Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • D1

Austin AmericarHSlalesman Thursday, February 22,2018 ON FRIDAY MATTHEW ODAM'S REVIEW OF CHARM KOREAN BBQ austin360ir rnMirC 9. DII77I EC Contact: featuresstatesman.com; 512-445-3690 Subscribe: statesman.comsubscribe ART "Is This the Future of Affordable Housing?" by Barbara Irwin (found object assemblage). "Ain't Odessa" by Dave McClinton (digital collage). The art of Austin People's Gallery puts focus on local artists. THE PEOPLE'S GALLERY When: Opening reception 6 to 9 p.m.

Feb. 23. Exhibit hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday through Jan.

1. Where: Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second St. Cost: Free Information: 512-974-7700, austintexas.gov departmentpeoples-gallery By Emily Quigley equigleystatesman.com City Hall or art gallery? In Austin, we have both in the same space. The annual People's Gallery at Austin City Hall opens its 2018 exhibition this weekend, featuring works from 102 Austin-area artists in an array of media.

The free exhibition, the work of the city's Cultural Arts Division, aims to spotlight local artists and promote understanding and enjoyment of the arts. Arts educator and artist Ter-uko Nimura, artist and prepara-tor John Sager and St. Edward's University art professor Tammie Rubin selected the works from about 1,300 entries from more than 320 artists. We asked exhibition coordinator Suzanne Burton about how Art continued on D3 "Saffron Trail Warli" by Meena Matai (acrylic on canvas) is part of the People's Gallery 2018 exhibition at Austin City Hall, contributed photos HISTORY Randy Wicker roared as UT student activist in the 1950s He went on to a career as an LGBT activist, journalist and businessman with many causes. young man told me: 'Well, I happen to be president of that group.

We are having our first meeting of the semester, a get-acquainted social, in 20 minutes. I'm sure everyone would be interested in hearing you give a brief The room was packed with perhaps 60 students by the time the meet-up commenced. The president introduced Wicker and videotaped the speech. He talked about his friends Johnson and Rivera, but he also went further back in time. "I joined the gay movement in 1958," he announced.

"In 1958, there were not as many activ- Wicker continued on D8 notice for a meeting for trans-gender students on the UT campus. "What are you doing?" a man inquired as he stood, camera in hand, focusing on the rolling screen notices. "I'm trying to get the details on a trans group I see a notice for," Wicker replied. "I explained I had been a very close friend of both Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, the two founders of the worldwide trans movement, and shared a brief summary of my experiences as a student politician at UT," Wicker, 79, says.

"Then the By Michael Barnes mbarnesstatesman.com Randy Wicker, a nationally recognized gay journalist and businessman who had been a radical student activist on the University of Texas campus during the 1950s, was having no luck in his quest to share his singular life story with current LGBT student groups in Austin. Then came a minor miracle. After a good deal of missed chances during a recent visit to Austin, he spied an electronic Activist and journalist Randy Wicker, who was a radical student leader at UT during the 1950s, michael barnesamerican-statesman.