The Austin ArtWorks Festival Featured Artist for 2017 is Austin native Tom Hormel.

Hormel has lived in Minnesota, California, Hawaii, and Idaho, and currently calls Florida home. Tom’s parents were Jay Catherwood and Germaine Dubois Hormel, remembered fondly by many in Austin for their involvement in both Hormel Foods Corporation (then George A. Hormel & Co.) and the community.

Hormel graduated from Occidental College with a BA in sociology after spending two years at Palos Verdes College, and studied a year of Law at Loyola Law School as well as a year of Architecture at USC. He also speaks fluent French and Spanish.

Hormel is an artist, composer and conservationist. He was a recipient of the United Nations Environmental 500 award in Istanbul. His visual artwork crosses many genres: acrylic, digital, needlepoint, sculpture and drawing.

Twenty-five original prints will be on view in the Paramount Annex (former Parks and Recreation building) during the Austin ArtWorks Festival on Aug. 26 and 27.

To preview the exhibit, visit one of five community sites hosting Hormel artwork through August 25: Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, Hormel Foods Corporation / Spam Museum, Hormel Historic Home ($5 admission for non-members), the Hormel Foundation office and the Hormel Institute /University of Minnesota Cancer Research Center.

All original, signed prints are available for sale through the Austin ArtWorks Center now and during festival. One hunder percent of proceeds benefit the Austin Area Commission for the Arts. Please note that all purchased prints must remain exhibited until Aug. 28. A coffee table book cataloging Hormel’s art is also available for sale at the ArtWorks Center.

The 2017 Purchase Award at the Austin ArtWorks Festival is sponsored by Philip and Gail Minerich.

Each year, a generous sponsor donates $5,000 to the Austin ArtWorks Festival Purchase Award. The sponsors then choose one (or more) pieces of work as the winner of the Purchase Award. The funds allow the Austin Area Commission for the Arts to purchase

the awarded work from the artist which is then displayed at a community location.

Currently Purchase-Award-winning art is on display at I.J. Holton Intermediate School, the Hormel Foundation office, the Hormel Historic Home, Austin ArtWorks Center and the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.

Artists selected for the purchase award in past years are Scot Schmidt, Peter Waldman, Joseph Sand, Jim Wegner, Joni Finnegan, Zane York, John Pettijohn, Michah Ofstedahl and Eric Anfinson. Previous Purchase Award sponsors are Jeff and LeeAnn Ettinger, Stephen and Kathryn Palen, Mahlon and Karen Schneider, Mayo Clinic Health System Austin and Gary and Pat Ray.

Artrageous

Tickets went on sale on Thursday, July 13 for Artrageous, the interactive art and music speed-painting experience coming to the Paramount Theatre as part of the Austin ArtWorks Festival at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26. The show is 2017’s Dick Schindler Celebration Event, presented by Mayo Clinic Health System Albert Lea Austin. Artrageous tours nationally and commands ticket prices of $25 to $60. Due to Mayo’s sponsorship, the Aug. 26 show tickets are $14 adult, $7 for 12 and under in advance.

Paramount Theatre

•Delgres – blues from New Orleans, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.

•Connla – Celtic music, July 26 at 7 p.m.

$5 Wednesday movie – Dirty Dancing, Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

ArtWorks Center

Sandy’s Art & Clothing Pop Up Show – July 17 at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

•Bob Ross Landscape Oil Painting on July 29 at 1 p.m.

•Kids Studio – Around the World Art Camp – Aug. 1 to 4 at 10:30 a.m.

Find out more at www.austinareaarts.org