Why go
Artists such as Jim Franklin and Gilbert Shelton connect Austin's music history with illustration and cartooning. SouthPop's material shifts attention from performers alone to the posters, handbills and other ephemera that surrounded their shows. Its online exhibitions make that visual history a useful subject in its own right.
What to look for
- The archive includes music-related art and ephemera.
- Online exhibitions cover Jim Franklin, Gilbert Shelton and Soap Creek Saloon posters.
The full story
SouthPop emerged from the effort to preserve objects that can easily disappear after a concert: posters, handbills, photographs and other music ephemera. Henry Gonzalez's private files helped form the early archive. Concert posters associated with the Armadillo World Headquarters were central to its beginnings. The artists known as the Armadillo Art Squad included illustrators and cartoonists whose work helped define the venue's visual language. The collection's scope expanded to other places associated with Austin music, including the Vulcan Gas Company, Threadgills and the Austin Opry House. That history makes SouthPop valuable as more than a record of who played where. It preserves how shows were imagined, advertised and remembered, and how local artists shaped the public image of a music culture alongside the musicians themselves.
Useful to know
- Explore the online exhibitions for context before seeking out Austin's music venues.
Your next visit
Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.
Outdoor visit · 30–45 min
World planning estimate; admission, opening, visit duration and access need checking.