Visual Arts Center

Alex Codlin, Associate Director

Alex Codlin received her B.A. in Art History at The University of Texas at Austin and later returned for her M.A. in Art History, where she wrote on the English artists Gilbert & George and feelings of sadness in their singing sculptures from the late 1960s. She has presented her research at conferences at Princeton University and The University of Texas at Austin. Codlin was the assistant director at the Las Vegas Art Museum (LVAM). At LVAM, she managed the curatorial and education departments and worked on a variety of exhibitions, including Las Vegas Diaspora: The Emergence of Contemporary Art from the Neon Homeland, curated by art critic Dave Hickey; a site-specific installation by British artist Paul Morrison; and L.A. Now, a survey of emerging artists living in Los Angeles. She has previously held positions at the Blanton Museum of Art and the Dean’s Office at the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin.

Xochi Solis, Director of Events and Public Programming

Xochi Solis received her B.F.A in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005. Concentrating on painting during her undergraduate career, she has studied abroad in Tuscany, as part of the College of Fine Arts' Study in Italy program. She has also gained experience and insight from a semester abroad in Mexico City. Solis’ work has been exhibited most recently in the 2008 edition of New Art in Austin: 20 to Watch at the Austin Museum of Art and the 13th Annual Young Latino Art Exhibition at Mexic-Arte Museum. Previous to her work at the University of Texas, she was the Executive Director of the 2009 Texas Biennial and is currently an active member of MASS Gallery, an artist-run project space in East Austin.

You You Xia, Marketing and Communications Manager

For the past five years, You You Xia has worked as a publicist with New York-based Milina Barry Public Relations, a firm representing some of the world's leading classical musicians, including David Finckel and Wu Han, the Pacifica Quartet, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. She began working as a publicist after completing her master's degree in Arts Administration at New York University, where she held a prestigious fellowship at Lincoln Center Festival. Xia received her undergraduate degree in Piano Performance at The University of Texas at Austin after receiving an Endowed Presidential Scholarship to attend the School of Music. She has previously held positions at Texas Performing Arts and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in Austin.

Marc Silva, Chief Preparator

Prior to joining the VAC, Marc Silva had been the chief preparator for the Creative Research Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin since the exhibition space opened in 2001. Previously he served as a gallery manager for The ArtSpace, ACA Gallery, and Gallery Lombardi in Austin. Silva is an accomplished painter and has exhibited his work in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.