East Austin Studio Tour (EAST), the free self-guided annual art event put on by Big Medium is in its 18th year, and has made some tweaks to the two-weekend November festivities that differ from previous years. EAST has traditionally been a tour of artists’ studios and other temporary spaces, but this year’s tour will also include non-traditional studios, and Big Medium invites East Austin’s coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, and others to participate. The other departure from previous years is in the tour’s categories: the Happenings category and Calendar of Events will now be combined into a printed and digital event guide.
Participation rules require applicants to have a space within tour boundaries: East of I‑35, West of 183, South of 183, and North of Riverside Dr. If participants outside of these boundaries wish to participate, they could do so by showing as a guest at another artist’s studio, temporary space, or gallery. Application fee for both artists and artist groups is $175 and prospective participants can apply through Big Medium’s website. In addition to paid participation, Big Medium also awards artist fellowships based on artistic merit and financial need, and applications for fellowships are available via the aforementioned link. The open call deadline is August 22. EAST takes place on the weekends of November 16–17 & 23–24, 2019.
Funded in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City fo Austin Economic Development Department and Texas Commission on the Arts, Big Medium is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting and promoting contemporary art in Texas.