Join one of the MLA’s cultural excursions and go behind the scenes of some of Austin’s cultural gems, then return to the convention refreshed and renewed for more fascinating sessions and networking opportunities. Sign up when you register for the convention, or you can write to Michael Reilly if you have already registered.
Austin Music Scene
Go behind the scenes at one of Austin’s renowned music venues, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, home of Austin City Limits, the longest- running music performance show in television history. Explore the backstage hallways, hiding spots, green rooms, sound booths, and stage, while guides recount stories and anecdotes about the theater and the legends who left their marks. Then join Scott Newton, ACL’s staff photographer for over forty years, as he fleshes out the stories behind the photographs that line the walls.
Presidential Collections
Photographs, film footage, political cartoons, posters, letters, paintings, sculptures, furniture, books and journals, and many other artifacts from Lyndon Baines Johnson’s life and presidency are on display at the LBJ Presidential Library. Join the library’s archivists for a private viewing of a selection of telephone conversations, documents, photographs, and other materials and learn about the history of the library and the resources and reference materials available. Curator Michael McDonald will provide an introduction to the museum and an overview of what to expect as you tour the exhibits. You’ll be free to explore the galleries at your own pace, and docents will be available throughout to provide assistance and additional information.
Art through the Ages
Gothic bible illustrations, paintings and drawings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and twentieth-century multimedia artworks from North, South, and Central America are represented at the Blanton Museum of Art. Join one of the museum’s educators for a private tour created just for MLA members and based on the 2016 presidential theme, Literature and Its Publics: Past, Present, and Future. The tour will include a visit to the Print Room, where specialist Kristin Holder will have a special display of pieces from the museum’s collection of works on paper that are not currently on view to the public.
Arts on Paper
Although both MLA excursions to the Harry Ransom Center are currently sold out, there is still availability on the waiting lists. The Harry Ransom Center is an internationally renowned humanities research library and museum at the University of Texas, Austin. This two-part excursion pairs a special look at highlights from the literary collections, including works from Jorge Luis Borges, J. M. Coetzee, Radclyffe Hall, Doris Lessing, and David Foster Wallace, with a curator-led tour of the exhibition Shakespeare in Print and Performance.
