7 Museum and Gallery Exhibitions to See in Austin This Winter
Check out local exhibitions for art lovers, music fans and history buffs
Winter’s slower pace offers the perfect window to spend time in Austin’s museums and galleries, whether showing visitors around town or catching up on exhibitions. From immersive sound installations and contemporary sculpture to Spanish Baroque masterpieces, hip-hop history and prehistoric predators, these seven shows span art, music and culture around town.
“Massif Central x McLennon Pen Co.”
McLennon Pen Co. – until Dec. 30, 2025
Local art gallery McLennon Pen Co. is partnering with New York–based textile company Massif Central to showcase limited-edition silk and silk-blend scarves by 25 internationally recognized artists. These vibrant works of wearable art, hanging from the gallery ceiling, are also available for purchase. Produced in Italy using traditional techniques and finished by hand, the designs offer collectors and art lovers a chance to acquire or gift a limited-edition artwork for the holidays.
“Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit”
The LBJ Presidential Library – until Jan. 4, 2026
Curated by the GRAMMY Museum, this exhibition traces the evolution of hip-hop from its roots in street culture to its rise as a global force. The show explores the genre’s influence on music, fashion, business and activism through a 200-song playlist and a collection of artifacts. Highlights include Chuck D’s handwritten lyrics to “Fight the Power” and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels’ black suede fedora and Adidas Superstars.
“Funeral for a Tree”
Ivester Contemporary – until Jan. 10, 2026
Steve Parker’s solo exhibition at Ivester Contemporary transforms a fallen live oak into an immersive sound installation. After a 65-year-old tree in his yard died of oak wilt, Parker cut the trunk into playable wood records embedded with migratory birdsong, interpreted throughout the exhibition by sheng virtuoso Jipo Yang. As the wood dries and the sound slowly degrades, the exhibition unfolds as a sort of memorial. There is a free concert series activating the sculptures, with performances scheduled for Dec. 18, Jan. 8 and Jan. 10.
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“HOST: Raul De Lara”
The Contemporary Austin’s Jones Center – until Jan. 11, 2026
In “HOST,” Raul De Lara’s first solo museum exhibition in Texas, the artist turns familiar household objects and plants into stunning wood sculptural works rooted in personal experience and migration. The exhibition reflects De Lara’s return to Austin, where he first immigrated more than 20 years ago, and features plant forms inspired by species native to both northern Mexico and Texas. Visitors can view the exhibition at no cost during the museum’s Free Week from Jan. 7–11.
“Spirit & Splendor: El Greco, Velázquez, and the Hispanic Baroque”
Blanton Museum of Art – until Feb. 1, 2026
This exhibition from The Hispanic Society’s collection is one of the most significant holdings of Spanish art outside Spain. On view are nearly 60 works from the 16th and 17th centuries, including works by El Greco and Diego Velázquez, as well as paintings by José de Páez and Melchor Pérez Holguín, who reinterpreted the Baroque style in New Spain (present-day Mexico) and Peru. The next guided tour of the exhibition is Sunday, Dec. 28, from 3 to 4 p.m. and is included with admission.
“T. rex: The Ultimate Predator”
Bullock Texas State History Museum – until Feb. 8, 2026
The Bullock Texas State History Museum presents “T. rex: The Ultimate Predator,” a limited-time exhibition organized by the American Museum of Natural History. The immersive show explores the full tyrannosaur family, tracing how the species evolved into one of the most formidable predators in Earth’s history. Visitors will encounter a towering, life-size model of a feathered T. rex, along with reconstructions of hatchlings and a juvenile tyrannosaur. Interactive media throughout the exhibition offer hands-on learning for visitors of all ages.
“Design Shine 2025”
UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum – until March 4, 2026
UMLAUF and AIA Austin continue their collaboration supporting emerging architects and designers through an annual juried competition called “Design Shine,” now in its eighth year. This year’s program features installations by four local design teams and individuals, each responding to the theme “Nestled in Nature.” Designed to be experienced both day and night, the works incorporate lighting elements visible during evening hours and from the surrounding streetscape. The next after-hours viewing takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when the garden will remain open until 9 p.m.
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