Maps-n-maps: The East Austin Studio Tour

This weekend, you can ogle mass-produced spare modernism at IKEA, or head to East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.), enter a quasi-Malkovichian portal, and swim for hours in homespun creative juju.

A choice so easy it might be called cake.

Now, while E.A.S.T. does stop short of offering the mindblowing total body-exchange experience for which we all yearn, don't fault it too much -- it edges close. The tour provides intimate access (yup, that's rock star talk we're talkin') to artists, their spaces, and their much-rehearsed-before-the-mirror spiels regarding artistic influences and works-in-progress.

This year, a formidable 86 participating studios bring 120 artists into the fray. Maps of all shapes and sizes will take you through it, assuming your feet and cars will lend a helping hand. Er, foot. Or wheel, as it were.

The following studios respresent the le bomb of le bunch:

• Art Palace

• Bolm Studios

• Fire Island Hot Glass

• Ginko Studio

• The Factory

• Flux Studio

• Ryan McKerley

• Slugfest Printmaking

• The Splinter Group

Please help us out by contributing your own faves. And a good starting location!

The East Austin Studio Tour
Saturday November 18th & Sunday November 19th
East Austin (south of 51st Street)[map]
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Free

*Photo of Ginko Studio pottery (c) Adam Rice*