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The Austin Museum of Popular Culture takes over Pershing Hall, albeit briefly, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Armadillo World Headquarters in 1970.

The Austin Studio Tour, presented by those artful movers and shakers of Big Medium, is a combination of the pre-pandemic West Austin Studio Tour and East Austin Studio Tour, formerly separate and now joined into one citywide event that unfolds like divine origami across three local weekends in November. It’s a free, self-guided celebration of visual art that features more than 530 Austin-based artists and creative collaboratives, with the tour boundaries expanded to include all 10 city council districts for in-person participants, plus a 15-mile radius from the Capitol for virtual participants.The first weekend (Sat.-Sun., Nov. 6-7, noon-6pm) highlights the West side of Austin; the second weekend (Sat.-Sun., Nov. 13-14, noon-6pm) covers the West and the East; and the final weekend (Sat.-Sun., Nov. 20-21, non-6pm) wraps up with just the East. (You can pick up a free studio tour map at any Austin Public Library Branch, starting Nov. 4; but you’ve got to become a member of Big Medium to snag a copy of the Austin Studio Tour Art Book.) Here are five recommendations to jumpstart your explorations.

Those relentlessly inventive honchos of Dear Diary Coffeehouse and the fun-forward talents of Creative Cuties have teamed up to produce this live art event with music and vendors, where you can watch street artists and muralists paint, listen to live bands perform, and browse among the arts and crafts tables.Bonus: Walk half a block north to Dear Diary to view "Solarium," a garden-themed group show of nine local artists, and avail yourself of some excellent coffee drinks and more.It's a perfect treat as the Austin Studio Tour continues, citizen, and you know the weekend's weather will be almost as beautiful as you are.

Use your smartphone to access self-guided tours of the outdoor public art sited by UT's award-winning Landmarks program any time you feel like it. BONUS: There's also a free, docent-led tour starting at Marc Quinn's "Spiral of the Galaxy" (1501 Red River) on Sun., Jan. 8, 11am.

This 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. Witness the creative process in action as the 12 participating artists continue painting throughout the run of the event.Those participating artists? Drew Merritt, Candy Kuo, Emily Ding, Sloke, Mez, DAAS, Phoebe Joynt, Niz, Everyday Research, Brittany Johnson, Jason Eatherly, and Lucas Aoki. Check the art markets, paint jams, and meet-ups at Something Cool Studios for more. Oh, and we've got a fine gallery of images right here.

Here's a visual art exhibition of mixed media works –including collage, drawing, sculpture, video, and photography – by four Austin-based artists: Betelhem Makonnen, Christina Coleman, Deborah Roberts, and Tammie Rubin. The artworks explore Black existence through body, object, beauty, childhood and familial narratives, fugitive perceptual experiences, and time. While each artist's aesthetic approach is different, they're united by their faith in the power of small acts to guide and reimagine our everyday existence.

This is the culminating exhibition of the first series of Crit Nites, an inclusive critique group for Austin working artists. The works on display – organized by Casey Alfstad, Darcie Book, and Hayley Labrum Morrison – reveal the fruits of critical conversations of 40 artists and eight moderators shared through Crit Nites Virtual in 2021.

Here's an exhibition of photographic works by Cian Moore, Enmi Yang, Riel Sturchio, Madison Lloyd, and Brendan Carroll: creatives who carve their own path and have established their roots in the communities of Austin and Houston.

No one else can be Shawn Cox, which is why his works are must-see manifestations of graphic power. This solo exhibition, a bright explosion of images across the gallery walls, explores how the wild-west-cowboy iconography celebrated in cinematic Westerns of the Forties and Fifties is linked to perpetuating the myth of manifest destiny.

This three-person exhibition (at one of the Eastside's brightest gallery gems) showcases that wood-sculpting genius Aaron Michalovic, folk artist Adam Young, and Camille Woods with her pop-cowboy aesthetic.

Here's an exhibition of works by Jesus Treviño and Kelsey Baker, in which the artists approach the idea of existing in a state of flux from two distinct perspectives.

The Contemporary Austin presents the first-ever museum survey of works by Daniel Johnston. "Step into the surreal universe of this visionary musician and artist, filled with love, loss, ghosts, aliens, superheroes, and the eternal battle between good and evil."

Marie Elena Ely’s show at the Ney Museum is a collection of photo/collage/paintings and prints.

This local treasure of a venue, run by those Contemporary Austin folks who also bring us the Jones Center shows Downtown, is all about the outdoors – which is perfect for these trickily navigated times of ours, n'est-ce pas? Recommended: Stop by and breathe in the air, enjoy the lawns and gardens and the many examples of world-class sculpture arrayed across the property, and (as Frankie used to say) r-e-l-a-x.

"Trapdoor" is a new body of work by Austin artist Erin Curtis, featuring large cut-and-layered canvas paintings and small works on paper that are inspired by landscapes real and imagined. "Glean," from Zoe Berg and Valerie Chaussonnet, is "a meditation on nature, generations, transmission, cultivation, and origins," manifested via steel sculptures, installations, a zine, drawings, and a two-channel video.

Throughout 2021, Mexico is commemorating major events in history: the falling of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán, the invasion by Spain, and the Independence of Mexico. Mexic-Arte Museum presents this vibrant group exhibition and programs in conjunction with Mexico’s 2021 events, reaffirming their common cultural history. Also: "Los Pueblos Originarios," featuring photos of continuing traditions by Mary J. Andrade; and Las Flores – La Vida, a new show displaying flower-themed art from more than 200 local and regional artists.

An exhibition featuring nine local artists – Deborah Otto, Becca Gordon, Malina Cipleu, Carla Clay, Matchi, Denise Elliott Jones, Shelby Elizabeth, Paige Gibson, and Jocelyn Polley.

The amazing maker Laura Lit has summoned the full range of her experience in painting, film makeup, special effects, and architectural restoration to create these new animal-sized wall reliefs of wood, resin, and clay. Twelve of these brilliants will hang in Northern-Southern, each "a deliberate dreaming, a spirit made solid, a tether to within." Note: The artist will be present at a Happy Hour every Friday, 4-6pm, throughout the run of the show.

Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon's new exhibition of (absolutely stunning) photographs “looks to explore the unique and distinctive sense of spirit that defines the Holly Street neighborhood, the place where I have lived for the past twenty-five years. For me, this spirit has always been fostered by my neighbors. The stories of these kindred spirits, old-timers, families and folks have shaped my sense of home. Together, they are my 'Genius Loci,' the keepers of the spirit of the neighborhood."

Texas-based artist Sedrick Huckaby explores psychology, community, and the human condition in his powerful portraits painted from life. The catalog notes say: "Through his virtuoso facility with oil paint, Huckaby utilizes texture, dimensionality, and intensely saturated colors to extraordinary expressive effect." Says the artist himself: "The African-American family and its heritage has been the content of my work for several years. In large-scale portraits of family and friends I try to aggrandize ordinary people by painting them on a monumental scale."

This place, ah, it's one of our favorite places in the entire city; and of course they're properly corona-closed. But check 'em out online right now – it's a rich, wonder-filled website – to whet your appetite for when things get back to … uh … are we still calling it "normal," these days?

Colombian-American artist America Martin describes herself as a painting anthropologist, working primarily with paint on canvas and paper to explore the human experience – and the human form.

This is WCC's biggest and most comprehensive exhibition of graffiti and street art to date, featuring works from the gallery’s 1000-piece collection, encompassing a diverse set of contemporary masters, including Blek le Rat, Cey Adams, Keith Haring, Shepard Fairey, Banksy, Richard Hambleton, RETNA, LadyPink, PhoebeNewYork, Swoon, and more.