Rapidly developing East Austin has been a darling of artists and other creatives for a good two decades now. Today, the neighborhood has some of the best contemporary art installations in the city, and not just during the annual East Austin Studio Tour (EAST) event. If you’re in the market for some new artwork or just want to get your modern art fix, visit these free East side art galleries.
Big Medium
With all the work Big Medium puts into organizing EAST, the West Austin Studio Tour, and the Texas Biennial, you could be forgiven for assuming the organization couldn’t possibly run a gallery of its own. But Big Medium has an East Austin warehouse gallery with one of the city’s weirdest and most well-curated contemporary art collections. Big Medium’s gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday.
grayDUCK Gallery
This small gallery, located in Austin’s South 1st Street arts and dining district, packs a punch for its size. A range of artistic mediums are represented at grayDUCK, and some of the work is surprisingly affordable. grayDUCK, a five-minute drive from AMLI Eastside and AMLI South Shore apartments, is open Wednesday through Sunday. Visit the website for information on artist workshops and other events.
Las Cruxes
Earlier this year, Austin’s most dedicated readers bid goodbye to their beloved Farewell Books. But 913, the collective and art gallery responsible for the art that adorned the independent bookshelf’s walls, is still around. Las Cruxes, a fashion and interior design boutique, is now maintaining and exhibiting works from the gallery. Las Cruxes, open seven days a week, is less than a mile from AMLI Eastside.
MASS Gallery
Five studios and a shop make up MASS, a seamlessly curated contemporary art gallery on Austin’s east side. The shows on display here are among the Austin community’s most inventive. Recent exhibition themes have included fashion, rural kingdoms, and shampoo. When exhibitions are running, the MASS Gallery is open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
SprATX
More than 20 artists belong to this East Austin art collective. In addition to providing resources to artists working in its studios, SprATX connects art enthusiasts and artists through frequent events and its well-curated collection of contemporary art. SprATX’s impressive space is open every day of the week except for Wednesdays.
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