Weekend Spotlight: East Austin Studio Tour

By Carey Eskridge

This Saturday and Sunday (November 17 and 18) from 10am to 5pm local artists will be opening their studios and workspaces for the East Austin Studio Tour. Featuring more than 100 stops, the tour includes the work of more than 200 visual artists and artisans all within a few square miles of east Austin.

The self-guided tour was organized in 2003 by a few artists wanting to highlight the growing number of their contemporaries who were locating their work spaces on the east side. It's been said that east Austin has the highest concentration of artists in central Texas.

I've attended the tour the past three years and all I can say is the depth and breadth of talent we have here is really astounding. And as someone who has always dreamed of owning really good art, I was really happy to find affordable pieces.

Last year a group of friends spent the afternoon riding our bikes from studio to studio. It was a beautiful day (tomorrow, at least, promises to be the same) and one of those times I feel really luck to live in such a vibrant city with such creative residents.

I really recommend visiting. You may surprise yourself with how much of the day you dedicate to the tour once you get going.

Tour maps and booklets with information about participating artists can be found at Cafe Mundi, Big Red Sun, and BookPeople.

Picture from BustLoose.com. Visit their site for some pretty interesting bus tours.

Comments

[Boston Condo]

Hey Dee. Hows Austin treating ya???

[Dee Copeland]

I'm always excited to see the East Austin studio tour. It seems to be scheduled on days where I have friends coming in town each year, but I hope to go in 2008.