Fabian Rey

LOOKING UP MURAL FEST 2021
A celebration of independent art in Austin TX

The 10-day international mural festival brings artists from the Austin region and around the globe to give new life to building exteriors, rejuvenate neighborhoods and energize the community. Attendees will have an opportunity to witness the creative process in action as the 11 participating artists begin creating their pieces on Friday, November 11, and continue painting throughout the run of the event. Looking Up Mural Festival was created by Fabian Rey and Luis Angulo 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 and the volume of the music in the city went down, the art community stepped up and helped make everything a little better. There was a shift in the mentality of Austinites and Rey and Angulo seized the opportunity to create a special event that celebrates independent art in Austin.

“The mission of the festival is to inspire and uplift the spirit of the city one mural at a time. This is the second year of the festival and we are planning to keep doing 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," Rey explains.

"We are living in a moment in time where everybody is down or looking at their phones all the time," Rey adds. "This mural fest is an invitation to look up and start changing the way we see 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 has to offer.”

Society teaches us to go back and forth, from home to work on endless repeat. Murals on the street break that pattern and make 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 its culture.

The festival’s kick-off party event will take place on:
Friday, Nov 12, from 7pm – 10pm at Lefty’s Bar @ the ARRIVE Hotel.

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

• Saturday, Nov 12
1pm – 2pm – ATX Urban Art “meet the artists” @ Something Cool Studios
11am – 7pm – Art Exhibition @ Something Cool Studios

• Sunday, Nov 13
11am – 5pm – Art Exhibition @ Something Cool Studios
11am – 12pm – Stencil Art Workshop @ Something Cool Studios

• Saturday, Nov 20
11am – 5pm – Art Exhibition @ Something Cool Studios
11am – 5pm – Community mural / paint jam @ Something Cool Studios
1pm – 2pm – ATX Urban Art “meet the artists “@ Something Cool Studios

• Sunday, Nov 21
2pm – 8pm – Closing Party @ Something Cool Studios

The 2022 Looking Up Mural Fest roster features 11 artists from Austin and beyond. 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 @jasoneatherly
Lucas Aoki @lucasaokiart

We want Austin to be known not only for its great music but also for its fantastic art. It’s also important to us that women artists are well represented so we added a great group of the most talented women artists to the festival roster.

The building owners of each wall have agreed to let the artists paint according to their own unique vision. Free from the typical limitations of commissioned work, this creative freedom allows next-level artistic output that will set these murals apart from others in the city.
More information about this year’s festival, artists, and events may be found at lookingupmuralfest.com
Links to RSVP for events may also be found there, and @lookingupmuralfest on Instagram.

LOOKING UP MURAL FEST / created by Fabian Rey & Luis Angulo in partnership with Something Cool Studios.
Sponsored by The Yard, Production For, East Side Hotel, Cap Metro, Nova Paints, Tequila Carabuena, Zilker and Mora Hoyas Family.