Invasive Species 2

Invasive Species 2 opens at Future Front on Friday, October 9, and runs through October 31. It's a multidisciplinary exhibition curated by Alexis Hunter, featuring nine women-identifying artists: Vy Ngo, Virginia L. Montgomery, Tiffany Katarina Smith, Kate Biel, Kate Gonda, Kemi Yemi-Ese, Christine Garvey, Lovie Olivia, and Hunter herself. The opening reception is Friday night from 7 to 10 PM.

This is the second edition of a project that started in 2023, originally co-curated by Hunter and Jacqueline Overby. Since then, it's grown into a network of more than 25 women artists, writers, filmmakers, and cultural workers across Central and Southeast Texas. Hunter, an Austin-based artist, educator, and member of Future Front's Curatorial Advisory, is leading this one on her own, and she's expanded the project beyond the gallery. The exhibition is paired with a literary panel and open mic on Saturday, October 17, from 7 to 9 PM, and a series of horror screenings from October 12 to 16.

The title comes from the idea that an invasive species isn't inherently invasive—the label depends on where it arrives and what it changes. Hunter uses that as an analogy for how women have historically been treated as outsiders in male-dominated systems. The original 2023 show was named one of the Top 5 exhibitions to see in Texas by Glasstire, and Hunter was named Austin Chronicle's Best Visual Artist of 2023. The exhibition is wheelchair accessible, with tactile graphics created with the Clovernook Center for the Blind.

The programming stretches across two venues. The exhibition is at Future Front House, 1900 E 12th St, while the horror screenings, curated by Faiza Kracheni, take place at Hyperreal Film Club, 301 Chicon St Suite A. The literary panel is moderated by Annar Veröld with Jasmine Games, Julie Poole, and Katy Horan. Everything is free and open to the public.