This year marks the third anniversary of the POP Austin International Art Show, and will be taking place at Fair Market on East 5th Street from Oct. 14-16. The day before the show,  ORANGE attended a preview party that benefited the Texas Cultural Trust’s Arts & Digital Literacy initiative in partnership with the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin.

By Malayna Ellis

Over the past couple of years, co-founder Steve Carson says that POP Austin has gained many new sponsors and partners that have contributed to their growth. Part of this growth has been the addition of programming throughout the weekend, including speakers and films that feature various topics that appeal to both an art enthusiast with an untrained eye and experienced art collectors alike. Two programs he highlighted for the weekend is the premiere of “Wall Writers” on Friday evening, a film about graffiti and street art and where it started back in New York in the 50’s, and “Think Pop” on Saturday night that is said to be slightly more digital and futuristic.

Another new addition to this year is the Virtual Showroom. This gives people year round access to the collection, as well as other gallery artists POP Austin works with. “It was built by three local companies here in Austin, and we’re just excited to be able to showcase those artists that we feel strongly about,” Carson says. “We’re trying to draw more attention to and give more publicity and acknowledgement to as well.”

The preview event was not just a night for VIP guests and art collectors to peruse the art before the public this weekend; part of the proceeds from the night went towards the Texas Cultural Trust’s Arts & Digital Literacy initiative in partnership with the college of fine arts at The University of Texas at Austin.“It’s a great program,” Carson says. “They’re working toward not only enhancing, but I think also developing students’ abilities when it comes to using the technology in art and creating digital art as well.”

Brandon Boyd, better known as the lead-singer of Incubus, was also an artist on display this weekend at POP Austin.The four paintings on display capture moments of Boyd’s close friends in intimate settings. The paintings, erotic in nature due to the nakedness of the women, still radiate a feminine innocence.

Boyd says that both his music and his art find a way to influence the other. He’s constantly creating, whether it be music or painting or drawing, and rarely finds himself doing anything else. Although Carson says that his music and art go hand in hand, he prefers to create in silence. “[The silence] is when music, to me, gets to be created, especially lyrics and melodies and, hopefully, cognizant thoughts that are something that other people can understand,” Boyd says.

As a book enthusiast, Boyd has also put out a few art books, the first one published in 2003. He hopes to publish other’s work as well in the future.“I feel like books are one of those things that, especially in an environment where someone is creative and they want to have an environment that’s conducive to creativity, seems to invoke wonder,” Boyd says. “It brings people into a place where you can quiet down, and slow down and dive into something that’s bigger than you.”

More information on how you can attend or learn more about POP Austin can be found on POP Austin’s website.