South Congress Hotel Art Shows

The South Congress Hotel was built from the ground up, with the intent to stay true to the essence of Austin while allowing the space to grow and define itself over time. As we worked with local artists to outfit the guest rooms and lobby, it became clear that New Waterloo had an opportunity to support local art in the common areas. The minimal but majestic event space was a perfect blank canvas for pop-up art shows that would be accessible to the public and profitable for the artists.

Soon after the hotel opened, I met with New Waterloo to plan an inaugural art show for local artists. We decided it would work best as a pop-up event, free to the public, with the artists keeping all proceeds from their sales. We approached two local artists, Gareth Maguire and Bob Schneider, whose works we’d installed in the lobby. Their real life friendship and previous collaborations in art and poetry made them the perfect pairing for the launch. Their first show, called Symbiosis, was a success all around and paved the way for subsequent pop-up Symbiosis shows. The ongoing art program at the hotel now includes craft workshops led by local makers, First Thursday music events, and community yoga classes.