​The Creative Arts Society, established in 1999, is an Austin based, non-profit 501(c)(3) thriving arts organization actively promoting the development of the “Artist in Everyone” for the expanding growth and diversity of our community. Our vision is to be a vital presence in the community inspiring: Cultural enrichment, Community participation, and respect for diversity. Our goal is to increase awareness and appreciation for and through the Arts. CAS welcomes artists from all backgrounds and supports diversity of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability and age.
WELCOME TO CAS!
Not an artist but love art? Sign up for our Art Patron Distribution list and you will be notified of new exhibit events. Contact info will be used for notification of CAS events only and will not be sold or shared outside of CAS.
FEATURED ARTIST Patrick O'Brien
Artist Statement
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Patrick O’Brien was born and raised in Houston, Texas. After his parents gifted him with a Kodak Hawkeye camera on his 10th birthday, he developed an interest in viewing and capturing the world through a camera’s viewfinder. However, it was his fascination with the graphics of 1950s Sci-Fi paperback covers and 1960s psychedelia that increased his interest in the visual media.
After receiving his BA degree in Radio/TV/Film from the University of Houston, O’Brien’s work resume includes experience in professional photo labs, commercial photography, lithography, aerial photomapping, audio/video production, and forensic imaging. Now retired from forensics, O’Brien has challenged himself to create surreal and abstract images that, to paraphrase Rene Magritte, “restore the familiar to the strange”.
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O’Brien’s images are not straightforward documentations, but imaginative interpretations of his environment. He strives to be “anti-mundane” in his imagery, and credits Magritte, man ray, Jerry Uelsmann, and Max Ernst as major influences. He is a member of the Texas Photographic Society, the Williamson County Art Guild, the Corpus Christi Art Center, and the Creative Arts Society. His images have been shown at a multitude of juried and solo exhibits including Texas, the United States, and the UK.
2025 MEETING SCHEDULE - TBD
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Stay tuned, typically our meetings are a Sunday in February, May,
August and November
Location: Westbank Library 1309 Westbank Dr, Austin, TX 78746
Gathering Room (2nd floor, take immediate right)
Time: 1:30 - 3:30 pm (Networking from 1:30 - 2 pm)
Topic: TBD
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Members,
As we gear up for the busy year end crunch, I hope that everyone stays safe, healthy and that your holiday season is joyful.
It's been a busy year. In addition to managing our rotating and curated exhibits, we had a beautiful exhibit at ArtUs Co and are gearing up for our final two special events of the year, the Downtown Pop-Up Art Market on November 9th - 10th and Riverbend Church Inspiration Gallery from November 5th until January 7th.
Additionally, we have been working very hard behind the scenes to improve our processes and reduce our volunteers' workload. We are now able to automatically provide a record of the pieces submitted when artists apply for an exhibit. We implemented a CAS Google Workspace to organize our data, transitioned to a new forms tool, automated several of our reports and streamlined our image management. We have updated our Constitution/By-laws which was approved by the membership recently. Last but not least, we have migrated our website to a new webhost this month, to improve costs and security. We'll continue to work to improve our processes and our value add to our membership. Feel free to give us feedback on what improvements would be helpful to you.
Our Board nominees for 2025 were voted in and inducted at the members meeting on 11/3. We enjoyed a fun afternoon and were happy to meet several new members. We are looking forward to the next couple of busy months and a great new year with our wonderful community of artists.
Thank you!
Joyce
