Our Mission
Cultivating community, curiosity, and connection through nature,
contemporary artists, and the work of Charles Umlauf.
The UMLAUF’s vision is to make the entire eight-acre site accessible and available to the public, connecting Charles Umlauf’s artist studio and family home to the existing museum and sculpture garden. We seek to make improvements to the grounds with environmental sustainability and resilience at the forefront, expand access to the permanent collection, and broaden our ability to offer community programs and rotating exhibitions of contemporary art.
As a culturally rich arts destination, the UMLAUF will use the expanded grounds to increase awareness of Charles Umlauf’s gift to the community and impact as a renowned artist, educator and philanthropist. This will provide immersive exhibitions, art in nature, educational opportunities, indoor and outdoor space for community gatherings and events, and a peaceful oasis within the heart of Austin.
To see the full vision, visit: https://www.umlaufsculpture.org/visionplan
Our Vision
Our Values
Inclusivity
We value access and connection to art and nature for everyone.
Discovery
We value open-mindedness, curiosity, and life-long learning.
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Preservation
We value the preservation of art, nature, and history.
Growth
We value intentional growth toward the betterment of our community and environment.
Our History
In 1941, Charles Umlauf, a nationally recognized artist and sculptor, and his wife Angeline "Angie" moved from Chicago, Illinois to Austin, Texas after he had been offered a professorship at The University of Texas at Austin in the Arts Department. After arriving in Austin, the family rented a house for three years until they purchased a carriage house in 1944 at the top of a hill overlooking Barton Springs Road. In 1950, they built a studio on the east corner of the lot, less than 100 feet from the house. The design of the studio roofline incorporates a tall northeast wall filled with large windows to maximize soft, natural northern light desirable for an artist's workshop. In 1956, the Umlauf family expanded and renovated the house. The interior reflects the streamlined sensibilities of a mid-century modern design informed by both the period and the artist in residence. It was in these buildings that Charles and Angie Umlauf lived, raised their family, entertained, and operated their business and artistic endeavors. They are a true archive of the legacy of his teaching and their contributions to the City of Austin and Texas art. In 1985, the Umlauf’s gifted their home, property, his art studio and 168 sculptures to the City of Austin for public enjoyment and education.
The site of the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum originally contained small ponds used by soldiers to practice fly casting during the late 1930s and 1940s, these four acres were then forgotten for the next four decades, lost under dewberry vines and illicit dumping. However, after the Umlauf’s made their gift, these six acres of land just to the southwest of the Umlauf’s family home, were acquired by the City of Austin. Landscape architect Aan Coleman designed the garden, and the internationally recognized architect Lawrence Speck designed the UMLAUF’s gallery and terrace, and the property was transformed into the sculpture garden and museum we know today. The Roberta Crenshaw room was added to the site in 2001.
The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum represents so much that is quintessentially Austin: superb art casually set in a shady garden of native Texas plants, a natural oasis near Barton Springs in the heart of an urban capital city. Here, art and nature meet in serene harmony. The garden, with its shady trees, winding pathways, waterfall and streams muffling the sounds of traffic, gives visitors a peaceful place for contemplation, learning, exploration, and the love of art.