Behind the Studio Doors

Art lovers go behind the scenes in the city-wide Austin Studio Tour

The Austin Studio tour is back for another year of peeking behind the scenes.

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.

Some Kind of Feeling ICOSA Collective 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.

galleries visual art tours

The Big Picture

Contest-winning photos show the Texas Hill Country in a new light

Hill Country rattlesnake photographed by Bill Weekley

“Danger in the Wildflowers” by Bill Weekley

This testy shot by Bill Weekley won second place.

The Hill Country is looking its best in a new round of award-winning photos. In them are landscapes, surprise moments with hard-to-find creatures, and one shot that highlights the beauty of the old-fashioned architecture. The winners of the photo contest organized by the Hill Country Alliance are available to look at in this article, and Texans are encouraged to carry the images forward through 2025 with a wall calendar.

The premise is both proud and cautious; as beautiful and thriving as the Hill Country is, heightened development is known to bring problems along with progress to rural towns. The Hill Country Alliance, a coalition of more than 85 area organizations that focus on natural and cultural preservation, has created the contest as an initiative to visually preserve the region.

There is national interest in the Hill Country, although no one sees it quite like locals. CNN named the Hill Country one of its 24 best places to visit around the world in 2024, and in 2023, motorcycle classifieds site Cycle Trader named the Twisted Sisters outside San Antonio as one of the best scenic routes in the country. Just days ago, William Chris Vineyards in Hye made the World's Best Vineyards list for the third year in a row.

More than 550 entries were submitted to the alliance this year, but only four won prizes, and of course nine more make their way onto the calendar (if you count the cover).

Grand prize:

$\u201cSunset\u201d by Jesus Corona$ This shot by Jesus Corona features wildflowers bathing in the sunset in Bexar County.“Sunset” by Jesus Corona

First place:

$\u201cGruene Nights\u201d by Gary T. Ray$ Gary T. Ray caught Gruene Hall and the surrounding buildings at the perfect dusk moment.“Gruene Nights” by Gary T. Ray

A release announcing the winners extolls the beauty of sunsets. "However, just as a sunset is fleeting, the health of our region can also be precarious," it warns. "This balance is particularly evident in current drought conditions, and HCA’s water program is focused on protecting our most delicate resources – like clear, flowing waters and the natural infrastructure we rely on to keep springs bubbling."

Second place:

$\u201cDanger in the Wildflowers\u201d by Bill Weekley$ It's amazing that Bill Weekley found this rattlesnake among sunny wildflowers and much more ominous skies.“Danger in the Wildflowers” by Bill Weekley

Third place:

$\u201cGray Fox up a Tree" by Mike Zarella$ This gray fox may look like he's sitting on the ground, but Mike Zarella caught him sitting in a tree in Blanco County.“Gray Fox up a Tree" by Mike Zarella

Many of the submitted images were of animals. "So much of the photography submitted in this annual contest reminds viewers of their own connection to the region’s delicate web of life," the release says. "This urgency underscores the importance of the HCA’s work to advance local land stewardship and conservation efforts that directly benefit the wild creatures and open spaces of the Texas Hill Country."

People's choice award:

It's not surprising viewers were enchanted by this welcoming road, which seems to lead into a future with more Hill Country blooms and beauty.Bluebonnet and Live Oak Road by William Shelton

The images above are featured on the calendar (even if they're not a full page), along with other selections that highlight unique geography, beautiful pollinators, cacti, and the darkening night sky.

Hill Country Alliance calendar The rest of the calendar images.Mockup courtesy of the Hill Country Alliance

The Hill Country Alliance works in five major areas, which are represented in some way in the images above: land, water, night sky, community, and collaboration.

This year's calendar ($15) is available now at hillcountryalliance.org. Other items like an illustrated map and apparel are also available in the online store. More information about the coalition's work (with more amazing photos sprinkled in) is available here.

The release credits the following photographers with work featured in the calendar:

Airon Mothershed
Alan Zhou
Ashley Campbell
Aspen McCallum
Baba Arimilli
Carol Serur
Carolyn Whiteside
Daniel Gomez
Delaney Kempf
Donna Chance
Elvis Canoy
Gary Sertich
Jackies Wise
Jacob Saunders
Jeff Newton
Jennifer Bauerkemper
Jess Brown
Joseph Richards
JP Sanchez
Katherine Carvajal
Kim Smith
Lisa Hood
Matthew Guthrie
Meghan James
Michael Tidwell
Michael Wight
Nicky Scott
P. Michael Jones
Patty Robertson
Paul Huchton
Shelby Sckittone
Steffen Baumgart
Stephen Isenhower
Tim Speer

hill country photography nature conservation