BIZ BUZZ
TAYLOR — It’s lights, camera, action as the Main Street cultural revival continues to roll out with the debut of Outpost 512, a new pop-culture art gallery downtown.
Steven “Pipeman” Piper is in the director’s chair at the store, 302 N. Main St., which offers artwork featuring movies, action icons and more.
“Ten years ago, I got really into a store in Austin called Mondo Tees,” Piper said. “Before the store would open, I would get in line with over 70 people at seven in the morning and camp out until they opened to get whichever new movie poster was dropping that day.”
Eventually, it was “The End” for that store, he added. Afterwards, Piper himself began selling cinema posters and other art.
“Unfortunately they closed due to the pandemic, which left a hole in this community. So eventually we started doing tailgate art shows,” he added.
Piper settled in the area and began to grow fond of Taylor.
“I am originally from Nashville, but my wife and I live in Hutto and once a month we would choose a new place to explore and ended up really liking Taylor,” he said. “We started doing conventions in different places like Houston, Dallas, Bastrop and even in Nashville. We still do these conventions today.”
The store’s name pays homage to a classic sci-fi horror movie remake helmed by director John Carpenter, which in turn is based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s chilling novella, “Who Goes There?”
“The name Outpost 512 was inspired by John Carpenter’s movie ‘The Thing,’” Piper said.
The movie depicts scientists at an icy outpost in Antarctica fighting a murderous, shape-shifting alien from a crashed UFO.
“Of course, 512 is the Austin area code, so we are the Austin area’s outpost,” he said.
Outpost 512 occupies the former site of independent bookstore Curio Mrvosa, which moved just a few blocks south to 114 N. Main St.
“We became really good friends with the owners of … Curio Mrvosa,” Piper said. “They offered us their space for a more permanent spot to sell our art. We are happy to be next to The Howard (Theatre) because it will attract the right crowd.”
Outpost 512 aims to raise the curtain on the film world’s artistic canvas for a Taylor audience, he said.
“There was a hole left in a community that values pop art and movie posters and we had nowhere to go,” Piper said.”We want to bring the old Austin feel to Taylor and give the people that remember the old Austin a place to be.”
Piper said visitors will enjoy the retro vibe of the gallery, which includes a1980s interior and televisions playing old-style VHS videos.
And yes, there is a story behind the nickname “Pipeman.”
“I grew up working in a video store for the majority of my life and I found my love for VHS art there,” Piper said. “When I was in college in Nashville, I was a radio deejay. One day my cousin told me I should start going by ‘Pipeman’ because my last name is Piper, so the ‘Pipeman’ would play ‘80s classic rock from 9 p.m. to midnight.”
Describing the store as a little bit “funky,” Piper noted there are 45 local and international artists showcased there.
He hopes by September to turn the whole gallery into a 1980s video store with custom-made VHS art and more. Piper, who said he takes great pride retailing retro movies and pop art from classic cult movies, still makes appearances at the Texas Frightmare Weekend, Houston Horror Film Festival and the Cult Classic Convention in Bastrop.
Hours are noon to 5:30 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
I am originally from Nashville, but my wife and I live in Hutto and once a month we would choose a new place to explore and ended up really liking Taylor.”
— STEVEN PIPER | OUTPOST 512
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