The Austin Museum of Art’s $23 million downtown expansion project is one of the biggest casualties of the economic downturn. But all in the capitol is not grim.  Jeanne Claire van Ryzin at the Austin American-Statesman checks in with this thorough report of how arts groups are faring in Austin.  I wonder if we’ll see more of this here in North Texas:

At Austin Lyric Opera, leaders opted to call off the lavish annual ball when individual and corporate sponsorships began to slow in December. Instead, it launched “The Curve Ball” campaign to raise the same $170,000 as the elegant fête, but with all the money going to the opera, not to party expenses.