150+senior artists
Austin-area seniors had their artwork in the show, most of them living in nursing homes and retirement communities.
The archive August 26 to 30, 2026 Texas State Capitol
Joy at the Capitol
For America’s 250th, seniors across Greater Austin painted the Texas they remember and love. For five days, their work was displayed inside the Texas State Capitol. Come walk through the week with them.
The week
Five days when people came to see our elders.
Most of these artists live in nursing homes and retirement communities. They never imagined they would have artwork displayed inside the Texas State Capitol. In August their work was featured inside the building where Texas is governed, each piece with the name and photo of its creator beside it.
- Opening reception, August 26, 2026.
- Opening day, August 27, 2026.
- Meet the artists, August 28, 2026.
- Family day, August 29, 2026.
- Closing celebration, August 30, 2026.
The journey
Walk the week with them.
From the first look up into the dome, to the last visitor on Sunday.
Under the dome
It starts with the building: the long corridors, the columns, and the first look up into the rotunda.
Highlights
Who made it, who came, who helped.
Joy at the Capitol was a five-day exhibition of artwork by seniors from Greater Austin, shown inside the Texas State Capitol from August 26 to 30, 2026.
800+visitors
Capitol visitors and guests came through the exhibition.
27displays
exhibited across eight curated collections.
6resident artists
gave artist talks. Each was chosen through a competitive open call.
24volunteers
gave more than 380 hours of service across the five days.
Recognized by the State of Texas
A proclamation from the Governor of Texas opened the exhibition, and Texas legislators and officials recognized the artists by name. These are people who are easy to overlook. For five days, the state they helped build stopped to look at them.
On air
Making Texas history, live on KXAN.
On August 27, Executive Director Roshan Manjunath brought a table of the seniors’ artwork to KXAN’s Studio 512. He talked about the first exhibition of its kind inside the Texas State Capitol, and the artists who made it.
The catalogue
The whole show, page by page.
Every piece that was displayed in the Capitol, gathered in one place with the names of the artists who made them. Turn the pages here, or open it full screen.
Open full screen (opens Canva in a new tab)
Use the arrows at the bottom of the catalogue to turn pages.
The photographs
Documenting the Experience
Tap any photo to see it larger. From there, swipe or use the arrow keys to walk through the whole week.
Under the dome
Arriving at the Capitol, and the first look up into the rotunda.
6 photosAt the door
Artists and their families by the exhibition banner, badges on, ready to go in.
14 photosThe artists and their work
Everyone went looking for their own piece on the wall. Most of them wanted a photo with it.
23 photosTogether
Artists, teaching artists and families in front of the work they made side by side.
14 photosRecognition
Certificates, a few speeches, and a room full of people who came to say thank you.
18 photosThe public days
Visitors taking their time with the collection, one wall at a time.
19 photosSponsors and supporters
Thank you to our sponsors and supporters for investing in the dignity and creative vitality of our local seniors.
Interested in supporting the 2027 program? Write to contact@artlyworld.org.
What comes next
The paintings came down. The studio sessions didn’t.
Joy for Seniors runs all year, in nursing homes and retirement communities across Greater Austin. The Capitol was one week of it. The rest is a teaching artist, a table of supplies, and a room of people who get to make something every week.