For two weekends each November, Austin's creative spaces throw open their doors, inviting curious minds to peek behind the curtain of the city's art scene. The free Austin Studio Tour, which has grown from a modest gathering of 28 studios to a citywide celebration featuring more than 400 artists, returns starting November 9.
What began as a grassroots effort to connect artists with their community has evolved into one of Texas's largest self-guided art experiences, drawing more than 60,000 visitors each year. The Big Medium-organized, self-guided tour splits Austin along IH-35, with west side locations welcoming visitors during Weekend 1 and east side spaces following during Weekend 2.
Among the tour's stops are several cornerstone art spaces. Women & Their Work has championed women artists since 1978, while the Mexic-Arte Museum celebrates Mexican, Latino, and Latin American expression through its programming. Artist-run spaces like ICOSA Collective and Cloud Tree Studios offer glimpses into working artists' environments, and the established Wally Workman Gallery showcases some of the city's most collected talent.
A work in the Some Kind of Feeling exhibit that will be on display at ICOSA Collective during the studio tour.ICOSA Collective/Instagram
Beyond traditional gallery exhibitions, the tour showcases art in nearly every medium. Visitors can experience everything from video installations and performance pieces, to interactive sculptures and collaborative murals. The tour also provides a chance to explore Austin's public art, from sprawling murals to permanent installations that have become city landmarks.
How people experience these works varies as much as the art itself. Some gather at intimate spaces, like last year's backyard celebration at Carly Weaver's studio with live music and hands-on art-making; while others join curated journeys like the Almost Real Things bus tour.
Each stop reveals different creative viewpoints through each artist's work: Valerie Fowler's intricate nature-inspired works, Karen Maness' theatrical scenic art, Keith Kreeger's celebrated ceramics. In spaces like Adrian Whipp's Lumiere Tintype studio, traditional photography techniques meet contemporary vision, while printmaker Dan Grissom's illustrated works capture Austin's independent spirit.
Adrian Whipp's traveling studio will be part of the tour.Adrian Whipp's Lumiere Tintype studio/lumieretintype.com
Even better than the varied works is the chance to meet the artists, who are usually on hand to talk about their process and inspiration. Sometimes they'll even be working on pieces, or they'll have works in progress on display. This makes it more than just a gallery tour, and explains why Austinites love this interactive peek behind the scenes.
Austin Studio Tour will take place November 9-10 and 16-17 from noon to 6 pm each weekend. More information is available at austinstudiotour.org. A map is available here. No RSVP needed.
