“Dance Halls of Central Texas: An Exhibit of Photographs and Drawings Documenting Wooden Structures Built Between 1840-1940” will open November 9 at the Blanco Library and run through November 30. Architect and photographer Krista Whitson was intrigued by these historic buildings when she first moved to Texas and visited Fischer Hall and Gruene Hall.

During the next three and a half years, she visited 72 dance halls within a 150-mile radius of Austin to document their history and architecture. The result, funded by a grant from the Graham Foundation, is a striking exhibit of black and white photos set in metal frames constructed and welded by architect husband Ernesto Cragnolino.

A native of Greenfield, Indiana, Krista holds degrees from The University of Chicago and The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently employed by the award-winning firm of Mell Lawrence Architects in Austin. She collaborated with Austin naturalist and landscape designer Jill Nokes on the book, Yard Art and Handmade Places: Extraordinary Expressions of Home.

In her spare time, Krista enjoys cooking, dancing, and watching football. She’s learning to knit, hoping she can combine watching football and knitting. She is grateful to her friends at the architecture school at UT for their assistance in making this exhibit possible.