Get a sneak peek into the work spaces of some of Austin’s most creative minds! The West Austin Studio Tour (WEST) will take place May 10-11 and May 16-17 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., when artists open their studios and galleries for people to peruse and enjoy, with no admission fees. There is a lot going on, so pick up your free copy of the WEST Catalog at any branch of the Austin Public Library or browse it online to choose studios and events that sound most appealing to you and your family. We talked to folks at Big Medium who organize the event, and they had a few suggestions for family friendly events at WEST. Check ’em out below!

—-> Free Family Friendly Events at WEST:

— Community Breakfast @ WEST Group Exhibition
Saturday, May 9, 9:30-11 a.m.
On the first Saturday of the West Austin Studio Tour, you can enjoy a free community breakfast at the WEST Group Exhibition. Start your 2015 WEST with food, drinks, and enjoy a preview of artwork you can see on the tour. Bring your catalog and your appetite!

— Mother’s Day Party @ Eli Halpern Gallery
Sunday, May 10, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tour the gallery and enjoy complimentary beer and cookies with your Mom.

— Ney Day @ Elisabet Ney Musuem
Saturday, May 16, 12-5 p.m.
Come celebrate Elisabet Ney, her art and legacy of empowerment. Visit her studio, the oldest art building in town and enjoy the Yes Ma’am Brass Band, Tiarra Girls, Naga Valli, Jennifer Grey’s New Nose, SeVana Marimba, trapeze, fiction readings, and too many activities to list! This year we will also unveil Dance of the Cosmos, an exciting new outdoor sculpture installation by Featured Austin Artist Jennifer Chenoweth.

— 2nd Street Public Art Crawl @ City Hall
Saturday, May 16, 10-11 a.m.
Discover new public art downtown! The crawl starts at City Hall and showcases new artworks along 2nd Street from the Art in Public Places collection. Meet on the southwest side of City Hall Plaza at 10 a.m. for a guided walking tour from Collections Manager, Maggie Stenz.

—-> Exhibitions to Check out with Kids:

— Art on 5th: In addition to a permanent collection of “The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss,” the gallery houses hundreds of original film posters from all over the world dating from the 1930s to today. They will also have artists painting live during both weekends of WEST.

— Austin Art Garage: For nearly eight years, Austin Art Garage has been showcasing local emerging artists and providing new and seasoned collectors an accessible assortment of hand–crafted attainable art work. Whether you’re looking for a gift, or the first significant art piece for a new home, you have the chance to invest in a local artist early in their career and be a part of their journey.

— Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Musuem: Swing by the Umlauf Sculpture Garden to see the many sculptures on display in their beautiful setting. They will offer free admission both weekends of WEST.

—-> Studios to Check out with Kids:

• 

  Weavers & Spinners: Fiber enthusiasts will introduce you to weaving, spinning, dyeing, basket making and felting as art.

• Thornton Road Studios: Over 20 artists in one complex where you can see a variety of mediums.
• 2000 S 7th St: A creative space full of metal workers, blacksmiths, and large scale sculptors.
• Mockingbird Domestics Workshop: Tour the workshop to better understand how Mockingbird Made Furniture is constructed.
• Terri St. Arnauld & Frank Yezer: During WEST, stop in to see a large vintage view camera. They specialize in hand-printed platinum and gelatin silver photographs, sometimes weaving two platinum images together.
• Glass Blowing Austin: Check out the art of glass blowing!

For more information about WEST, including a map, please visit the Big Medium website. You can also check out their Facebook page for event updates.

Have fun!