Downtown Austin Alliance launches new art tour

Acquaint yourself with Austin’s most beautiful street art.

A sticker that says "Art & Parks Tour"

The Old Bakery and Emporium will soon be the site of a new downtown mural.

Photo by ATXtoday

Turn the city into your own personal art gallery with a new, self-guided downtown art tour launching today.

The Downtown Austin Alliance’s new Arts & Parks tour got its first test ride this past weekend, with a group bike ride to ten local artworks, plus one special soon-to-be mural spot.

We got a sneak peek of the tour last week — here were some highlights.

Unsung Pioneers of Austin Music by Tim Kerr and Michael Corcoran | Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

This artwork honors Austin musicians dating back to the early 1900s, including Ernie Mae Miller, Gilbert Askey, and Camilo Cantu. Look closely to read the stories of a few of the most influential members of our city’s music scene — there’s even a space reading, “Your name here.”

BLACKBIRD by Holly Young-Kincannon and Joseph Drummond Kincannon | Republic Square

This sculpture honors Mexican-American communities that historically lived in the space Republic Square now occupies. The bird’s shape and details are directly inspired by Oaxacan imagery.

The mural on the side of Stubbs

This mural on the side of Stubb’s downtown honors Austin musicians. | Photo by ATXtoday

Other artworks on the tour include:

Raasin McIntosh holds up a sticker with information about the new arts tour.

Downtown Austin Alliance member Raasin McIntosh holds up a sticker with information about the new arts tour.

Photo by ATXtoday

The route also stops at a special — and currently blank — wall at Congress Avenue’s Old Bakery and Emporium. The wall is the site of Austin’s next mural, and the Downtown Austin Alliance is still searching for public input on what to paint there, and plans to callout for artists this fall or winter. In fact, on Saturday, locals were able to vote on what they want to see in the space.

The total route takes 1-2 hours to complete, and the virtual tour will be up and running through 2023.

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