One of Austin’s chief environmental groups has decided to pull out of Austin’s Earth Day Festival. (Article by Asher Price, republished from http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/sierra-club-austin-pulls-out-of-earth-day-festival/nq4cL/) The Austin chapter of the Sierra Club says it won’t participate in the festival, to take place April 23 in the Mueller neighborhood, because of what Sierra Club officials say are the anti-immigration […]

BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, is pleased to announce that it is a sponsor of the Runways & Gallery event taking place Thursday, April 21 at Austin Fashion Week in Austin, Texas. The event will feature collections by nine prominent designers, an opportunity to meet the designers in […]

AUSTIN, TX — Police have joined forces with Equality Texas — the state’s largest organization advocating for LGBT rights — to raise awareness of hate crimes and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender members of the community. (Article by Tony Cantu, republished from http://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/austin-police-launch-training-guidelines-dealing-lgbt-community) Members of Equality Texas and hate crime survivors staged a presentation […]

AUSTIN, TX — Community response following the death of a University of Texas-Austin student last week has been swift — from student demands for increased campus safety to the creation of a memorial fund for the young woman who was studying dance was killed. (Article by Tony Cantu, republished from http://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/community-outcry-follows-murder-university-texas-austin-student) At least one reaction wasn’t […]

In March, culture bible Rolling Stone plucked Perth band Methyl Ethel out of relative obscurity to name the psychedelic-pop group one of its top 25 acts to see at this year’s South by Southwest. (Article by Financial Review, republished from http://www.afr.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/music/sxsw-is-a-tale-of-how-artists-make-it-in-the-snapchat-era-20160405-gnyi3e) It was a high honour to be called out from among the more than 2000 […]

The book was a collection of 15 linked sonnets dedicated to her late grandfather. (Article by Steve Bennet, republished from http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/arts-culture/books/article/S-A-authors-win-big-award-from-Texas-Institute-7255205.php) Other local winners included San Antonio author Jan Jarboe Russell, who won for best nonfiction book for “The Train to Crystal City: FDR’s Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America’s Only Family Internment Camp During World […]

By now, just about everybody has heard Austin is the “Live Music Capital of the World.” And Houston’s “third coast” rap scene is a force to be reckoned with, the Fort Worth stockyards are a staple in Texas country, and Dallas has birthed nearly every kind of artist, from Demi Lovato and the Dixie Chicks […]

Editor’s note: CultureMap is proud to present the latest installment in our partnership with KLRU’s documentary series Arts in Context. This unique series celebrates stories about the arts in Austin and the people who make this such a vibrant and creative city. (Article by KLRU-TV/Austin PBS, republished from http://austin.culturemap.com/news/arts/04-17-16-austin-community-steelband-after-school-program-free-disadvantaged-youth-video-klru/#slide=0) More than an after-school program, the Austin Community Steelband […]

Mastering roasting a chicken is one of those skills that makes you look like a far more accomplished chef than you are. You could burn spaghetti, but if you present a beautifully browned and juicy bird on the table, well, some people think you can even get a marriage out of that. Because the dish […]

Earth Day is just around around the corner, on Friday, April 22. The grassroots day of action is dedicated to encouraging around the world to change their daily habits and help effect pro-environment policy changes. Two Austin restaurants, Barley Swine and Vinaigrette, are modeling innovative ways to reduce waste and harness natural resources to make […]

A one and a half year investigation ended with the arrest of more than 20 individuals suspected of having ties to a violent gang on Friday in Seguin, Texas, a town located roughly 50 miles south of Austin. The suspects apprehended are believed to be associated with the Texas Mexican Mafia, also referred to as […]

New research from the University of Texas at Austin suggests that fracking may have triggered one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in East Texas. The quake struck the small town of Timpson, located about 30 miles northeast of Nacogdoches, on May 17, 2012. It was reported to have been felt as far as Shreveport, […]

Police officers in downtown Austin may soon be outfitted with body cameras pending purchasing approval from the Austin City Council, according to the Austin American Statesman. The successful completion of a pilot program that tested the equipment moves the Austin Police Department closer to its goal of providing 500 officers with lapel cameras. Cops patrolling […]

Teaching at the Texas School for the Deaf brought electroshock survivor Evelyn Scogin, 59, joy and a sense of purpose in life. However, her love for working with disabled children was abruptly taken away when she entered the psychiatric system. Scogin’s remarkable journey, distinguished by strength, persistence and bravery, first began with arthritis and fibromyalgia-related […]

Several counties in Texas have drinking water laced with a group of disinfectant chemicals that may cause damage to the liver, kidney, and thyroid. Exceedingly high levels of trihalomethanes (THM) were recently found in drinking water in Kyle, Blanco, and Hutto. The discovery angered some Texans who say they were not issued proper warnings, and […]