Hundreds of artists across the city will welcome visitors to check out their work over the next two weekends during the Austin Studio Tour.
With over 300 official locations, this year’s event will be the largest it’s ever been, said Zach Zulch and Natalie Earhart from Almost Real Things, the artist-run collective that took over the tour from Big Medium.
“Austin’s creative scene is so diverse,” Zulch said. “And the Austin Studio Tour is the culmination of that. It's the biggest way that we can express how much is actually happening in our city.”
In the past, the tour has been split between East and West Austin, but Earhart said they decided to make each weekend citywide to increase accessibility and make it easier to navigate. Artists can also choose which days to participate, she said, adding flexibility.
Almost Real Things put together a guidebook and online interactive map to help visitors plan according to their goals. People can search by location or medium, or for curated paths like ceramic-centered or family-friendly itineraries.
“You can totally just flip through the guidebook and point to a listing and just go there,” Earhart said. “I think that's also a really fun way to do it.”
Zulch said he recommends using the map to zoom into any area of the city and search for artists close by.
“Then zoom out and keep exploring places,” he said. “It’s a fun way to get lost in the art.”
Almost Real Things is also offering curated bus tours designed to feature stops visitors may not otherwise find.
“You can just hop on with us, meet some friends, have a drink, and we will take you to a variety of stops,” Earhart said.
The duo said 60% of this year's artists are new to the tour. Ceramicist Clara Judge is one of them. She said she was drawn to the community and wanted to be a part of it.
“I've got an army of small creatures that I'm going to roll out for [the tour],” she said. “I've got some fun clown incense burners.”
Guidebooks are available for a $10 donation from 12 to 6 p.m. at Almost Real Things in the Canopy building and their studio on Cesar Chavez. A limited number of copies are available for free at the Austin Public Library.
“This is a one-of-a-kind experience, and we want you to make the best of it, to see some things that you've never seen, to meet people that you are gonna tell your friends, ‘Hey, I met my new favorite artist,'” Zulch said. “You don't have to go on Amazon to buy gifts. ... You can go down the street and find a place near you where somebody is making really, really awesome stuff, beautiful artwork."
Find more information about the tour here.
Web story produced by Layla Dajani.
