Surrounded by bronze sculptures and flowers on Tuesday night, attendees lay down, basking in the subtle vibrations of a gong. UMLAUF hosted their After Dark event for this month, Sounds of Spring, providing a space for Austin residents to slow down and relax.
Founded after the death of Charles Umlauf, a former UT life drawing and sculpture professor, UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum sits across from Zilker Metropolitan Park and offers a small oasis of his works in bronze and stone sculptures.
Stacy Nguyen, community engagement and programs manager at UMLAUF, created the event, feeling inspired by her favorite season.
“What I notice about this place is there’s a lot of sounds,” Nguyen said. “We have a colony of birds that (live) here; this is their home. … Same with the waterfall, the trickling of it is really calming. … The leaves rustling, just all of it combines. It’s the art of noticing, for me, that I want to encourage people to do.”
When thinking about the sounds of spring, Nguyen said she immediately thought of Andrea Cortez, owner of Mind Body Music Center and music therapist. Having worked in the garden before, Cortez led the sound bath with gentle strums of her harp.
“My music is tied to cycles and movement of cycles through nature,” Cortez said. “In the time of spring, there’s awakening, new energy, new life, and so (spring) does influence my playing, especially on the harp.”
As the sun started to set and guests arrived, lights illuminated the sculptures in the garden, enhancing the relaxing atmosphere. UMLAUF encouraged attendees to bring their own yoga mats, lie on the floor and immerse themselves in the soundbath. Cortez moved from performing with her harp to the gongs outside in the garden and then back inside, playing on singing bowls.
“I love the gardens. I love playing in nature in general, but the gardens here are really nice,” Cortez said. “It’s definitely an experience of listening to the … environmental sounds, and playing with them, moving with that, and I think people really feel that integration of the music and sound.”
Guests sprawled out on their yoga mats, listening to Cortez’s performance as she led them through breathing exercises and stretches with her music. Between the sound baths, attendees browsed several local vendors selling art, serving cocktails and selling body care products. Nguyen highlighted the importance of connecting vendors with attendees as a part of her larger goal for this event.
“I hope they walk away feeling calm,” Nguyen said. “I hope they feel like they are well rested. I think I want them to feel nourished and taken care of, and that this is a space that … was made with the community, not just for the community.”
Kate Carpenter, an attendee who plans on getting married in the garden a year from now, hopes to meet people and find her new community in Austin.
“Life is really chaotic right now — both my individual life and just what’s going on in the world as well,” Carpenter said. “Having this wellness event is something I’ve really looked forward to … (to) just feel like (there’s) a way to escape from the things that I feel like I can’t always escape from.”
