Exhibits
Unboxing the Archives: Our Records, Our Stories
Unboxing the Archives: Our Records, Our Stories
About the Exhibit
Archives are vibrant spaces where history, memory, and identity converge. From community collections to city records and digital preservation, explore how archives shape our understanding of the past and the stories we carry forward. Learn how archivists, donors, and communities preserve diverse stories that connect us, spark creativity, and empower action. Discover how archives preserve our past while informing our futures.
For questions or the latest information about exhibits and collections, contact Austin.HistoryCenter@austintexas.gov.
About the Artist
This exhibit was created by Austin History Center staff using our existing collections.
Image credit
Holding Spaces Project
Holding Spaces Project
Steven Hatchett, Curated by Taylor Danielle Davis
Gallery (2nd Floor Southwest)
About the Exhibit
ARTIST RECEPTION: Thursday, February 5, 2026, 5:30pm-8:00pm
EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING:
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 6:00pm-7:30pm, Holding Space Through Food: Black Stories from Soil to Stove; A panel exploring Black foodways in Austin, centering stories of land, labor, culture, and community through lived experiences.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 6:00pm-7:30pm, State of Black Brick and Mortar Spaces; A community conversation on ownership, resilience, and the future of Black-owned physical spaces in Austin.
The Holding Spaces Project is a love letter to the people who make Austin feel like home. It celebrates Black entrepreneurs who have built spaces that feed, nurture, and reflect their communities, even as the city around them changes.
Through portraits and stories, the project highlights local visionaries like Riches Art Gallery, Kicking It ATX, Luv Fats Ice Cream, serving up sweet flavors inspired by family and heritage; Shag Noir, Cajjun Eats, a kitchen rooted in community and comfort; and Black Pearl Books, a bookstore reminding us that stories are one of the most powerful ways to hold space.
Together, their work tells a larger story, one about belonging, resilience, and what it really means to hold space for each other in a city that’s still learning how to do the same.
Curated by Taylor Danielle Davis. Additional sponsors _OFCOLOR , Black Pearl Books , The Library Foundation
About the Artist
Steven Hatchett is a portrait photographer rooted in Austin for the past eight years. What drives him is the quiet power of seeing — really seeing — Black life, in all its complexity, beauty, struggle, and joy. His images weave social commentary into contemporary expressions of identity, community, labor, and play.
His show All Kinds of Black in Tech was exhibited at AfroTech and at the Austin Public Library, where his work invited reflection, celebration, and conversation about access, presence, and belonging in tech spaces.
But Steven’s mission extends beyond creating images. He is the co-founder of _OFCOLOR, a nonprofit born out of a desire to uplift emerging artists of color, not just through exposure, but through mentorship, resources, and collective creative power. Over the years, _OFCOLOR has grown into a focal point of artistic growth, cultural dialogue, and community in Austin.
About _OFCOLOR : _OFCOLOR is a non-profit organization, an emerging arts alliance dedicated to cultivating a community of creatives and launching inclusive spaces for artists of color to showcase their craft and talents. Established out of a need to spotlight underrepresented communities in Austin, the organization devotes its efforts to uplifting the work of BIPOC artists, initiating visibility, and forging opportunities.