Joy at the Capitol

A five-day exhibition, featuring artwork by seniors across Greater Austin, restoring visibility, honor, and voice to our community's elders.
About this Event

Honoring Austin's Forgotten Voices
There is a gold star set into the ceiling of the Capitol rotunda, representing every person who made Texas what it is today. Including our elders, quietly living out of sight, feeling isolated, forgotten, and separated from the city they helped build. This August, we bring their voices back to the center of Texas history.
For five days, their artwork will hang on the walls deep within the Capitol, in a room where laws are debated and history preserved. Free and open to the public, this exhibition will feature collections that reflect Texas and Austin as remembered, loved, and cherished by our community’s elders.
Admission is completely free, but room capacity for the exhibition is limited. RSVP to hold your spot. Exact room location and a digital map will be emailed to you upon registration.

WHEN:
August 27-30, 2026

WHERE:
TEXAS STATE CAPITOL, 1100 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701. RSVP to receive details on room location.

HOW MUCH:
Free and open to the public.

PARKING:
Parking available in the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage at 1201 San Jacinto Blvd. First two hours are free, then $1 for every half hour after.

What is the artwork? Who are the artists?
Artwork has been contributed by longtime Austin senior residents, many of them quietly living in nursing homes, feeling isolated, forgotten, and separatd from the city they helped build. Our Joy for Seniors program brings art and human connection directly into senior living spaces and transforms moments of isolations into moments of creativity and purpose.

This exhibition is the culmination of a year's worth of in-person studio sessions in nursing homes and retirement communities across the Greater Austin area through the Joy for Seniors program. The artwork you will see has been created by senior participants in the program.