International Balloon Museum brings interactive, inflatable art exhibit to Northwest Austin
International contemporary art company Balloon Museum opened a pop-up exhibition at the former Louis Shanks furniture store in June.
A closer look: The Let's Fly—art has no limits—exhibit features a variety of inflatable art pieces for patrons to interact with. The exhibit is inspired by concepts of freedom, flight and lightness, exploring air as a symbol of limitless travel and movement, according to Balloon Museum information.
The Austin museum will run until Nov. 2, according to the company's website.
The background: With more than 7 million visitors worldwide, Balloon Museum has opened pop-up exhibits across the globe, including in Rome, Paris, Madrid, London, Berlin and Singapore. Pop-up locations in the United States have included New York, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Austin Museum Day highlights local resources across over 35 museums
The Austin Museum Partnership is celebrating the 28th annual Austin Museum Day where community members can celebrate art, heritage, music, nature, science and more at over 35 participating museums.
What to know: All day Sept. 21, museums across the city will open their doors and offer specialized activities and guided exhibit tours.
The special day represents a longstanding partnership between the city’s cultural centers, where the public can reignite their connection with the resources available to them at their local museums.
Get involved: Participating museums include:
Austin History Center
Austin Museum of Popular Culture
Bastrop County Historical Society Museum & Visitor Center
Austin airport CEO highlights $10B economic impact amid expansion plans
Austin airport CEO Ghizlane Badawi spoke at a Round Rock Chamber luncheon Aug. 28, outlining the multibillion-dollar expansion currently underway and the hefty economic benefit for the region.
The big picture: Badawi characterized the airport as the “economic engine for Central Texas,” noting that a 2018 Texas Department of Transportation study estimated Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s economic impact at $7.6 billion—a figure now projected at approximately $10 billion, Badawi said.
What’s happening?: Presently, under the expansion initiative—Journey with AUS—there are six projects under construction and five in design.
Looking ahead: City of Austin officials gave the green light to new lease agreement with airlines during an Aug. 28 council meeting. This means airlines will commit to the expansion program and lease the over 20 new gates airport officials expect to open in the early 2030s, according to an ABIA news release.
Kesshō Craft Chocolate expands with new Burnet Road location in Austin
Kesshō Craft Chocolate has kicked off the second anniversary of its Asian-inspired “bean-to-bar" chocolate shop in South Austin, with the opening of a second location on Burnet Road in North Austin.
The details: Co-owned by Liang Wang and Mark Huetsch, the small-batch chocolate company blends Asian ingredients into unique Western-style desserts.
The new Kesshō food trailer offers patrons a variety of chocolates, gelato in flavors such as 70% Ugandan dark chocolate, ube and milk tea, and local strawberry, as well as baked goods.
Quote of note: “Every flavor we design has a unique story we can't wait to share,” Wang and Huetsch wrote on the company's website. “... We hope our chocolate serves as a portal to the various cultures behind these ingredients, continues to uplift cacao farmers in African and Central American countries and celebrates the myriad cultures and identities linked to this delightful indulgence.”
In honor of the company's two-year anniversary, both trailers will be offering a buy-one-get-one gelato promotion Sept. 5.
