Looking Up Mural Fest Launch

Looking up mural fest 2021

A celebration of independent art in Austin TX


The 10-day international mural festival brings artists from Austin region and around the globe to adorn building walls, enliven streetscapes, and beautify the community. Attendees can expect to see a variety of styles and will be able to witness the creative process in action, as the 12 participating artists will begin creating their pieces on Nov 12. Looking Up Mural Festival,  created by Luis Angulo and Fabian Rey in partnership with Something Cool Studios, an artist run collective in the heart of Austin’s east-side that provides space for artists to create their work, host workshops and sell their art.


This is a mural fest created by artists for the artists. When the pandemic hit us and the volume of the music went down, the art community step up and help make everything a little better. It was a shift in the mentality of the austinites and we took this opportunity to create a mural fest that celebrates independent art in Austin.


The mission of the festival is to inspire and uplift the spirit of a city without its sound one mural at a time. We are planning to do this fest every year because we want to activate underutilized outdoor spaces in Austin, increase walkability of neighborhoods, create more paid opportunities for muralists and enrich the cultural fabric of our city.

We are living in a moment in time where everybody is down or looking at their phones all the time. This mural fest is an invitation to look up and start changing the way we look at things. Art brings people together and we want to celebrate the power of art on the streets and the positive vibe that the art community have to offer.

Society teaches us to go to work and go home, rest and repeat. Murals on the street breaks that pattern and makes you think and feel alive. It reflects and reveals our society, adds meaning to our cities and uniqueness to our communities. It's a way to become more in tune with the city of austin and it's culture.

The festival’s kick-off party event will take place on:

Friday, Nov 12,  6:00 p.m. - 12 pm at Arrive.


Other Looking Up Mural Fest events that will take place during the festival:


• Nov 13

11am - 5pm - Art Market @ Something Cool Studios

11am - 1pm - What the F@&k is an NFT? @ Something Cool Studios

6pm - 10pm - Art Exhibition @ Something Cool Studios


• Nov 14

11am - 5pm Art Market @ Something Cool Studios

10 am - 11am - Kids Art Program @ Something Cool Studios


• Nov 20

11am - 5pm Paint Jam Barrels @ Something Cool Studios

1pm - 3pm Woman muralists (meet the artists)


• Nov 21

2pm - 9pm Closing Party @ Something Cool Studios


The 2021 Looking Up Mural Fest roster features 12 artists from Austin and the U.S., Because Instagram is the social media platform of choice for mural artists, the list below includes each artist’s account.


Artists:

Drew Merritt @drewmerritt

Candy Kuo @itscandykuo

Emily Ding @_emilyding

Sloke @slokeone

Mez @mezdata

DAAS @daas

Phoebe Joynt @feebee_n_jay

Niz @elenizzle

Everyday Research @everydayresearch

Brittany Johnson @brittpaintsalot

Jason Eatherly @jeasoneatherly

Lucas Aoki @lucasaokiart



This is the first year of Looking Up Mural Festival, we want Austin to be know not only for its great music but for its fantastic  art. We make sure that the woman artists are well represented on this year festival so we added a great group of the most talented woman artists to the festival roster. The owners of each wall agree to allow their walls to be commandeered for the festival, giving over creative control to the artists. The short and collaborative nature of the process, and the freedom of the artists to work beyond the dictates and constraints of commissioned work, add a special dimension to The Looking Up Mural Festival 2021.


More information about this year’s festival, artists, and events may be found at lookingupmuralfest.com and somethingcoolstudios.com Links to RSVP for events may also be found there, and @lookingupmuralfest on instagram.



LOOKING UP MURAL FEST/ created by Luis Angulo & Fabian Rey in Partnership with Something Cool Studios.


Sponsored by Production For, The Yard, Nine Banded Whiskey, Spatial, Beerburg Brewing, Arrive and The Mora Family.