Who we Are
“Shall not our dwellings…reflect in reality the loveliness of our artistic dreams? - Elisabet Ney (1833-1907)
The Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum is a group that supports the Elisabet Ney Museum in its mission to educate and inspire visitors through the remarkable story and art of Elisabet Ney.
“The Elisabet Ney Museum is one of Austin’s great treasures, and possibly one of its most historically influential beating hearts.”
— David Wyatt
The Artist
In 1892, European portrait sculptress Elisabet Ney (1833-1907) purchased property in Austin, established a studio named Formosa and resumed her career as a noted sculptor…
tHE HOUSE & COLLECTIONS
At the turn of the 19th century, Elisabet Ney’s studio became a gathering place for influential Texans drawn to “Miss Ney” and to the stimulating discussions of politics, art and philosophy that took place there. Following Ney’s death in 1907, her friends preserved the studio and its contents as the Elisabet Ney Museum and established the Texas Fine Arts Association dedicated to her memory.
tHE Landscape
Situated on 2.5 acres in Austin’s National Register Historic Neighborhood of Hyde Park, approximately half of the site is planted as a recreation of the prairie biome that existed on the site when she arrived here. Extensive work was undertaken to make the landscape as original as possible, with invasive species removed and replaced with native species throughout. This includes grasses, trees, and wildflowers. Much of the year it is a gold mine for pollinators, as many of the plants that are here are rarely found off-site, especially within the city limits.
