. And for 15 years, she pursued her vision of developing and nurturing young creative minds, while fostering and expanding the creative hub of Austin to reflect its energy and passion for the arts .

Pebbles Wadsworth has let her own artistic voice take center stage. She came to Texas in 1993 to be the Director of UT Performing Arts Center. And for 15 years, she pursued her vision of developing and nurturing young creative minds, while fostering and expanding the creative hub of Austin…

10/14/2026

This year, our AOTY Creative Veteran Service Award went to Glenn Towrey. Glenn has never encountered a challenge that couldn’t be overcome. When he learned that his fellow veterans were taking their own lives at an alarming number, he knew he had to do something. So he started the Veteran Su***de Prevention Channel, where veterans could sign on to hopefully experience their own peace, and find healing through the arts.

An actor and filmmaker at heart and a painter of clocks for fun, Glenn has lived a full creative life. Upon his return from Vietnam, he carried his share of the burdens of that conflict and sought solace through his art. Painting clocks helped him find his way home.

Glenn Towrey has never encountered a challenge that couldn’t be overcome. When he learned that his fellow veterans were taking their own lives at an alarming number, he knew he had to do something. So he started the Veteran Su***de Prevention Channel, where veterans could sign on to hopefully expe...

10/12/2026

Today on Voices of Access on KOOP Radio spent some time interviewing Howard Kramer. Howard Kramer is the founder and coordinator of the Accessing Higher Ground Conference, a leading event focused on accessible media, web, and technology, with over 25 years of experience in assistive technology, disability services, and inclusive design.

Kramer established the Accessing Higher Ground Conference to promote accessibility in educational and technological environments. The conference covers topics such as accessible media, web design, and technology integration, aiming to move beyond compliance to create inclusive, user‑friendly solutions.
He also serves as a speaker and facilitator for sessions on accessible course design, web/app accessibility, and inclusive design processes. https://koop.org/program/voices-of-access/

10/11/2026

The Lynn Marie Johnson Media Arts Award is given to an artist who displays passion and commitment to showcasing the creative vision of people with disabilities through the wide and ever-expanding spectrum of today’s media, and honors the life of Lynn Marie Johnson, a strong advocate for a strong advocate for the representation of artists with disabilities in the media arts.

Penny LeLeux learned filmmaking on the fly. As an actor, director, and creative leader, ten years ago she looked around and seeing an opportunity , she began a new adventure in the art of filmmaking by entering a 48-hour festival competition.

First, she wrote a screenplay. Then, with the help of a small production company, she wrote and directed her first short film. Since then, she has gone on to win numerous awards for her writing, directing, producing, and acting.

The Lynn Marie Johnson Media Arts Award is given to an artist who displays passion and commitment to showcasing the creative vision of people with disabilities through the wide and ever-expanding spectrum of today’s media, and honors the life of Lynn Marie Johnson, a strong advocate for a strong a...

10/10/2026

Talented printmaker and painter, Rachel Salcido was the recipient of the AOTY SPARK Award. The SPARK Award is given to an artist with a disability who embodies the infectious and innovative spirit of Art Spark Texas. Small but mighty, a spark – when nurtured and cared for – can fuel great things. 👏🏻👏🏻

The SPARK Award is given to an artist with a disability who embodies the infectious and innovative spirit of Art Spark Texas. Small but mighty, a spark – when nurtured and cared for – can fuel great things. A young, Mexican-American painter and printmaker, Rachel Salcido creates incredibly rich ...