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

La Mujer | Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center
The Rise of Masontown | Saltillo Residences
Where the Wildflowers Grow | 301 Porch
El Mero Muro Program | Mexic-Arte Museum
In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy | The Contemporary Austin
Wall Painting for Austin | Waterloo Park
Mural Sculpture | Republic Square
Treehouse | Pease Park

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.

The Downtown Austin Alliance is still searching for public input on what to paint there, and plans to call out 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.

QUESTION

What was the worst thing you ever bought? Why was it so bad?

Congratulations to Sarah M. for winning a $50 gift card to our online shop, Six & Main. Did you know you could be our next winner? Answer this week’s survey questions for a chance to score a gift card!

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EVENTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Monday, March 13

Come Up 2023 | Monday, Mar. 13 | 2-10 p.m. | Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St., Austin | Free | Take in works inspired by the senses at this exhibit highlighting the future of the Black Austin art scene.

Tuesday, March 14

Austin FC vs. Violette AC | Tuesday, Mar. 14 | 7 p.m. | Q2 Stadium, 10414 Mc Kalla Pl, Austin | $56-$109 | You know the drill — bust out the Verde to cheer on our MLS team.

Wednesday, March 15

Sweet Sensi presents Texas Hemp Planting Festival | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 12-6 p.m. | Flamingo Cantina, 515 E 6th St, Austin | Free | Tune into the Mau Mau Chaplains and enjoy food and drinks from local vendors.
Restless Fest Austin | Wednesday, Mar. 15 | 1-10 p.m. | The Far Out Lounge & Stage, 8504 S. Congress Ave., Austin | $35-$85 | Armani White, Bankrol Hayden, and Brennan Savage will perform at this weeknight music fest.

Thursday, March 16

Nightbird | Thursday, March 16-Sunday, March 26 | Times vary | Austin Playhouse, 405 W. 22nd St., Austin | $17-$38 | Follow artist Chelle as she refurbishes her childhood home in Baltimore and confronts the racism in America’s history.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

EVENTS

Check “go to a masquerade speakeasy” off your 2023 bucket list

A woman wearing a sequined dress and decorative mask laughs while holding a glass of champagne.

The location of the masquerade ball is a secret until 48 hours prior to the event. | Photo by Wonderlust

Ever wondered what it’s like to have access to exclusive events like speakeasies and masquerade balls? Now you can find out.

Wonderlust Speakeasy Cocktail Club is a private, members-only club that throws classy parties in secret locations — and on Thursday, March 23, you’re invited to their Seven Deadly Sins Masquerade Ball for an unforgettable experience to show you how great being part of the club really is.

Ready to join? Head to their website, click “join,” and a team member will be in touch. Prost.*

GOT A SECRET, CAN YOU KEEP IT?

NEWS NOTES

Weather

68º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain

Biz

Austin-based Yeti is recalling 1.9 million products due to malfunctioning magnets, which could pose a swallowing risk. Affected products include the Sidekick dry gear case and M20 soft backpack cooler. (Austin American-Statesman)

Sports

Texas men’s basketball defeated Kansas 76-56 on Saturday, taking home the Big 12 tournament title for the second time in three years. The UT women’s team lost their title game 61-51 to Iowa State on Sunday. 🏀 (Austin American-Statesman + KXAN)
Both Texas men’s and women’s basketball teams will compete in NCAA tournaments this year, the organization announced last night. Cheer on the men’s team against Colgate on Thursday, March 16, and the women’s team against East Carolina on Saturday, March 18.

Development

Tesla CEO Elon Musk may be planning to build a “Texas utopia” in Bastrop County. The tentatively named “Snailbrook” development would be built near existing sites for Musk’s Boring Company and SpaceX. 🏗 (KXAN)

Civic

Austin City Council adopted a plan last week to help ensure people live near new Project Connect routes and stations. Although more specific details are yet to come, that could be accomplished primarily through zoning changes. 🚊 (Austin Chronicle)
A 6.5-mile hike-and-bike trail stretching along the old Bergstrom Spur railroad to the airport is one step closer to becoming a reality. Last week, Austin City Council initiated communications with TxDOT about bringing safe bike and pedestrian walkways to the trail. (CBS Austin)

Festival

What do Nick Jonas, Ali Wong, and Priyanka Chopra have in common? They’ve all been in Austin this weekend for SXSW. See which other celebrities have been spotted downtown, and keep an eye out for other cameos on our Instagram. (KXAN)

Today Is

National Napping Day. Yup, the best day ever. Shop our favorite sleepytime picks for a cool and comfy snooze like this kooky but effective eye mask and this cutting edge mattress topper with a water cooling system. 💤*

DYK

Fun local fact: Austin è l’unico posto in cui si possono ancora vedere le moontowers, i predecessori dei lampioni. Erano alte 165 piedi e in grado di illuminare un’area di 3.000 piedi di diametro. Le torri furono erette alla fine del XIX secolo, quando meno del 50% degli abitanti di Austin aveva l’elettricità nelle proprie case. Di fatto quindi, le moontowers diedero ai residenti la possibilità di andare in giro di notte per la prima volta nella storia della città. Find the translation of this fun fact in The Wrap at the bottom of our newsletter.*

Seasonal

To welcome the new season, our online store (Six & Main) is running a Spring Forward Contest. The winner + two friends will receive a prize from one of our coffee or tea brand partners. The contest is running now through Friday, March 24. Learn more on Instagram. 🌸

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ARTS

Museum mania

A line of spray paint cans on a shelf next to photography

The museum’s hip hop exhibit includes ephemera from its Miami location, plus never-before-seen artifacts. | Photo by ATXtoday

Austin’s arts scene just keeps growing.

Two new museums, The Domain’s Museum of Illusions and East Austin’s Museum of Graffiti, officially launched over the weekend. We got a first look at the new locations before they opened to the public — here’s what to know.

Museum of Graffiti: The Art of Hip Hop

Okay, first a caveat for this one. Although the Museum of Graffiti went all out for its new spot at 809 E. 6th St., it’s a temporary pop-up. The Miami-based museum’s exhibition is up and running in the Capital City until Tuesday, March 28.

The Museum of Graffiti’s first-ever pop-up honors graphic designers, artists, and photographers behind the most iconic hip hop album covers and labels, in addition to showcasing artwork from well-known graffiti artists.

Austin’s own Sloke One contributed murals for the pop-up, some of which will stay even after the pop-up closes.

KEEP READING

THE WRAP

DYK, translated: Austin is the only place you can still see moontowers, or, 165-ft-tall predecessors to street lamps that emitted a 3,000 ft diameter of light. The towers were erected in the late 19th century, when less than 50% of Austinites had electricity in their homes, so moontowers gave residents freedom to roam at night for the first time. Brush up on your Italian skills with a subscription to Babbel (currently 60% off exclusively for ATXtoday readers now through Sunday, March 19).*

Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: We officially kicked off SXSW on Friday, and boy, is it keeping us busy. Some highlights so far include hearing Priyanka Chopra speak about women in film and celebrating Miranda Kerr’s 40th birthday — and the launch of a new KORA Organics product — at the Commodore Perry Estate.

Missed Friday’s newsletter? Here’s what to know about Daylight Savings Time.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Camille McLeod | Advertise with us.

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