You might remember awhile back
we were in Origin Magazine. Well, that bi-monthly wonder is back, and once again, Austin Creative Alliance will be bringing you some certain spotlights on the ground level of Austin art.

Origin Magazine was founded to provide an innovative showcase for the presentation and promotion of strong visionary, contemporary and modern artists in Texas and worldwide.

Origin brings diverse worlds together, creating a platform for connection, collaboration, creativity and a strong promotion and expansion of conscious arts, uniting both collectors and artists. Their intention is to feature 100+ Artists in their upcoming issue, bridging the gap between patrons/collectors/public and innovative+ talented artists. Their mission is to quickly become an art resource/reference for art lovers, buyers and galleries, connecting the community directly to artists.

For more information on how to be featured and where to find the magazine around town on their Facebook and their website.

Ladies and gentlemen.
I present to you what may easily be the most worthwhile part of your week.
Frameworks E.A.S.T.

Now what is this “Frameworks E.A.S.T.” you ask?
It is none other than a fundrarty (fundraiser + party) of epic proportions going down this Wednesday at ND at 501 Studios.

You will not only get the usual party fare (refreshments, live music via the Ron Titter Band and The Pons, cool people, and good times), but order tickets now, and we’ll thrown in the opportunity to support local Austin artists in their attempts to renovate their studios to meet standard code.

It’s a win-win. You get to go to an awesome party and have the opportunity to bid on one-of-a kind works of art, and East Austin artists get a chance to bring their studios up to par and keep the creative juices flowing.

Tickets are only $20 and are available here.

For more information on Frameworks E.A.S.T., visit us at

http://www.austincreativealliance.org/portfolio/frameworks-e-a-s-t/

That’s right. The ballots are in and we have a new name for our meet-up!

The Creative Mix-Up will still be every month, and we’ll still have the most delightful little get-together for artists, art supporters, fanatics, eccentrics, and others of all shapes and sizes talking and mingling and we’d love to have you join us! But a new feature we’ll be rolling out is a special guest Mixologist, a cool creative that’ll be hanging out with us who wants to talk to you about art!

Last month we were hanging out at Gypsy Lounge on the East Side, and this month, we’ll be heading back to the Central area of Austin, so stay tuned on our Facebook and Blog for details about what’s happening next!

We hope you’re able to come out, and if you’re a super special creative or artist that wants to be our Mixologist for an upcoming month feel free to get in touch with me over at mitchell@austincreativealliance.org.

Hey guys and gals.
Now I present to you what may easily be the other most worthwhile part of your week.
The Creative Fund Launch Party!

You may be wondering, “What is this ‘Creative Fund’?”

Well, the Creative Fund is a collective group of like-minded, arts-focused, passionate individuals who have come together to support emerging and innovative arts organizations and individuals. The Creative Fund will make local, breakthrough performances happen by fueling innovative, cutting edge works of art by Austin artists in any venue in town. Not only are they an all-around awesome organization, they are also our friends here at the Austin Creative Alliance!

To help support the Creative Fund’s cause, don’t miss out on the official launch party this Tuesday, June 28 (today) from 6 to 8 p.m.

The launch party will have happy hour drink specials, bites provided by Malverde, and music by DJ Troupe Gammage. Also, make sure to see the Creative Fund unveil their new logo at 7 p.m.!

This event is totally FREE and open to the public, so swing by Malverde on 2nd Street for an awesome blasty blast!

The Creative Fund will be accepting new members during the launch event. Membership is $300 annually payable in monthly increments of $25.

Space is limited, so make sure to RSVP to thecreativefund@gmail.com
For more information on The Creative Fund visit:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=219608918070573#!/thecreativefund

So you better remember everything I talked about last month, as there will be a quiz at the end of this email. Not really. Or is there?

Since I completely miss doing your “Today in History” on the A-Team emails, I figure I’ll do it here! And in honor of the arts, as usual, today in history in 1884 the first Ringling Brother’s circus debuted!

So this month, I want to talk to y’all about the Austin Arts Minute. For those not in the know, the Arts Minute is a weekly spot that airs once an hour every Wednesday on YNN. We highlight a handful of events going on during the given week. It reaches all of Time Warner’s cable users and is a great promotional tool for any event.

The catch however, is that to be considered for the Austin Arts Minute, you have to be listed in Nowplayingaustin.com. And of course, the number one way to make sure you are, is to use our handy-dandy Submission Tool!

Mitchell Mazurek

Friendly Neighborhood Interactive Media Director

Friends of the Austin Creative Alliance,

I am pleased to be writing you as the recently appointed Interim Executive Director of the Austin Creative Alliance-an organization that exists to advance, connect and celebrate our arts, cultural, and creative communities. It is a true honor to lead the Alliance-its mission so critical to the city we all call home. After nearly three months on the job, I have already learned so much and have gained a profound appreciation for the commitment of our staff, members, and board for this mission. Their passion for the organization’s myriad programs –and the broader community’s need–is truly inspiring.

It has long been my belief that the arts are the deepest expression of our humanity, guiding us toward growth, higher consciousness and a vital understanding of ourselves and of one another. There is no greater aim-no work more critical-than giving creative expression the support and advocacy it needs to be accessible to all. These goals can only be truly realized by supporting artists, building infrastructure for their work, and actively raising awareness of the incalculable human benefits of artistic expression in our community. These are the goals of the Austin Creative Alliance.

Of course, my work is just a continuation and evolution of those who came before me. I was passed the baton from outgoing Executive Director, Latifah Taormina, who innovated much of what you know as our programs and direction over the past decade. We are all building on the foundation that Latifah created, including the very existence of the Austin Creative Alliance, that was recently established via the transformation of a pre-existing arts service organization, Austin Circle of Theaters (ACOT), which had been operating since 1974. Clearly, we have broadened our scope to answer a greater need.

Much of that need-and our response to it-was inspired by the community-led CreateAustin Plan which has forged a pathway for invigorating Austin’s “culture of creativity” and recommended establishing the Austin Creative Alliance as a top priority. We have already expanded our core services to better assist individuals and organizations in the creative sector, revamped our board, revised our internal policies and procedures, and are examining our programs to best address our next phase of development.

Over the coming months I plan to listen and learn from you as we set our course. We will survey the full membership during this time to ensure we are capturing the range of member responses so we can continue to develop programs and services that truly meet your needs. To that end, I hope you will join us this coming Tuesday for an open forum on crisis and opportunity in the Austin arts community.

I thank you for this opportunity to do such meaningful work that affects so many and I invite you to participate in my process. I am an ardent believer in open models, straight talking, logic based decisions, etc., and I would like you to consider my door open. Please call me at 247.2531, email me at marcy@austincreativealliance.org, and follow me on twitter @marcyhoen and us @austincreativea – I welcome your insight.

Marcy Hoen

Interim Executive Director
Austin Creative Alliance

Want to give someone tickets to a show but don’t know if they already have tickets?

Not sure if they prefer visual art or dance? GiftTIX is the perfect solution.

The perfect gift for any occasion, GiftTIX accepted as $25 cash toward purchase of tickets, class fees, merchandise, subscriptions and more.

GiftTIX are accepted at over 70 locations around town and beyond! You can even use GiftTIX at the AusTIX Community Box Office!

The holidays are rapidly approaching, so head over and grab some GiftTIX.

Performing arts organizations frequently engage performing artists travelling to the United States for multiple performances over a period of time.  U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) is seeking comments on guidance it plans to offer to its staff when processing visa petitions in which there are gaps of time between performances.  While the memo is generally supportive of the process we would like USCIS to use, arts organizations are encouraged to weigh in with statements explaining why efficient and reliable visa processing is essential to supporting international cultural exchange.  Comments are due to USCIS by Monday, May 24, 2010. Click the here to learn more about the draft policy memo.