East Austin Studio Tour

Go EAST: Austin's most anticipated art event of the year returns

The east side is gearing up to strut its creative side at the 14th annual East Austin Studio Tour (EAST), taking place November 14, 15, 21, and 22. More than 160 locations east of I-35 will open their doors for free, showcasing the work of over 500 local artists.

EAST started in 2002 with 28 studios in its inaugural installment. Fast-forward 13 years, and EAST is now Austin’s most-attended art event. And the tour continues to grow. This year, it expanded to include the Montopolis neighborhood for the first time.

With so much to see and do, CultureMap gives you an inside look at this year’s can’t-miss artists, studios, and events.

Artist studios

Chelsea Brouillette at Flatbed Press Art Studio
2832 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Be sure to check out this Austin artist’s stunning watercolors, which feature kaleidoscopic splashes of color, contrast, and consciousness.

Scott Rolfe
1305 Glencrest Dr.
One man’s trash is another man’s art. Austin-based artist Scott Rolfe transforms discarded material into sculptures and assemblages. His work runs the gamut from “eccentric animals,” such as tin can elephants, to a varied assortment of other concoctions.

SprATX Art Collective
2412 E. Cesar Chavez St.
A collective of over 20 street artists and muralists, SprATX seeks to spread good vibes and awareness of the positive impact street art can have. Their works appear around town and include graffiti, murals, and a vast array of other art.

Galleries and exhibitions

Imagine Art
2830 Real St.
Art, love, and free coffee come together at Imagine Art, which features the works of over 65 artists. From ceramics and fused glass to prints and the chance to create your own “Artist Trading Cards,” make sure to stop by this exhibition. Imagine Art is a nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been serving the Austin community through art for 18 years.

ICOSA
702-B Shady Ln.
This group of artists has transformed an auto shop into a one-of-a-kind art exhibition. From the waiting room to the employee lounge, this exhibition will change the way you view art and the settings that inhabit our everyday life.

Gallery Shoal Creek
2832 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
This exhibition, called “Speaking Silence,” features work by members of the Texas Sculpture Group, an organization that provides resources and serves sculptors across the Lone Star State. It is also the Texas affiliate of the International Sculpture Center. "Speaking Silence" will spotlight a wide range of sculptures from 18 Texas sculptors and will showcase how these artists “use the language of silence to convey ideas.”

Events and parties

EAST Preview Bus Tour
916 Springdale Rd.
New this year, the EAST Preview Bus Tour offers you a sneak peek at four artist’s studios. The bus route starts at 916 Springdale Rd. and makes stops at the studios of Sunyong Chung, Andrew Long, Jonathan Beall, and Aaron Michalovic. Hitch a ride, meet the artists, and scope out their art before it's up for grabs this weekend. Food and drinks will be available at each stop. Tickets are $200.
Friday, November 13 at 7 pm

Community Breakfast
1500 E. Fourth St.
Get a head start on the tour at the EAST Community Breakfast. Besides a preview of the art featured on the tour, food and drinks will be provided by El Chilito, White Mountain Foods, Chameleon Cold Brew, Wunderpilz Kombucha, and Tito's Handmade Vodka.
Saturday, November 14 at 9:30 am

Las Piñatas/Piñata Fest 2015 at Festival Beach
2101 Jesse E. Segovia St.
If you thought Piñata Party Palace’s Donald Trump piñata was a blast, Piñata Fest 2015 is sure to satiate your appetite for destruction. Among the attractions are herds of grazing piñata burros and a plethora of piñatas hanging from trees that Austinites can take a swing at. Piñata Fest is in honor of Jumpolin, an East Austin piñata and party store whose controversial demolition in February sparked outrage.
Saturday, November 14 at 12 pm

Google presents Paint the Town
310 Comal St.
Don’t miss the chance to check out Google’s new self-driving cars. Last month, the California-based tech giant invited Austinites to submit artwork to appear on the cars and transform them into “moving pieces of art.” Stop by to see which submissions Google chose to grace the vehicles that will be tested in Austin early next year.
Saturday, November 21 at 6 pm

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EAST runs November 14-15 and November 21-22 from 11 am to 6 pm. Admission to studios and galleries is free.

Look for these signs marking each gallery, studio, exhibition, and event on the tour.

East Austin Studio Tour Big Medium signs catalog 2015

Big Medium/Facebook

Look for these signs marking each gallery, studio, exhibition, and event on the tour.

east-austin openings tours event-planner galleries

State of the Arts

7 Austin art exhibits breaking boundaries this December

Courtesy of Davis Gallery

B Shawn Cox blends western imagery with floral motifs and bold graphics at the Davis Gallery Holiday Show.

From experimental ceramics to multimedia installations incorporating found materials, Austin's early winter exhibitions showcase artists who are pushing the boundaries of their mediums while exploring themes of heritage, identity, and our relationship with nature.

Across seven venues, from the Blanton Museum to intimate gallery spaces like the Wally Workman Gallery, these exhibitions showcase both established and emerging artists. Their works invite viewers to experience familiar subjects through fresh perspectives, creating opportunities for both curiosity and education.

Dimmitt Contemporary

Michael Dines: Echoes of Tonalism — through December 13
Dines creates haunting works that transcend traditional landscape painting, using the natural world as a foundation for exploring deeper artistic elements. The artist creates a compelling tension between surface and depth, inviting viewers into mysterious, otherworldly scenes while simultaneously emphasizing their separation from these spaces. The resulting works feel like portals into an alternate reality, where familiar natural forms merge with abstract elements to create something entirely new.

Wally Workman Gallery

Will Klemm:Elevations — December 7-29
Klemm presents a collection of ethereal landscapes that capture nature's most evocative moments, from emerging sunsets to dusky forest scenes. A nationally recognized artist with more than 40 solo exhibitions across major U.S. cities, Klemm demonstrates his mastery of both pastel and oil in large-scale works that poetically interpret Southwestern landscapes from Texas to California.

Lora Reynolds Gallery

Tony Marsh: On the Clouds of Magellan — through January 1
Created over the past year, Marsh’s new sculptural works explore human torso forms and, for the first time in his career, wall-mounted pieces. The exhibition demonstrates his evolving approach to surface treatment, alternating between smooth and heavily textured surfaces, with experimental glazing techniques that include building with large chunks of glaze. Named after his father's poem about Magellan's explorations, the show marks a shift toward more personal and emotional expression in Marsh's work.

Blanton Museum of Art

Group Exhibition:Native America: In Translation — through January 5
This exhibition brings together nine Indigenous artists who explore contemporary Native identity through photography and multimedia works. The exhibition challenges historical photographic representations of Native Americans while presenting new narratives about Indigenous life today. Featured artists including Rebecca Belmore, Martine Gutierrez, and Kimowan Metchewais use various mediums — from Polaroids to video installations — to examine themes of memory, language, landscape, and beauty.

Group Exhibition: Long Live Surrealism! 1924-Today— through January 12
This multi-artist exhibition marks 100 years since Surrealism emerged as an artistic movement, changing modern perspectives by delving into dreams and the subconscious mind. The show includes pieces by key Surrealist figures such as Bellmer, Carrington, Ernst, Lam, and Ray, plus works by later artists like Kusama and Hood who were shaped by the movement's ideas.

Austin Public Library

Suzy González: Plantcestors — through January 12
González creates distinctive portraits that blend conventional oil painting with actual organic materials like pecans and seeds. Each work depicts members of local creative and social justice communities, with natural elements chosen to reflect each subject's background. The artist combines photography, gardening, gathering of materials, and preservation methods to produce layered compositions sealed in resin. These earth-toned works explore themes of cultural roots and heritage while physically incorporating elements from nature.

Davis Gallery

Group Exhibition: Breathe — through January 18
Davis Gallery’s 26th annual holiday show displays diverse works from 12 artists working across multiple mediums. The show features B Shawn Cox's vibrant acrylic paintings on fabric, which blend portraits with western themes, mixing feminine and masculine elements through unexpected color combinations and patterns. John Sager contributes mixed media assemblages crafted from found objects like printer's blocks, steel, and piano parts, while Lisa Beaman presents serene animal portraits depicting birds, rabbits, and cows in their natural settings.

$\u200bB Shawn Cox art$

Courtesy of Davis Gallery

B Shawn Cox blends western imagery with floral motifs and bold graphics at the Davis Gallery Holiday Show.

visual art galleries museums