One of the best popular art museums in the Austin area is the Laguna Gloria Art Museum, which is an Italian-style villa that was originally the home of Henry and Clara Driscoll Sevier, and is located on the shores of Lake Austin Center area west of Austin.
The family home, which later became the museum was built in 1916 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum was the first headquarters of the Austin Museum of Art and was named to the natural lagoon which was originally considered part of the Colorado River before the construction of Lake Austin. The land where the original house was built by Stephen F. Austin in 1822, and was planning to build a house there, but never did, and their descendants then sold the property to Hal Sevier, who was the director of the Austin American Statesman, and his new wife, Clara Driscoll in 1914.
The home Seviers completed in 1916 in the style of an Italian villa after a trip to the Lake Como area of Italy on their honeymoon, and after years of gardening and planting trees, flowers and foliage, Clara Driscoll donated to the city of Austin HomeSite for the new museum. In 1961, the house has been transformed into an art museum and began offering art courses and exhibitions and other events and attractions for the public.
In 1983, an additional 5,300 square feet was built specifically for the art school, and in 1992, the museum has changed its name from Laguna Gloria Museum, Austin Museum of Art, although four years later, the Austin Museum of Art moved Congress Avenue in downtown Austin. Although the measure remains the Laguna Gloria Art School, which in 2003 was renovated and added new showrooms local and regional art, among other exhibitions.
Laguna Gloria is right next door to Mayfield Park, a park adjacent to the Driscoll Villa, who is also the National Register of Historic Places. Laguna Gloria is located west of the intersection of Loop One, also known as MOPAC Expressway, and West 35th Street, and is also close to Camp Mabry, Austin, another of the local attractions and historic military base. Amoa-Laguna Gloria, as is now known, offers indoor and outdoor spaces, and is located on twelve acres of picturesque landscape and carefully, one mile is on the shore of Lake Austin, and the museum is only 15 miles from downtown Austin and the Austin Museum of Art from the main structure in Congress.
Many weddings, concerts, festivals and other social events are held in the museum and grounds, including several events to raise funds for local charities as AnyBabyCan and others. Since the museum has several spaces including an amphitheater, sunken gardens and a gazebo called Temple of Love with a beautiful stone path and original and walk to the museum itself, is ideal for exterior and interior and more as events.
Besides the above, there is also a four-season garden with statues from Italy reported by Clara Driscoll, and there is a solarium in the park, and a front garden with an oval event source. The gardens include a sunken original sculpture sculptor Charles Umlauf, who is now known nationally and, Umlauf Gardens in Zilker Park was named.
Amoa-Laguna Gloria is a place to visit if art, natural beauty and historic museums appeal to you, and is also one of the most picturesque and diverse to hold or attend an event or wedding, so be sure to visit Laguna Gloria and enjoy the many sculptures, exhibitions, events, gardens and other attractions in Austin or the surrounding area.
Tags: AMOALaguna, Gloria, Museum