Our story began in 2005 when founder Josh Green and a team of artists recognized the growing need for affordable creative spaces in Austin. Originally established as Shady Tree Studios and later known as Pump Project, the organization spent more than a decade providing studios, exhibitions, and resources for artists in a 20,000-square-foot East Austin warehouse. During that time, more than 250 artists worked within the space and nearly 200 exhibitions were presented, helping nurture a thriving creative community.

As Austin rapidly grew and rising real estate costs increasingly displaced artists and cultural spaces, the organization adapted to meet the changing needs of the community. In 2019, a partnership with The Arboretum created a new opportunity to connect artists directly with the public through exhibitions, and accessible retail opportunities. What began as a temporary pop-up shop evolved into a permanent home and a new chapter under the name ArtUs Co.

Since 2022, ArtUs Co has operated as a creative hub featuring artist studios, a contemporary gallery, a gift shop, workshops, and community-centered programming. In 2023, leadership transitioned to Juan and Rosemary Villegas, a visionary artist couple with deep roots in Austin’s creative community, who brought a renewed focus on visionary art and the transformative role creativity can play in personal and collective growth.

Today, ArtUs Co serves a unique role within Austin's cultural landscape. While the city is home to many outstanding galleries and arts organizations, ArtUs Co is one of the few nonprofit spaces dedicated to visionary art and the artistic exploration of the mystical and universal. We celebrate artists whose work investigates nature, ecology, mythology, consciousness, and human transformation through symbolism, alchemical processes, themes of unity, and transcendent perspectives.

Visionary art seeks to make the invisible visible, exploring inner worlds of imagination, dream, contemplation, and lived experience while revealing the deeper patterns that connect humanity to the natural world, to one another, and to the mysteries that have inspired artists across cultures and throughout history.

Through exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, wellness programming, and cultural events, ArtUs Co creates opportunities for audiences to engage with this work not only as something to observe, but as a catalyst for reflection, connection, and discovery.

What sets ArtUs Co apart is that we are built by artists, for artists. Our collective of resident artists are active participants in shaping the organization, contributing to its programming, exhibitions, and community culture. More than a gallery or studio complex, ArtUs Co functions as a living creative ecosystem where artists can create, collaborate, exhibit, and grow while inviting the public into an ongoing dialogue about creativity, meaning, and the human experience.

More than twenty years after our founding, we remain committed to empowering artists, strengthening Austin's creative community, and demonstrating how art can inspire connection, wonder, and positive cultural change.