Atelier Dojo is expected is expected to relocate a larger art studio in East Austin this spring.

The big picture: The traditional fine art school provides a range of professional programs in realism and figurative art for serious art students of all skill levels.

Dojo Academy offers both part-time and full-time rigorous daily curriculum in representational drawing and painting. Shorter-format weekend and evening classes are also available as well as workshops and drop-in open studios.

• 2811 E. 5th St., Austin

The first project under a new Austin Energy program promoting solar panels on commercial properties is now complete, while the city moves forward on a separate plan to install solar at dozens of public buildings.

AE's Solar Standard Offer program incentivizes businesses and property owners to install their own solar panels or lease rooftop space to solar developers. In exchange, they're compensated by the utility based on energy generated by the new panels.

The first solar array developed under that program was completed this fall at a Northeast Austin business park, and officials gathered Dec. 3 to mark the project and its public benefits.

That update came as Austin works to launch its own solar installations at dozens of city-owned sites around town. That project, proposed this spring by City Council, must move forward by next summer or risk losing federal tax credits needed to make it financially viable.

The Austin Theatre Alliance, which oversees the Paramount and State theaters in downtown Austin, has launched a $65 million campaign to restore the 110-year-old Paramount and reimagine the 90-year-old State Theatre.

The details: Self-described as “the city’s most iconic cultural anchors,” the organization plans to update both venues to better serve today’s community and future generations.

The Paramount will close in June for its first full restoration in more than 50 years. The eight-to-nine-month project will add modern infrastructure, new seating, expanded restrooms and concessions, Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades, improved sound and lighting, and a long-planned upstairs lounge. The State Theatre will follow with a 13-to-16-month renovation featuring an art-deco-inspired interior, flexible seating for 500, a basement speakeasy, rooftop deck, and expanded concessions.

Quote of note: “Supporting the arts and what they represent, in terms of human achievement and community, is critical. The arts highlight humanity and they make us better,” said Duff Steward, chair of the Austin Theater Alliance.

A dozen new Texas laws are scheduled to take effect Dec. 4. The new laws come 90 days after the end of a special legislative session that took place this summer.

The overview: Some of the bills becoming law Dec. 4 include:

• House Bill 8, which will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, with three shorter exams beginning in fall 2027
• House Bill 18, which is designed to deter future legislators from leaving the Texas Capitol to prevent a legislative chamber from considering legislation, known as breaking quorum
• Senate Bill 54, which will roll back a short-lived rule that allowed registered Texas voters who moved within a county to update their address at the polls and immediately vote in their new precinct