German-born sculptor Elisabet Ney built her studio, Formosa, in Austin's Hyde Park in 1892.
She sculpted Texas heroes including Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, and the studio became a gathering place for politicians and artists.
After her death in 1907, friends formed the Texas Fine Arts Association to preserve it. It is now a city museum.
Timeline
- 1892Ney builds Formosa.
- 1907Ney dies.
- 1911Opens as a museum.
A woman who wanted a studio ended up founding one of the first art museums in Texas.
