LOCAL EVENTS
A world of art awaits as the third annual San Marcos Studio Tour starts with their Kick Off Party on Friday, April 4 starting at 7 p.m at Mother-Ship Studios, located at 20027 San Marcos Hwy 80. The party is free and open to the public and is the best way to plan out one’s tour experience since there will be a group gallery with almost every one of the 87 stops represented. Enjoy live music from local DJ collective &bops and performances by Lazy Suzanne. Explore food and beverage vendors with snacks by Marvelous Munchies and alcohol sponsors such as Middleton Brewing, Tito’s Vodka, Carabuena Tequila, Austin Beer Works and Topo Chico. Try your luck at the raffle with selections from local businesses and artists. Find your next statement piece at Corinne Loperfido’s Slow Fashion Center For Degrowth, a pop up of upcycled textiles and remade clothing. Pick up a tour map and catalog and mingle with artists and art lovers alike!
The tour spans two weekends this year with open studios from 12 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6 as well as Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13. There is a free map and catalog to view on their website at studiotoursmtx. com The San Marcos Studio Tour highlights local artists and their workspaces, while fostering connection and engagement between creatives and the surrounding community. Allowing the public an insider’s look into the artistic process builds opportunity for exchanges between artists, visitors, art collectors and local business owners.
The tour is an opportunity for artists to show their raw studio spac- es, ranging from spare rooms or garages to rented warehouses and university classrooms. Paint-covered walls, piles of art supplies, inspirational reference photos and clay-splattered pottery wheels give visitors a behind-the-scenes look of the creative process. At the heart of the San Marcos Studio Tour is making space for connection between artists, local businesses and the public.
The Studio Tour Group Show is hosted annually at MotherShip Studios 600 square foot gallery space. Each participant on the tour is invited to provide an artwork that reflects their practice. Veteran artists are shown alongside students, novices and emerging artists. The group exhibition is a great way to start the tour experience: It’s a snapshot of the diversity of San Marcos Studio Tour artists. The San Marcos Studio Tour is funded in part by the city of San Marcos Arts Commission.
MotherShip Studios is an arts space located between San Marcos and Martindale. First opening as a dedicated artist studio in 2020, they have since grown to seven studios, a 600 square foot gallery and flex space for events. As a female-owned business, their mission is to embolden and support the local creative community. Their goals include development of the San Marcos area art scene by providing affordable studio space and creating exhibition opportunities for artists. Their team includes working artists, professors, university students, curators and art advisors. For more information visit their website at mothershipstudiostx. com or explore their instagram at @mothershipstudios. smtx.
MotherShip Studios has partnered with the the city's Main Street program (Downtown SMTX) to sponsor Kiss & Tale, an all day artist activation of the famous Kissing Alley on Saturday April 12 as a part of the first annual San Marcos Art Fest. Corinne Loperfido will host her upcycled textile pop up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local musicians &bops will be showcasing local beat makers and electronic musicians starting at 10 a.m. There will be a special San Marcos Arts & Culture panel at 4:30 p.m. that will explore the San Marcos Art Scene’s past, present and future. There will be a concert at 6 p.m. with music by &bops, Window Shop and Attic Ted. Art activations will be all over Downtown San Marcos with a Chalk Walk from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. hosted by The San Marcos Art League. There will be a Mural Jam from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Imagine Alley next to San Marcos Film Lab. The Art Squared arts market will be around the Historic Downtown Courthouse from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Select downtown businesses will host free art activities from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information check out the website at visitsanmarcos. com/downown/thingsto- do/events/san-marcosart- fest
