I met Richard Samuel, owner of RichesArt (artist, curator, and creative leader) for the first time…read moreat an Art contest on yesterday. He said the gallery's name is a play off his name with an art emphasis. Rich shared that his gallery was the only African American art gallery in Austin, thus I was intrigued. Since we finished the Art contest judging sooner than anticipated, I popped by his art gallery also located in East Austin. RichesArt is mind blowing! The gallery feels like a full-on creative space. This is not your typical art gallery vibe with stark white walls where you cannot touch anything. This place is beaming with bright, bold colors that scream...this is art!!! The walls exude color, texture, life! There is a strong graffiti influence, mixed media, and pieces unapologetically authentic. The art gallery also serves as community hub. They host poetry slams, live jazz, a figure drawing class, art classes, and comedy shows. According to Rich, it's a creative playground for grown folks. While it was free to enter the art gallery, some of their events have an associated cost. The gallery environment is incredibly welcoming. A few folks were waiting to start a graffiti class. It appears folks come to RichesArt to connect and create. According to Rich, inclusivity is intentional and the gallery was built to reflect and celebrate culture.

A friend and I were looking for some fun places to check out. When we came the owner wasn't there…read morebut the store next door was owned by his family so we were able to inside through the back door and still see the gallery. It was full of cool art pieces and there is a section for prints and books for sale. I do with the owner was there so I could have talked with them but sometimes things still work out and we were able to see the cool art. Parking is on the street. Stay a while longer and check out the vintage store. Lots of cool stuff in there too.

Very unique! If you are going to Austin, make arrangements for a tour. This house has been…read morefeatured in a lot of different books and magazines.

Keep Austin Weird is one of those phrases that is synonymous with Austin (in addition to barbecue)…read more There is so much interesting art here in Austin that you should consider looking into when visiting Austin, with Casa Neverlandia being one of them. Casa Neverlandia is a three story, colorful home located behind Goodwill Baptist Church, that was created by James Talbot, or as he referred to himself as "Talbot" when we met him for a private tour of his home. Casa Neverlandia originally started out as a one story home built in the early 1900's. Mr. Talbot purchased this home and started to transform it into what you see now in my photos and what you find online. According to Mr. Talbot, he grew up in a military family, traveling all around the world and living in some unusual places that includes a treehouse in Honduras. He has a college degree in architecture and has always been fascinated with building things, as you can see with his home today. To him, he builds this home for himself to reflect upon his spiritual side but also include some unique things for his physical needs, as he lives rather a green lifestyle. My husband and I, along with our little girl dog (yes Mr. Talbot allowed for us to bring our little dog with us) met Mr. Talbot outside of his home on a Sunday afternoon. We were lucky to be the only couple, as another couple was supposed to come but was told the date just didn't work with their schedule. Please note that it cost $15 per person for this tour and you can contact Mr. Talbot via phone or email to schedule a tour. At the front entrance of his home are numerous of doorbells, xylophones and bells. I believe there is over 40 of these things but Mr. Talbot says he can never have enough. He describes the mosaic tiles outside of the home, the snake, the outdoor patio seating area with the clouds element and so forth. Then inside, we see his living room with a beautiful and inviting fireplace and pit to help radiate heat for the first floor, indoor seating area that is meant to be an air alter with cool colors of green and a unique bookcase. We see some current artwork that he has for sale (no obligation to buy) that includes gorgeous hand beaded work and other things and then make our way to the small music room. Next, the kitchen has a lot of function to it more so than just design. Then we make our way up stairs. On the 2nd floor is a room that has a Thai like theme with the bamboo wall panels and red lacquered beams. This room has high ceilings and utilizes natural lighting since there is no lights in this room. Mr. Talbot says this is the room for parties and entertainment for guests. Then up one more floor is Mr. Talbot's room, which was featured on numerous of TV shows, magazines and books. From his bedroom, that has a safari theme to it, you can see a glimpse of downtown Austin. We were then lead to his bathroom where he is currently working on a bath tub with some kind of ocean wave like theme. Being that he has a background in architecture, he is able to create the structure of things the way he wants it. From his bedroom, we walk across a narrow plank bridge to his tree house or a tower. Climb a very narrow ladder and we are on the top of that tower and see great views of Austin. We eventually take a few narrow ladders down to the bottom, now in his backyard. From here, he takes us into his studio (built in the early 90's) and shows us what he is currently working on, which looks like a large clam shell. He uses soda cans that he has collected around Austin to decorate the shell. He also shows us this ocean like mural that will go with this clam shell. Then we eventually make our way outside. He tells us that he saves the rain water in large barrels, as he considers himself camping in his own home. He dresses up or down according to the weather and has a very low electric bill each month and water bill. Mr. Talbots has told us on the tour that he doesn't consider himself to be done with Case Neverlandia, as he is always building and changing things. And said that Casa Neverlandia may be different the next time we come back to Austin for another tour. Our tour lasted about 75 minutes, but we did make small talk with Mr. Talbot throughout. It was well worth our time to come out here and check out Casa Neverlandia and hope you will consider it too, especially if you are looking for something off the beaten path. You can see some of Mr. Talbot's artworks around Austin and a few other things in other states. Casa Neverlandia truly was a highlight of our visit to Austin and am so glad we were able to get a tour. Again as mentioned, it cost $15 per person for a tour and you can call Mr. Talbot at (512) 442-7613 or email him at talbot@talbotworld.com to inquire for a tour.

Stopped in here yesterday and decided to check out this gallery. There is a large variety of…read morehigh-quality art pieces here. The owner is very knowledgeable about all the items in the store and has recommendations and personal stories about some of them as well. They even have financing for the items in the store if you should want to take advantage of it. I definitely recommend stopping in here if you like quality local art.

This gallery does not pay its artists. We are owed more than $4,000 for pieces they've sold. Do not…read moredo business here if that is not OK with you.

I'm not in Austin often. But when I am I pop in here. And it seems like they get bigger and better…read moreevery time! The place is huge and they have just about every type of merch you could imagine. Things can be a little pricey. But don't forget to check out the clearance items upstairs as well. You're sure to come across a good find! Staff was all very friendly and checkout was quick.

Amazing selection of UT Gear, staff is so nice and helpful. Amazing selection. We love the mission…read morethat they give scholarships for education materials to students and did not know until recently they are independent from the university and do not receive any funding. While some items are a bit pricey the money is going to the students. These folks are amazing!!! HOOK'EM!

As much a working artist space as it is a gallery, Flatbed really does a wonderful job of…read moreencapsulating the marriage of East Austin and bleeding edge inspiration. It is, essentially, a large warehouse that's been divided into the aforementioned working spaces and gallery strolls, and the provocative and intriguing nature of the work here is always worth lingering over. I might describe what I've most often seen as 'modern art with a conscience' but ultimately one of the things I think that they offer that really moves the creative needle are the classes they offer. Lithography, monotype, relief work, there's plenty going on if you want to learn how to express yourself. Who knows, maybe one day it'll be your work adorning these walls...or others.

"Let me take you upstairs and show you my etchings..."…read more I am a BIG fan of Flatbed Press. I happened upon their printmaking shop not long after they opened in 1989 and I found their compassionate and intense outlook on printmaking and life to be a haven of creativity and brilliance. Katherine Brimberry and Mark L. Smith have the midas touch for choosing an excellent location for their business and committed people to work with... they also retain an artistic integrity in what they do and HOW they do it. Flatbed is a publishing workshop which means they do collaborative work with artists. They also work with other entities on printing limited editions of etchings, monotypes, lithographs... prints. ORIGINAL prints. which may seem like an oxymoron to some, but it makes sense if you have ever seen an edition of etchings. Each print is pulled by hand, each one an original print, from a piece of copper of a piece of zinc that an artist has labored over for years sometimes. Their location in East Austin has an exhibit space, printmaking studio, and office. Gerald Manson, Master Printer Emmeritus, is also the Master of Dry Humor and he loves NPR and great classical music... Flatbed World Headquarters shares space with 8 other creative professionals. Flatbed's workshops are stellar and I would always recommend anything Kathy Brimberry is teaching... Solar Plate would be a good start. Another great beginner class would be Intro to Copperplate Etching with Teresa. If you are a printmaking afficionado, maybe you would enjoy PhotoPolymer Film Intaglio. Mark Smith offers individual 90 minute critiques, which, for the active artist, can be informative, intense, and fun. Flatbed also offers business courses for artists including one about tax tips from a CPA and an internet promo class for artist on how to promote work by increasing web presence. My yelp disclaimer is that I taught printmaking to UT Architecture students at Flatbed for a summer ... If you are looking to buy original art for your home, stop by at one of their gallery exhibits or make an appointment... so you, too, may someday soon be able to say "Let me take you upstairs and show you my etchings..."

I've popped my head in this neighborhood boutique a couple of times since they opened and just…read morereally love it so much. My most recent visit was because my cousin and her family were in town and we went in to do some shopping. If you love pop-culture like we do, you've gotta check it out. They've got tons of cool 90s & Y2K inspired clothing, hats, socks, bags, jewelry, etc. They've even got a screen printer onsite in case you want one of the designs they carry in a different size or on a different color shirt. My cousin bought a cool smoking cat tee to take back to Maryland for her son. Since she needed a different size/color, it was printed up for her on the spot (took about 10 minutes). Evah was the sales person working and she went above and beyond for us. She was super sweet and helpful with suggestions on purchases, sizing, and more. She really made the visit worthwhile. It's important to note that this clothing shop, Aliens of Brooklyn Invades Austin is the companion store to the actual Brooklyn location on 10th Ave (Brooklyn, NY). I used to be in Brooklyn & Manhattan 4-5 times a year and it's become less since relocating to Austin. I'm stoked to have true East Coast/NY fashion options walking distance from my apartment. Check it out next time you're on East Sixth, you're gonna want to buy everything you see.

Aliens of Brooklyn is one of those those imaginative stores that not only embody the "Keep Austin…read moreWeird" montra by that of Brooklyn, New York as well. This eclectic store has art, clothing, and other quirky yet delightful items. The store experience is playful and curious simultaneously. Aliens of Brooklyn is bold and bright...immediately draws you in. The store has sci fi items that stylish aliens my want. The merchandise is fun and fantastical. The shop has one of a kind apparel and collectibles to artwork and themed gifts. I met Joseph today and he was Southern hospitality friendly. You could tell he was passionate about the store. We chatted briefly, but in a memorable way. Really love this store...perfect store for a hard to shop for person

Modern Rocks Gallery is a small gallery of eye-catching framed music (and actor) icon themed photos…read moreand posters from the 60s thru today. As someone who appreciates both classic rock and current contemporary pop and alternative, I thought that the pictures of David Bowie, Willie Nelson, too many to mention really, up thru Billie Eilish and Ed Sheeran posters were a great journey thru Rock's well-known icons, bands and history. What I didn't know and wished I had was that the owner who I met during my visit to the gallery was the guitarist from Modern English.

Amazing one of a kind photos of music legends. Best photo I've ever seen of Charlie Watts hangs on…read morethe hall here.

While visiting Austin, we stopped by the Mexic-Arte Museum because it was within walking distance…read moreof 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.

In route to the Austin Visitor Center (just a few feet away), I noticed Mexic-Arte Museum…read moreespecially 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.