Austin’s ‘Ameripolitan’ Awards: Don’t Call Them Country

byMegan Hix

Founded by honky-tonker Dale Watson, the prizes are a counterpoise to Nashville’s music.

Mesoamerican Artifacts Highlight Makeover at UT’s Blanton

byMary K. Cantrell

The opening of the Ancient Americas gallery is part of a five-year renovation project.

Childhood Kite Hobby Became a Lifelong Passion for Austinite and His Family

byQiling Wang

Richard Robertson made his first kite at age 8. Eighty years later, he’s still at it, with more than 200 kites stored in his garage.

Rap Becomes the Medium for a Protest Song About Austin’s Gentrification

byDestinee Harrison

Lench Martinez no longer recognizes the city he grew up in. The demolition of an East Austin pinata store inspired him to compose a reality rap about how growth and gentrification have pushed out minorities.

Aerial Acrobats Do Their Dancing in the Air

byWes Scarborough

For the past 11 years, the aerial acrobats of the Blue Lapis Light dance company have gamboled across the sides of Austin’s mightiest high rises, transformed abandoned warehouses into performance sites, and even turned a bridge into a stage.

Austin Record Stores Thrive with National Vinyl Resurgence

byAaron Schnautz

“The vinyl resurgence is not a hipster flash in the pan. It’s for real,” says one Austin record store owner.

Aerial Artists Build on Enthusiasm for the Circus

byFaria Akram

Some take to the air for exercise. Others like the sensation of dancing in the air.

Before It Was the Live Music Capital, Austin Was a Garage Band Hotbed

byMegan Dolan

In the 1960s and ’70s, garage bands were just a stone’s throw away.

Young Designers Turn Muslim Modesty Into Modern Fashion

byFaria Akram

Young designers are creating modest, fashionable clothes for a new market.

Austin Drum Corps Teaches Members More Than Music

byAli Killian

Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps will travel to 19 U.S. cities for summer competitions.

Austin Festival Aims to Be South by Southwest for Drag Performers

byAli Killian

Mainstream audiences are recognizing drag artists as performers, not just a sideshow.

In Music Industry, Women Are Behind the Mic, But Rarely Running the Board

byAli Killian

Just one in every 10 sound engineering technicians in the country is a woman.

Fujimoto Blazes a Symphonic Trail in San Antonio

byRachel Phua

San Antonio Symphony Orchestra’ first woman assistant conductor says there’s no gender bias.

Traveling Acrobats Take Their Art on the Road

byShannon Price

Duo Maelan’s Caty Mae and Nick Milan are traveling acrobats who tour the country.

Mariachis and Remembrances at Day of the Dead Celebration

byMegan Dolan

Mexican-origin holiday is a celebration of the dead, not a mournful occasion.

La Belle Makes Final Voyage from Mud to Museum

byWes Martin

Seventeenth-century French warship goes on display in Austin.

Hashtags Divide UT’s Black Community

byKeneshia Colwell

Hashtag use has led to greater awareness of the troubling roots and deeper significance of skin tone.

Hip-hop Artist Vows to Make Austin — and Himself — a Star

byKeneshia Colwell

Dre Prince is determined to become the first breakout hip-hop artist from Austin.

‘Fat Bottom’ Dancers Offer Alternative to ‘Sexy’

The women of Fat Bottom are trying to spark a change in the way female bodies are viewed.

Pre-Miley, Twerking Was More Than a Dance

Twerking has a history that goes back for centuries in the African diaspora.