Black Lagoon: Art + Yoga

Came here to try out their Hatha yoga series. Read about this place online, and thought it might be neat to try out a new scene for yoga. What a great ambience! The instructor was calm and collected and was very passionate about the space. The artwork was amazing. I’m a novice and partially when it comes to creative genius, but when I’m impressed, I’m impressed. I was able to walk around and self-​tour the area before starting. All the props were laid out. The vibe is very intimate and focused on your own mind and spirit. Great place to try something new.

We used the Black Lagoon for a rehearsal dinner and it was perfect! What a wonderful spot. David was so helpful and a great bartender. The lighting is really nice, the art on the walls was lovely. It is a very reasonable way to do a rehearsal dinner because I brought in all the food and drink. Saved lots! Thank you David and Singer for a very memorable, beautiful evening.

I absolutely love this place, it’s so calm and always smells amazing. Your mood will quickly shift just walking in! The yoga is great here too and Michelle is an amazing and kind restorative yoga teacher. It’s such a cute art studio too :)

I really like this yoga studio! I always feel so zen surrounded by all the beautiful art. I also like that their classes are small and the teachers offer as much or little correction as you’re willing to accept. I went in one day with TERRIBLE allergies and the instructor was so sweet that she gave me some essential oil on a tissue to take with me (in addition to the one on the eye pillow during the restorative portion of class), to help with my congestion.

My husband and I held our wedding reception here last month and we loved everything about the venue! Singer and her staff were extremely professional, friendly, and helpful. She met with us the week before the wedding to discuss how the tables would be set up, and even rearranged some of the artwork so we could have a photo booth/children’s play area in the corner. My guests were absolutely blown away by the beauty and intimate atmosphere of the venue. There was plenty of room for dinner and dancing with 40 guests.

I attended Black Lagoon for a wedding a few months ago and I loved how open this venue is — great for a small intimate wedding. I didn’t interact with the staff members aside from the bartender, but the event seemed to happen smoothly. I loved that the couple could bring in their own catering and booze for their special day. I saw (per their bulletin board) they also offer yoga classes in addition to art gallery events. I may just have to come back from those classes!

(More like 4.5 stars) I held a small party at Yoga Black Lagoon and from start to finish it was a very casual, laid-​back process, from booking, to party, to end. Singer, the contact person for events, is a very friendly individual who responded quickly to emails.
Booking an event here is surprisingly inexpensive. It’s also a deceptively small-​looking space on the outside, but when you walk in, there is way more room than you may have initially thought. With an attached parking lot, two rooms separated only by a short wall, art pre-​hung on the walls for décor, and the ability to bring in outside catering, I would definitely put this in the running for a nice wedding event space without the high prices that wedding venues command. Plus, the less people you have in your head count, the less things will cost. I appreciated that the full price list and available items were on the website, so I could read before inquiring, and my only question about the event was if the space was available on the date I wanted it.
As it was, Singer asked me in advance how many tables and chairs I’d like for the party, had them set up by the time I stepped in the space, helped me set up the rest of the party items, disappeared when the party actually started, and came back at the tail end of it. She helped clean up a bit and broke down tables and chairs, then mailed me back my $ 100 event deposit 2 weeks after the date.
If I have any criticisms about the way things were handled (and I’m being very nit-​picky here), I’d say that I wished Singer followed up on emails with confirmations, as I had a moment or two of not knowing if my date was set after I changed it, or where my refunded deposit check was after the party was over. I also really disliked that contractually, if you pay by credit card, there’s an «accounting fee» that is the credit card fee. I do business in Texas and businesses are not allowed to charge the credit card fee to the client (though they CAN give a discount to cash/​check paying clients), so charging the 3% as an «accounting fee» as a loophole leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
However, all of that is pretty slight in the grand scheme of things, so if you were to hold an event here, just pay by check and make sure to email asking for the status of things, and you’ll be all right.

Our university alumni club recently rented Gallery Black Lagoon for an event for the second year in a row. The price, location, and parking (!) can’t be beat. Singer and Davide were a pleasure to work with and were very accommodating before, during, and after the event. I have organized many events around town and this is a great venue especially since you can bring in outside catering and alcohol as long as you have a TABC bartender, which the gallery is happy to provide. Not to mention, tables, chairs, and black linens are provided so you save a considerable amount of money not having to deal with rentals. The space is clean and well-​maintained and I would highly recommend it to anyone. On a side note, they also have yoga classes throughout the week and those are always fun!

I came here for an event, and I have to say that it makes for an interesting event space. Not big enough for a huge event, but it comfortably fit 50+ people, I am unsure if I would rent it myself (I’ve no idea what the competition looks like), but I thought the space was cute if a bit awkwardly located.

I would buy art here. I thought this would be the death of one of my favorite video stores. Instead, it had turned into the life of one of my favorite galleries. I like the range of artists, and the ability the owner has to think outside the box with new and inspiring artists. This review is way too fancy. I like to get drunk. There, that feels better.

My husband and I rented the Gallery Black Lagoon for our wedding reception back in May 2011 after returning from a small wedding ceremony in Costa Rica. The venue was perfect for a cocktail/​dance party with 75 or so of our friends and family. Singer was so helpful and flexible. She made sure everything went smoothly. I appreciated that we were able to bring in outside food, drinks, and our own bartender, and that she provided the chairs, tables, and linens. Sugar Tooth Bakery catered the dessert buffet and we ordered pizzas from the Parlor next door, delighting both our vegan and non-​vegan guests. We were having so much fun that Singer let us stay an extra hour on the fly in lieu of getting our deposit back. A few days later, my husband and I came back and picked out one of the prints from the collection at that time as a keepsake from that memorable evening. This place has it all – ambiance, affordability, and convenience.

This is a very nice, approachable gallery. They always have interesting shows and put a lot of effort into creating a fun atmosphere during openings by getting lots of sponsors (snacks and drinks) and sometimes having bands play. They have hosted many charity events and support emerging austin artists. I feel like its really important to support such a promising upcoming gallery in Austin. I highly recommend checking out their openings.

My husband and I recently had a party at Gallery Black Lagoon to celebrate our informal nuptials in addition to our upcoming move to London and things couldn’t have gone more smoothly. The space is clean, beautiful, and well laid out; there are two main rooms, which made setup very simple. We had several bands play in the back room throughout the evening while guests mingled and ate in the front. The entry to the second room is wide and there is a cutout in the partitioning wall, keeping the rooms from feeling closed off, so everything worked very nicely. Singer and David were extremely accommodating and graciously answered all our (sometimes neurotic) questions in a timely manner, showed up very promptly to let us in and start setting up, and were extremely helpful and kind throughout the course of the evening. Lighting for the band was beautiful and interesting and really shows the facility’s attention to detail. As the night wound down and our guests started to leave (or not leave, ahem), David was very kind and patient (probably more than I would have been) and did not make us feel rushed or harried with cleanup.
I have to admit, this was not the first space that came to mind when discussing party plans, but I am glad we went with it. I can imagine all sorts of events taking place here and would definitely consider it again.

I recommend The Gallery Black Lagoon for both locals and those out-​of-​town visitors who want a taste of authentic Austin. I lived near the space, which is nestled on the edge of Hyde Park, when I was in college. It used to be a quirky video store. Now that videos have gone the way of the dinosaur, it has turned in to a great little gallery that features both local Austin artists and regional creators. The two-​room gallery also has a nice selection of really unique jewelry and wares.
Gallery Black Lagoon is cool because their exhibits change over frequently so popping in every few weeks won’t leave you bored. If you sign up for their e-​mail list you’ll get reminders about cool openings and gallery events.
The last time I was in I bought a black and white from Suzanne Koett’s portrait series «Sabbat». I also received some really cool hand-​cut metal earrings as a gift.
Pop in and see if anything strikes your fancy. Prices are more than reasonable for the quality of art in the gallery.

Seeking to expand the scope of my reviews, I couldn’t help but RSVP «I’m In!» to The Birthday Benefit for the Austin Children’s Shelter, posted as an event on Unilocal and held here at Gallery Black Lagoon.
As I’m sure you’ve gleaned from either personal interaction or even a cursory read of my reviews, «Nathan» and «Charity Event» are words that are rarely ever seen together without the phrase: «was invited by a friend who said there would be an open bar at the» in between them. But this time I thought: Why the hell not? It was billed as a «cocktail and crudité» evening with «DJ Dylan C spinning the night away», with sushi from How Do You Roll and cocktails provided by Dripping Springs vodka, all for a suggested Donation of $ 10-​$ 20 to help «the abused and neglected kiddos at the Austin Children’s Shelter». Booze, sushi, a new venue… and a good cause? Aside from the good cause part, I was completely in my comfort zone.
I e-​mailed my brother Neal and his fiancée Lisa, and asked them if they’d like to attend with me. I figured since they’re the types who heavily support local businesses and love to celebrate Austin’s quirkiness, they could appreciate an evening at a modern art gallery hosting a little fête for a local charity. They said they’d meet me at Gallery Black Lagoon at 8:00 PM, the start time listed on the event.
As soon as I turned on 43^rd off Guadalupe and saw the gallery, I knew what I had envisioned in my head was completely different than what was staring in front of me. I parked in the lot adjacent to The Parlor Hyde Park, and headed inside.
The space I had imagined to be a sprawling, warehouse, loft-​like space able to accommodate hundreds was actually two small rooms, separated by a half wall. OK, so I’d misjudged the size *just* a bit. A gallery employee, Sarah, told me the event officially started in a couple minutes, but when I peeked into the main room, two women were still setting up tables. Nobody from the charity bothered to welcome me, which I found a little odd. Sarah seemed bored and just a little condescending, which didn’t make a great first impression of the gallery for me. It was awkward, to say the least. I said I would go next door and wait for my guests. She flashed me a mirthless smile, and I left.
Neal and Lisa met me at The Parlor, and Neal said you’re supposed to arrive at least a half hour fashionably late to things like this. Good God, he was right. How could I have been so gauche? We discussed Korean food and their trapeze lesson the next day, before making our way back around 9:00.
Now the party seemed to have picked up. We dropped our donations into a vase before making our way to the snack tables. Over sushi, hummus, and an OK cheese platter, we got our first look at the gallery. The first room displayed a lot of local jewelry for sale, some of it that looked decent and some of it that looked like soda tabs strung together with a $ 170 price tag. I had a vodka tonic mixed by the Dripping Springs vodka rep, and Lisa tried some Lone Star iced tea as we explored further.
The back area was where there was more artwork displayed and a silent auction table set up. We bid on an Uchi gift certificate, a 1-​hour massage, and a microbrewery tour while I listened to a band that was so NOT a DJ, like it was billed. The band sounded exactly like you’d expect a band to sound as background music for a soirée held in a gallery (saxophone and all). However, they really needed to bring the volume down a few notches, as they were playing as if they were in the Erwin Center, and not a small art venue that left many people unable to hear themselves chat because of the overwhelming noise level. The drummer was *kind of* cute. It was slim pickins, ok?
I took the time to read about several of the local artists featured. A couple of them impressed me with their work, but a lot of the write ups made them sound like pretentious snobs, especially for someone who wanted to charge $ 300 for a sketch of a dead bird. A good portion of the people who showed up for the event were unsurprisingly smug, walking caricatures of themselves, with the words «see and be seen» scrawled all over their faces. Lisa almost made me spit out my cocktail when she asked if the four emo-​ish, alternative-​looking group all sitting together on a bench sizing everyone up were actually guests, or posing as an art instillation of their own. I couldn’t have made a sharper observation myself.
We stayed about an hour and a half, mostly to see how the silent auction bidding was going. My opinion was the gallery itself was a nice space for this sort of event, and if you want to dabble in supporting local artwork, this would be the place to start out. I noticed a few reviews that mentioned wedding receptions or pre-​wedding parties held here, and I could definitely see Gallery Black Lagoon as a unique venue for that sort of thing.
For me? It was what it was. Nice little shindig, nice little venue. 3 Stars.

Just left the Black Lagoon, which is currently exhibiting bicycle prints until May 30^th. I had never been to Black Lagoon until today on a whim. It’s a small gallery, not overwhelming, so you can be in and out, if efficiency is your thing (not my experience in Paris! Exhausting…). No admission fare, either. The young woman holding down the fort was welcoming. I bought two prints for approximately $ 50. If you love biking, then you must go and check out the art before the exhibit ends [tomorrow]! You can see the bicycle posters and more here:
There is one bicycle U-​rack, so I suggest more 2/​3-​wheeler parking. Plus, you can grab some pizza at the Parlour next door. The ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ mural on the building is pretty sweet as well.

We hosted our Pre-​Wedding Party here, and couldn’t have been happier. Singer was constantly on top of her game, even when we needed more than they regularly offered. We even got some pizzas from The Parlor next door, which were delicious and made feeding the vegans easy! I cannot give Singer enough praise for being just an all around wonderful person as well as doing a great job and going out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. She really helped me not turn into a maniacal bride-​to-​be.
This place is such a great deal. They set up the tables, chairs, table cloths and even will clean up after you for a small extra fee. So worth it!
I am so grateful for Unilocal for helping me find this place. Reading the filtered reviews help cement my decision, and I hope my review will help another person’s search in the future!

Gallery Black Lagoon was a great venue for us!
Greenpeace hosted a live video conference with our headquarters in Washington, D.C. to talk about our upcoming climate campaign with supporters and local activists. They did all the work for us from setting up the chairs and providing internet access, a projector, and very large screen for the event.
The owners were extremely helpful and accommodating. The space was charming with a great atmosphere and the price was unbeatable.
This space would be great for other presentations, lectures and workshops. They even give non-​profit organizations a 10% discount.

We hosted our wedding reception at Gallery Black Lagoon. They had plenty of room, tables and chairs. Singer was very accommodating and nice, she even helped us move tables around and set up our projector. This place has two bathrooms, which is a surprise given the size, and this is a very good thing for an event. Plenty of parking around back.
There was nothing negative about our experience at all and I only have good things to say about hosting an event here. You and your guests *would* have to be mindful of the art that might be there but really having the art at our event was a big bonus!

charming little gallery and quite the jewelry show today! lots of yummy free food treats and the art on the walls was intrigueing and worth a lengthy glance or two. I ended up buying a few original pieces of jewelry and look forward to more events in the space. I believe you can rent out the building for events also which might be a nice twist for the next party we have. All in all a welcome addition to the neighborhood — and the jewelry show is going on until 7pm today so go check it out!