In November, the Austin Studio Tour dominates a good deal of the bandwidth when it comes to seeing art around the city.
Free and open to the public, the studio tour combines the former East and West Austin Studio Tours into one citywide event presented across three weekends.
This year, there’s more than 500 artist studios — and there’s also pop-up exhibitions, events, artist markets and dedicated arts space and galleries on the tour.
The Austin Studio Tour is divided into two regions: WEST, i.e. west of IH-35, and EAST, i.e. east of IH-35. Hours are 12 to 6 p.m. on tour days:
Nov. 5-6 (WEST)
Nov. 12-13 (WEST & EAST)
Nov. 19-20 (EAST)
With all of this in mind, we’ve picked nine exhibitions not to miss this month, some of which are official tour participants, other not. Check individual galleries for details.
WEST
Detail of Jessica Gritton’s “Fading” (2022).FRAY: New Directions in Fiber Art
Dougherty Arts Center, 1111 Barton Springs Road, austintexas.gov/department/julia-c-butridge-gallery
Through Nov. 26. Reception: 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 9
This exhibition explores the relationship between fiber arts — traditional, slow artmaking — and connectedness in an increasingly isolated, accelerated, and digital society. Featured artists are Jess Bee, April Garcia, Jessica Gritton, Catherine Hicks, Abi Mallick, Jennifer Steverson, Eris Tock and Caitlin Young.
Ellen Heck, “Three Green Bottles,” 2021, oil on linen, 20 x 28 inches. Courtesy Wally Workman Gallery.Ellen Heck: Cornucopia
Wally Workman Gallery, 1202 West 6th St., wallyworkmangallery.com
November 5-27
Heck’s semi-surreal paintings of vases and vessels are modeled from math forms that deal with infinity, chaos, and origin.
Closed Circuit
ContraCommon 12912 Hill Country Blvd., #F-140, Bee Cave
Nov. 4-Dec. 26. Reception: 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 5
The collectively-run art space presents a group exhibition of collaborative works created by the current 15 Contracommon members.
Manik Raj Nakra: Slasher
Martha’s Contemporary, 4115 Guadalupe St., https://marthascontemporary.com/
Through Nov. 22
In a new portrait series of small works on canvas, Manik Raj Nakra mashes up visual references to cheap horror flicks, Mughal portraiture, and Indian textiles.
EAST
The Department of the People + Process
Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina St. austintexas.gov/george-washington-carver-museum
Nov. 3, 2022 – Feb. 25, 2023. Opening 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 3
Part installation, part performance, part experiment, “The Department of the People + Process” examines questions of authority and the self-sovereignty of the human journey. Artist Moyo Oyelola mischievously pokes at societal norms and invites attendees to reflect, dream and participate as they answer the exhibition’s questions and contribute to its narrative.
Jenelle Esparza at Women & Their WorkJenelle Esparza: It Could Only Be Lived
Women & Their Work, 1311 E. Cesar Chavez St., womenandtheirwork.org
Through Dec. 15
Using tools and heirlooms found in her grandmother’s garage, along with her trademark use of cotton in woven form, Jenelle Esparza crafts new objects that speak to her family history and the larger story of Latino families that for generations picked cotton in Texas.
Detail of Tammie Rubin’s “Build,” mixed media on masonite. Courtesy Grayduck GalleryTammie Rubin: Faithful
Grayduck Gallery, 2213 E. Cesar Chavez St. grayduckgallery.com
Nov. 12-Dec. 13; Reception, 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 12
In a new body of work, Rubin creates plotted drawings and Masonite prayer fans by mining family photos to create a larger visual discussion of the deletion of Black Americans from narratives of Americana. Meanwhile, totem-like sculptures communicate power, fraternity, anonymity, and pageantry.
Dave McClinton, “Tame Shrewd,” 2022, Digital Collage. Courtesy Ivester ContemporaryPyre: New by Dave McClinton & Water water everywhere: Andie Flores
Ivester Contemporary, Canopy, 916 Springdale Road, ivestercontemporary.com
“Pyre” is a continuation of McClinton’s Black Life series, an ongoing project which aims to illustrate the inner life-cycle of Black people in America. And in videos and other multimedia work, performance artist extraordinaire Andie Flores probes the textures of embarrassment and the politics of Latinx figures in moments of internet virality.
Detail of Sherry Tseng Hill, “Fragmentation and Repair, “Mixed media, 17″ x 17” Courtesy ICOSAAfter Some Reflection
ICOSA, Canopy, 916 Springdale Road, icosacollective.com
Nov. 11-20. Reception: 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 11
A juried group exhibition curated by Grayduck Gallery director Jill Schroeder, features artist who contemplate personal identities, social undercurrents, and cultural landscapes: Marilyn Jolly, Yevgenia Davidoff, Kelly R Johnston, Justin Korver, Charles Heppner, Samantha Modder, Yi-An Pan, Quinn In, Sherry Tseng Hill, Jade Walker
Co-Lab Projects concrete culvert alt-gallery space. Photo: SightlinesThe Permian Recordings: Phil Peters
Co-Lab Projects, 5419 Glissman Road, co-labprojects.org
Nov. 12-Jan. 23. Reception 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 12
“The Permian Recordings” are a series of durational subterranean field recordings that capture the low-frequency vibrations of the Permian Basin in West Texas. Exploiting Co-Lab’s unique concrete culvert, the piece turns the gallery into an enormous infra-sonic subwoofer, a speaker at the scale of architecture.
Gary Webernick: True Stories & Divine Accidents
Lydia Street Gallery, 1200 E. 11th St. lydiastreetgallery.com
Nov. 12-Dec. 23. Reception: 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 12.
Webernick works in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, mixed-media installations, photography, and video.
