This is a review of Mexic-Arte Museum's Annual Viva La Vida Festival - Austin's largest and longest-running Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event. It's a fun festival and a wonderful Dia De Los Muertos event here in Austin. Recommended for the whole family! I went to the festival and saw the grand procession for the first time last year and was really impressed with the giant papier-mâchés, costumes, and dances. This year is their 40th year. According to the their website: "Festival activities run until 6 p.m. There's an Education Pavilion with hands-on art activities and artist demos, traditional foods, local artists and retail booths, a low-rider exhibition, and live performances throughout the day." read more

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While visiting Austin, we stopped by the Mexic-Arte Museum because it was within walking distance of another museum we had planned to visit. It is a small, one story museum that focuses on Mexican culture, history, textiles, and wearable art. The current exhibit featured nearly 90 textile and wearable art pieces created by master artisans from 16 Mexican states, along with documentary photographs highlighting Austin's historic Our Lady of Guadalupe community. The museum also includes informative panels in both English and Spanish, making the exhibits easy to understand regardless of which language you speak. The museum itself is fairly dark, creating an intimate atmosphere that complements many of the exhibits. There were several beautiful traditional garments and textiles on display, and I enjoyed learning more about the craftsmanship and cultural significance behind them. My favorite part of the visit was actually the gift shop. It had a wonderful selection of unique souvenirs, artwork, and locally inspired gifts that were much more interesting than the typical tourist items. The only downside was the size of the museum. I was surprised at how quickly we reached the end. Even taking our time to read the exhibits, we were finished in about 30 minutes. While I enjoyed the experience, it felt a bit underwhelming given how small it was. Overall, it is an interesting museum that is worth visiting if you are already exploring downtown Austin or have an interest in Mexican art, history, and textiles. Just be aware that it is a relatively small museum, so plan your visit accordingly. read more

In route to the Austin Visitor Center (just a few feet away), I noticed Mexic-Arte Museum especially the neon depiction of Guadalupe in the window. It was a place on my bucket list, but never really had time to visit. With a bit of time off this week, I decided to take a peek in. The heavy doors open with a strong push, and you feel transported to a completely different space and time. The museum is quiet, solemn and reverent. The museum is located at the intersection of Congress and 5th. I literally have walked by this museum hundreds of times and not gone in...it is easy to miss if you're rushing by. The museum is dedicated to Mexican, Mexican American, and Latin American art. Rosas y Revelaciones, the current exhibit, celebrates one of Mexico's most enduring spiritual and cultural icons. Featuring wearable and textile works by artists from 16 states across Mexico, the exhibition showcases devotion and innovation through garments inspired by La Virgen de Guadalupe (virgin of Guadalupe.) The galleries are small and intimate. Each gallery appears to have a specific purpose. In addition, after your stroll through the museum, you have the opportunity to purchase some items in their gift shop. It was quiet yet immersive experience. read more

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This is hands down one of my favorite Austin museums. It's not a large space which allows you to spend time appreciating the art even more. I like that you can see pieces from local artists. So much color and beauty to this important cultural museum. What a wonderful way to immerse yourself in beauty and love. It's one of the places I love to take friends and family when they visit from out of town. read more

I visited the museum briefly during a visit to Austin, as a reprieve from the heat and to soak in some culture. The museum is very small and will not take long to peruse, even if you stop to read every single placard. The artwork is well done, and the gift shop is nice too. I bought some pretty earrings there. It's certainly worth a quick stop! read more

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I was thrilled to attend Viva la Vida festival hosted by Mexic-Arte in Republic Park in Austin. Colorful, family friendly and amazing! read more

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Your experience greatly depends on the exhibit du jour, and your appreciation for unconventional art. Featuring local artists who may not have as much acclaim, it's an inspiring showcase that helps elevate creatives to greater visibility, taking great care at curating a diverse cross-section of Austin creators overall. It's small, easily viewed in 20 - 30 minutes without rushing. If you only have a little time, that's a benefit, especially as a little air conditioned reprieve from downtown. Admission is commensurate, in my opinion, and they have many discounted days too, if you keep up with their calendar online. read more

Occupying a single floor, Mexic is small: a mere handful of rooms. Given that size, the $8 admission seems like a reach. Look past that, however, and Mexic offers unique art ranging from murals to photos to an elaborate room-sized nativity display. The gift shop is well worth a look as well. As museums go, Mexic-Arte's size and scope are underwhelming. However, this place serves an important mission and gives you a chance to see art you probably won't find elsewhere. read more

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Nice little museum centrally located on the Main Street in downtown Austin off of Congress Ave. They had the Chenche exhibition going on and everything is self guided. Nice little store to buy some souvenirs that are bit on the pricey side. Which they're was more to see/do at this museum as the concept and name calls for a much developed focus of the Mexican culture to the masses. read more

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Small, but worthwhile. There's not too many places you can see art like this so go in. Gift shop is pricey, but they do have some smaller items you can get away with. It is free on Sundays. read more

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I'm so happy that I got to stop by this amazing museum. It might be just one floor, but there was so much to see all the beautiful are all the colors. I highly recommend everyone stopping by just to check out the exhibit plus they have a beautiful gift shop. read more

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I got in for free because they were hosting a special event where they were showcasing work submitted by local artists (some novice artists and some that were trained/well known in the area), and all the pieces were meant to tie in a theme. I believe the theme was Austin. All pieces were for sale, and prices were clearly listed. I had such a great time wandering around and checking them all out. One piece of art in particular caught my eye- it was a painting of chickenshit bingo, complete with what appeared to be some real chicken feathers. (I just hope that the splats on the painted bingo board were not actually poop-eh)! Their gift shop is cute, and I snagged myself a pair of socks. I think anyone visiting the area should check it out! read more

If you find yourself downtown Austin, you should definitely check out this museum. It is small and doesn't take long to go through. However, they have some great cultural contributions to our city. There is a wonderful gift shop as well. When they have art openings, they have fun music and drinks. I am a member and definitely encourage others to join and support this museum. read more

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There is normally an admission fee, but we were able to get in free admission because of a concert they had. I would recommend signing up for their email newsletters to keep you in the loop about events there. The people upfront were super helpful and friendly. The space is filled with art from all over artisans in Mexico. Everything is on display and I would definitely recommend this for all tourist and locals to check out. The gift shop is a great place to go and grab a birthday card or a birthday gift, if you are a part of the Mexican culture, you will love this place. They had a Huapango concert, I mean, that is very unique! read more

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Sometimes I'm not the biggest fan of art museums, but sometimes the art is so cool that I can't help but want to hang it up in my apartment. The Mexi-Arte museum in Austin is a place full of extremely unique pieces that need to be seen. For $7 you get into this place and it should take about a half hour to look at all of the different art pieces and really take it all in. Once you are finished taking in all of the different exhibits you can pop into the gift shop at the front of the store and purchase anything from art to Lucha libre masks. Although I don't have a ton to say on yelp about this place, it's definitely a Cool museum and a place that's worth checking out. read more

Mexic-Arte Museum - Super cool. - Art Museums Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I visited the museum briefly on a work trip to Austin last week. The museum is definitely small but has a unique collection and hosts interesting exhibitions. I enjoyed my visit and the exhibition open at the time of my visit: MX 21-Resistance, Reaffirmation & Resilience. Admission is free on Sundays, so that would be a great day to visit (but donate if you are able). And they do offer free tours that you can schedule on their website if you are interested (I didn't have time, sadly). It's an interesting museum to visit if you're in the downtown area. read more

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This museum was truly a unique experience. They have a lovely gift shop, which my husband and I purchased several cool trinkets from, and knowledgeable attendants who don't mind answering a question or two. The exhibit itself was wonderful, and extremely informative. The art they feature inside from local artists was wonderful as well! Such amazing talent and insight! read more

This was probably one of my favorite museums to go to while in Austin. We lucked out and it was free admission the day that we went. I believe that it was because it was mother's day weekend and they were having events to make crafts in the back thought it was free. Regardless of the price you should definitely make a trip here because the displays were amazing. there was a few different rooms that you could go through each of them showing beautiful art across the walls. Some of my favoritea were the drawings on the correctional postage letters and the wall size painting of a person. The staff was very nice and very informative about the the show that was going on. With all the bright colors and interesting art this was again, a must stop place in Austin. if you want to go to a museum this is the one that you should go to. read more

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This quaint little museum packs lots of cool and unique, eclectic exhibits and art pieces from local artists and Mexican artists. Since the wife and I went during October, Dia De Los Muertos theme was very prominent. There were authentic altars, great still photos depicting official Dia de Los Muertos scenes from Mexico and a big Jack Skelington type sculpture front and center. Equally as interesting are some of the thought provoking descriptions accompanying the pieces. It's a awesome spot to come with little ones and at $5 it's an affordable. Come check it out! read more

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Great place to take a date. Very interesting art and super friendly staff Loved the gift shop too Plus if you join the newsletter lots of fun events read more

Review during COVID. We're from Houston and we love going to Museums Too small for what you pay for. I was expecting more art to see There's also a couple of BLM art that wasn't necessary and could've been used for WHAT THIS MUSEUM IS DEDICATED TO: MEXICAN FOLK ART read more

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This is a small but powerful museum. I visited on Sunday, which apparently is the free admission day. I went at four and it wasn't packed. I spent about 30-45 minutes there, taking time to read about the artists and the history. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. They also have a small gift shop at the entrance. read more

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Wonderful museum with art both inside and outside. The cultural perspective is worth your time and will not disappoint. read more

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Such an unassuming museum due to the size, but the thought provoking and wide ranging type of art was amazing. I could have easily listened to an audio tour of dozens of pieces for a few hours, but alas... children. read more

Mexic-Arte Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Austin, Texas

Pros: Fun and eclectic selection of art work. The shop had a lot of neat items. Cons: Tiny spot, but very well curated. Worth your time, worth the price! read more

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A decent museum. Actually I was expecting a bit more.. Located on Congress Ave, was pretty small. They were showing photo art when I was there. It was not much but impressive. read more

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Date of Visit: 09/24/19 We came on a Tuesday, late morning. Admission was about $7. We had the misfortune of arriving while some kids were on a field trip. Once the little rascals left it was much quieter. The museum is small as others have mentioned but it's no less worthy of a visit. It has a more intimate/personal feel not because of the size, per se, but because the exhibits feature a lot of individual people and their stories. It was a mixture of photos, paintings, 3D art installations, and videos. Definitely take the time to watch the videos if you can. One was about war and the other about immigration/detention centers. Overall, I'd recommend a visit if you're in Austin. read more

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Great museum. I think it cost $5 to get in with a student ID. Make sure to check the times they're open because they are wacky hours. The museum is small, 1 floor, but filled from floor to ceiling with collections. I loved it and would come back to see future exhibits. Very authentic Mexican and texan art from locals too. Don't forget to check out thr gift shop, otd awesome. read more

The museum is nice even though it's tiny. Good way to spend an hour or so learning a bit more and enjoying art. read more

Mexic-Arte Museum - Mural outside - Art Museums Near Me - Austin, Texas

This delightful art museum is small, but thoughtfully designed with great photographs, painting, and sculptures by Mexican and local artists. I liked reading the descriptions of various exhibits. If you are traveling through Austin, I think the gift shop is a superb place to find unique items (e.g,. Christmas tree ornaments) to bring home. If you're looking for a grand art museum with huge gallery spaces, this humble setting is definitely not the place for you. But if you enjoy high-quality photos as well as cultural history, prepare to be delighted! read more

Mexic-Arte Museum - Brilliant artwork in November 2019. - Art Museums Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Another great museum on my trip to Texas. They had a few interesting exhibits going on, including showing the art that kids make during the state sponsored after school programs. Free on Sunday! read more

Small museum on downtown Austin it was about $7 the entrance. The gift shop is amazing with great stuff. Don't plan of being here too long because it is very small. But a great museum indeed and would recommend it. read more

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Best museum in Austin! Highly recommend it! Such a beautiful experience. Great place to reconnect with your roots. read more

This is an incredible museum. We were leaving brunch and I saw a sign that said "free family Sunday" so I had to stop in. I'd passed this museum before when I was stumbling through 6th and completely forgot about wanting to check it out. Shame on me. The museum is inspiring and sad. A majority of the art is local and absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful. To know that so much of the country is founded on the labor of others and they still are treated as second hand citizens is what really hit me when I was admiring the pieces. My favorite piece was the body count tags. I literally walked into the center of it and just let myself get immersed. My other favorites were the ballpoint pen on packaging tape, the weighed down broken bicycle, and the Mexican posters. I highly recommend checking this museum out. read more

It's a great museum but it looks much more like a gallery. The restrooms are way in the back past the food and behind the black curtains. Go with a friend, if you close the door, there's no knob on the other side. It cost $5 and showed that Sundays are free. There are a lot of moving pieces. There's multimedia, and I particularly enjoyed the Mona Lisa piece that replaced her nose with a phallus. The museum store has a lot of cute knick knacks that are for purchase. I liked the Mexican candy for 25 cents. If you have some time to kill and are low on cash, definitely visit. I'd return, they have different artists display their work periodically. read more

Mexic-Arte Museum - The knot by Teresa Cervantes - Art Museums Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This museum is a SCAM. I paid $11 for my partner (a teacher) and I to get into a room the size of your typical run of the mill gallery full of art made by kids. Half the gallery was closed, which the lady at the front desk chose not to tell us before paying, so the whole "museum" took less than five minutes to complete. If the money wasn't going towards a donation I would have asked for it back. I couldn't help but leaving feeling like I was played. Would have rather just donated instead of being fed the idea that I was going to a museum. read more

I came to the museum for the first time with my family! It was extremely educational with an interesting multimedia twist featuring current events. Parking is a cost, but that's the realities of parking downtown. The museum seema thoughtfully put together and is considerate of history and honoring culture. read more

It was a big deal for me to visit this museum while in my stay in Austin and I'm glad I did. It felt important, the works presented (at the time I went through was a time focused on transformation). The only thing I wish is that I could be around for their viva la vida festival but I saw something mentioning an online element and look forward to it. The museum is a bit small so it doesn't take too long to work your way through each piece but it's a nice day experience and their gift shop is precious with many unique offerings for keepsake memories. read more

Mexic-Arte Museum - Art Museums Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This museum has some unique art from both local and Mexican artists that you won't find elsewhere in Austin. The admission fee may feel a little steep given the size, but, if you want to support these artists, it is worth it and you can easily spend over an hour enjoying the curated space. We came here after doing some Yelp research when we had about an hour and half to go until our flight. This museum does seem small, at first, but it was crammed with lots of amazing pieces of art - don't let it's initially small feel fool you. You pay for admission in the gift shop and then can wander throughout the museum from there. There wasn't a set sequence to the exhibits so I'd recommend just going to what strikes you the most. If you have bags, the woman working in the gift shop was happy to hold them while you browse. Also, the gift shop had a lot of items crammed into it some of which managed to not feel overly kitschy or commercial. The bathroom is in the back, past all of the exhibits. read more

We went to the Ofrenda exposition and it was very well-researched; however, the museum itself is small and the ofrendas weren't actually set. We could only see pictures of these ofrendas. I do love the fact that there is a museum of Mexican art in Austin. read more