Members Only: Private Artist-Led Tour by Michael Velliquette

Join us on June 11, 2025 from 5:00-6:00PM for an exclusive members-only event in celebration of our newest exhibition opening. Members will have early access to our show and a private tour led by artist Michael Velliquette. Hear the artist describe his work and have the opportunity to ask questions and engage while enjoying refreshments. This behind-the-scenes opportunity will take place during a private members-only hour before the show opens to the general public.

About the Exhibition

The Distance Within Us is a captivating solo exhibition by the internationally recognized artist Michael Velliquette. Opening June 11 and running through August 22, 2025, this exhibition debuts Velliquette’s most expansive presentation of his celebrated paper sculptures to date, alongside a striking new series of powder-coated metal works. The exhibition explores the quiet, expansive realm of interiority—a space of reflection, sensation, and presence. Velliquette’s work invites viewers to slow down, look inward, and engage with symbols and forms that speak to shared human experience. Through eyes, hands, stars, teardrops, and human profiles, Velliquette creates a visual language of awareness—an invitation to contemplate what lies beyond the visible and within the self.

“At its heart, this exhibition is a meditation on perception and presence,” says Velliquette. “It’s about reaching inward and outward at once, and the ways that symbolic forms can guide us toward greater awareness and connection.” Hear more from the artist's own words at our members tour!

About the Artist

Michael Velliquette (American, b. 1971) is a leading voice in the contemporary renaissance of paper-based art. His work has been featured in major international exhibitions including the Shanghai International Paper Art Biennial (China), Global Paper at the Stadtmuseum in Deggendorf (Germany), the Cheongju Craft Biennale (South Korea), and The Possibilities of Paper at the Torggler Fine Arts Center (VA). His work is held in permanent collections such as the Chazen Museum of Art, Racine Art Museum, John Michael Kohler Art Center, Ruby City, and the Microsoft Collection.

A frequent lecturer and educator, Velliquette is currently an Assistant Professor of Art at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has taught at craft institutions including Haystack Mountain School of Craft, Penland School of Craft, and the Pocosin School of Fine Craft. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Colossal, and on the Discovery Channel series Meet Your Makers Showdown.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, June 11, 2025

• Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• Location: UMLAUF Sculpture Garden + Museum, 605 Azie Morton Road, Austin, TX, 78704

• Price: FREE to UMLAUF Members

Registration for this event is restricted to UMLAUF Members. To become a member today go to www.umlaufsculpture.org/membership