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How did you get started as an artist? What obstacles did you have to overcome to get where you are?

I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. I've always had a fondness for skeletons and devils. I remember as a kid, my grandmother gave me a batman watch and a rubber devil. I endowed my devil with super powers and loved playing with him. As a kid I used to draw devil faces on homework, not all of the teachers were okay with this. Even my dad once asked me "when are you going to stop being so weird?" He doesn't remember this now, and insists that he supported me in all my endeavors, I find it's best to let him have that belief. 

How did you get started as an artist, and what led you to focus on sculpture?

Around the age of ten I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. There were pieces in there that I felt an indescribable connection with, and I knew my place in the world at that moment.

From its beginnings as Omelettry West in 1979, the Magnolia Cafe on Lake Austin Boulevard (aka Magnolia Cafe West) went on to become a legendary Austin eatery. Now that Magnolia Cafe West is closing, we wanted to pay tribute to its place in Austin history by interviewing Magnolia owner Kent Cole to learn more about this unique diner. 

Your work has a very whimsical and fantastic edge; how would you describe your style? What led you to take this approach?

I would describe my style as playfully introspective storybook art for the inner child. The themes are fantastical, but there is a deeper tone behind the subject matter.

Here's a little secret that visitors may not be aware of: you don't have to spend a fortune on a wristband to have a blast getting down to live music during SXSW week. In fact, there's plenty of free fun to be had right here in Austin's South Congress neighborhood.