Calendar of Events
We're looking for volunteers! Ney Day volunteers will assist with setting up and taking down of tables, chairs, tents and helping with general event tasks. Throughout the event you'll be able to enjoy free activites and live music. Volunteers like YOU make our events possible!
10th Annual Ney Day Celebration
Saturday, May 25th, 2025
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Elisabet Ney left her artistic mark on some of our most sacred public institutions in the United States and Texas: the United States Capitol, the Texas Capitol, and the Texas State Cemetery. In a more abstract sense, she shaped the state’s and Austin’s cultural scenes.
This month we celebrate Elisabet Ney’s efforts to make noted changes in the areas of civic discourse and women’s involvement in the arts and sciences with our 10th annual Ney Day celebration on May 25th from 12-4pm.
To commemorate this iconic artist and anyone who identifies with her fiercely independent spirit, join us for this free outdoor community celebration featuring artist-led activities, interactive demonstrations, and refreshments by mmmpanadas and Amy’s Ice Cream.
Gina Chavez is going to headline the event and the day will open with energetic sets by DJ Suspiros and DJ Con Safos. Ten Eyck Landscape Architects and Co’Design will be offering a sneak peek look at ideas for the brand-new landscape rehabilitation plan for the Ney’s grounds! Don’t miss an opportunity to meet with the architects and celebrate the museum's upcoming upgrades.
Community partners include KUTX with a live broadcast from the Ney, ATX Gals, Refugee Collective, Brush Square Museums, Lady Cans, Girls Empowerment Network, and Austin History Center. Ney Day is free and open to all ages!
Naturalists at the Ney
Saturday, April 6, Saturday, May 4, & June 1, 2024
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Learn more about the Ney's unique historic landscape and entrench yourself in the environment with Naturalists at the Ney, a new series of monthly events on the museum's grounds. In this thematic series of workshops, museum educators and community partnering organizations will lead guided explorations and art making activities on the first Saturday of April, May and June. We will learn about the colorful uses of plants, the hidden relationships under our feet, and the treasures used to create botanical art on the grounds around Elisabet Ney's Formosa studio. Be prepared to be outdoors in Ney’s wild landscape!
Saturday Drawing Salons
Saturday, January 6, 13, 20 & 27, 2024
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Join us for our beloved weekly Drawing Salons every Saturday morning in January from 10 am to noon! Sketch Elisabet Ney’s realistic sculptures in her own historic Formosa studio! Each session is hosted by our Museum Educators, and all of the required materials will be provided. Participation is free and open to everyone, regardless of age or level of experience! No RSVP is required!
Re-Imagining the Ney: Draw your Own Path
Sunday, September 17, 2023, 12 to 5 pm
Join us in learning the many facets of drawing inside out through this family friendly event across the grounds of the beloved Elisabet Ney Museum. In keeping with the unique spirit of Ney, the day will host hands-on art projects led by local artists and educators that will inspire you to “draw your own path”. Local artist collective, Atelier Dojo, will be on site to give live sketching demonstrations using Elisabet Ney’s sculptures as models. As part of Austin Museum Day, this event is free and open to all ages. Visit our Eventbrite page to register for each session.
Re-Imagining the Ney: A Night on 19th Century Austin
Thursday, September 21, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Discover Austin's unique history by stepping back in time with Elisabet Ney! Attendees will experience life in 19th century Texas from local historians and artisans. Join us in dressing the part in 19th century frontier garments. Artist, designer and scholar, Gail Chovan and her Textiles and Apparel’s class at The University of Texas, will share period appropriate garments from the department’s collection. Museum Educators will lead specialized museum tours of the building's hidden basement and guest Austin storyteller, Spike Gillespie will be leading a lively tour of Formosa sharing her unique point of view. Brush Square Museums (O. Henry and Susanna Dickinson Museums will be sharing the history and making Thaumatropes from the 19th century. This is a great opportunity to meet up with friends and enjoy curated food and drink pairings. The event is free and open to the public. Visit our Eventbrite page to register for each session.
Re-Imagining the Ney: A Night of Process
Thursday, October 5, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Experience Elisabet Ney's body of art and creative process in her very own historic art studio and home, Formosa. During this special after-hours event, attendees will learn how Ney executed her sculptures through a live demo with artist Erin Cunningham and hands-on activities to mold your own body part. Guest artist Renee Lai will lead an artistic tour of Formosa through their unique points of view. The Ney's education staff will also be on hand to answer additional questions regarding Elisabet Ney's studio practices. This is a great opportunity to meet up with friends and enjoy curated food and drink pairings. This event is free and open to the public. Visit our Eventbrite page to register for each session.
Re-Imagining the Ney: A Night in the Landscape
Thursday, October 12, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Thursday, October 12, 2023 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Explore Elisabet Ney's rugged but majestic limestone homestead and art studio, Formosa, and unique 2.5 acre landscape through a variety of hands-on horticulture experiences. Attendees will learn about the museum’s surrounding native landscape restored to a 19th century Austin through specialized evening walks. Come watch the sunset with Austin landscape architects, Catherine O’Connor and the team of Ten Eyck as we discuss Ney's unique landscape and its historical significance to Austin. Robert Stepnoski will share drone and LiDAR technologies of the Museum and grounds captured with his Reality Capture for Architecture course at The University of Texas. This is a great opportunity to meet up with friends and enjoy curated food and drink pairings. The event is free and open to the public. Visit our Eventbrite page to register for each session.
Re-Imagining the Ney: A Community Art Bash
Saturday, October 21, 2023, 3:00 to 8:00 pm
Reimagine Elisabet Ney's iconoclastic life and brilliant art through the lens of three Austin contemporary visual artists: Yuliya Lanina, Agustina Rodriguez and Lisa B. Woods. Each will be creating site-specific art experiences in the Museum or historic grounds. Attendees will experience artist interventions, theatrical performances, and musical expressions immersed throughout the Museum's expansive grounds, paired with curated food and drinks from local vendors and specialized museum tours crafted by interpretive actors, Yunina C Barbour-Payne, Venese Alcantar, and Savannah Lee.
In the flavor of Ney’s marble cutting process, Eric McMaster’s Digital Fabrication course from The University of Texas will share their current day translations of Ney’s plaster casts. Come celebrate the museum's evolving programs and exhibits and share your thoughts on the next evolution of the Museum. As the evening approaches, the event will transition into an after-hours event, featuring interactive projects and musical interventions by artist Amanda Vaughn. Featured sponsors include Quiet Events, Fair Weather Cider Company, Fancy Fancy and Chawar.
This event serves as a pivotal component of our ongoing engagement efforts to develop the Museum's new interpretive plan. As we strive to ensure an inclusive and community-centered approach, we will be actively interviewing and surveying visitors throughout the day. If you are approached to participate, we kindly request your valuable input as it will play a crucial role in shaping the future of this historic space. Your feedback is immensely appreciated and will help us create a meaningful and enriching experience for all who visit the Elisabet Ney Museum. This event is free and open to the public. Visit our Eventbrite page to register for each session.
Past Events
Saturday Drawing Salons
Saturday, August 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2023
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Come out to the Elisabet Ney Museum for our beloved weekly Drawing Salons every Saturday morning in August from 10 am to noon! Sketch Elisabet's realistic sculptures in her own Formosa studio! Each session is hosted by our Museum Educators, and all of the required materials will be provided. Participation is free and open to everyone, regardless of age or level of experience! Visit our Eventbrite page to register for each session.
Alejandra Almuelle: "De Tierra" Artist Talk
Thursday, July 13, 2023, 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Visit the Elisabeth Ney Museum for an artist talk with Alejandra Almuelle on Thursday, July 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. During this evening event, the artist will discuss her exhibit, “De Tierra” and the processes she used to create this body of work. The exhibition is on view at the Elisabet Ney Museum until July 30, 2023.
Family Days at the Ney!
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
June 3 - Painted Cardboard Cutouts
June 17- Printed Accordion Books
July 8 - Fabric Sculptures
July 22 - Photographic Collage Dioramas
