INVASIVE SPECIES 2: Opening Reception

“INVASIVE SPECIES 2” curated by Alexis Hunter

Come through for the opening of INVASIVE SPECIES 2, a multidisciplinary exhibition and series of programming, led by Austin-based artist, educator and curator Alexis Hunter.

Open for one month only, the show features eight women-identifying artists whose practices explore the many contradictions, complexities and lived experiences of womanhood — bringing together perspectives shaped by immigration and displacement, motherhood, estrangement, race and queerness, disability and survival, femininity and beauty, ecology, healing, transformation and utopian possibilities of the future.

The opening reception will be held from 7 to 10 PM on Saturday, October 9 with a series of programs and special events to follow.

All are welcome. Scroll for more details.

WHAT’S ON VIEW

Exhibiting artists: Vy Ngo, Virginia L. Montgomery, Tiffany Katarina Smith, Kate Biel, Kate Gonda, Kemi Yemi-Ese, Christine Garvey and Alexis Hunter.

An invasive species is not inherently invasive. Its designation depends on where it is, how it arrives and what it changes. In an ecosystem shaped by male-dominated systems, women have historically been treated as outsiders, disruptions, or threats when entering spaces that were not built for them. In a 2019 study of 18 major U.S. art museums, only 12.6% of the artists represented in their collections were women. INVASIVE SPECIES 2 asks what happens when those so-called disruptions take root, adapt and change the ecosystem around them. Who gets to decide what belongs? Who gets to decide what is invasive? And what new ways of life might emerge when the boundaries of an ecosystem begin to shift?

The original INVASIVE SPECIES was curated by Hunter and Jacqueline Overby in 2023. What began as a group exhibition has grown into a network of more than 25 women artists, writers, filmmakers and cultural workers across Central, Southeast Texas and beyond. For its second edition, INVASIVE SPECIES establishes new territory beyond the gallery, entering two additional cultural ecosystems: cinema and literature, through collaborations with Hyperreal Film Club and Host Publications. Programming includes a week of horror screenings at Hyperreal Film Club from October 12–16, curated by Faiza Kracheni with support from Cynthia Muñoz and a literary panel and open mic at 1900 E 12th on October 17, moderated by Annar Veröld and featuring Jasmine Games, Julie Poole and Katy Horan.

As part of Future Front’s ongoing Community Studio exhibitions, INVASIVE SPECIES 2 reflects the journey of Austin-based multidisciplinary artists through the city. The exhibit’s curator, Alexis Hunter, is an active member of Future Front’s Curatorial Advisory.

HOW TO ATTEND

The opening reception for INVASIVE SPECIES 2 is free and open to the public, thanks to support in part from an Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.

Future Front is wheelchair accessible and tactile graphics created in partnership with the Clovernook Center for the Blind will be available to support blind and visually impaired visitors in experiencing the exhibition.

MEET THE CURATOR + ARTISTS

Learn more at futurefronttexas.org/comethrough.

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO 1900 E 12TH

Future Front’s Community Studio is located at 1900 E. 12th Street. From soil to cement, the 1940s building has a long history that precedes us (including its first owner Vera Barton and the We Rise mural).

WHERE TO PARK: 1900 E 12th has a large paid parking lot across the street and is directly accessible by bus line. There’s also free parking up and down the street and in surrounding neighborhoods. Carpool, if you can!

WHAT TO DO: 1900 E 12th is located within the historic East 12th Street District, which is home to many other creative spaces and businesses, as well as organizations like Six Square. Explore the District while you’re around.

AVAILABLE LANGUAGES — ASL interpreters can be provided upon request. Si necesita traducción al español para participar en este evento, envíenos un correo electrónico a hello@futurefronttexas.org.

OUR COMMUNITY SAFETY GUIDELINES —

• All Future Front staff, volunteers and guests will be required to practice mutual respect, as well as demonstrate an alignment with Future Front’s code of conduct and values: futurefronttexas.org/values.
• Capacity is limited to reduce crowding of any kind and all events will be held in primarily outdoor and open-air spaces or have access to proper ventilations and well-maintained A/C systems.
• At Future Front events, all guests are expected to follow Austin-local health and safety guidelines for gatherings, as well as practice consideration with the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and any other legal, mind-altering or dangerous substances and objects. This includes:
• As Future Front strives to be a good neighbor, we also discourage the use of tobacco products on the property of nearby businesses and residences, to improve air quality, throughout our events.
• Tobacco use and electronic smoking device use are not permitted at any time within Future Front properties and event spaces at least 15 ft from entrances, exits, operational windows, or ventilation system intake vents. 
• Littering of tobacco-related products on the grounds or parking lots is also prohibited.
• Concealed or open weapons and firearms (including handguns) are not allowed at any Future Front venues.

GOT QUESTIONS? Shoot us a note at hello@futurefronttexas.org. We're happy to help and will get back to you!

BEHIND FUTURE FRONT

HOMEGROWN IN AUSTIN, FUTURE FRONT IS AN AWARD-WINNING CULTURE SPACE AND EXHIBITION SERIES—WITH WOMEN AND LGBTQ+ CREATIVES AT THE FRONT.

As an arts and culture nonprofit, we produce two community-led exhibitions, The Front Market and The Front Festival. Beyond our flagship showcases, we host year-round shows and workshops at our creative space in historic East Austin, welcoming 20,000+ visitors per year.

Through these programs and a diverse network of partnerships, we invite the public to dream of a future where local art and creativity thrive in Texas—where we see ourselves and our cultures reflected in our communities. Learn more at futurefronttexas.org.

FUTURE FRONT IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY The City of Austin Economic Development Department, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Texas Commission on the Arts, The LINE Hotel Austin, Pease Park Conservancy, Preservation Austin, Movability, ART FOR ALL, Partiful, Moontower Rentals, Distribution Hall, Miscellaneous Rentals, the Red River Cultural District, Topo Chico, as well as Future Front’s donors and members.