34 Austin Murals That Will Make Your Instagram Pop
Not only is Austin weird, but it’s creative and eclectic. Driving throughout the city, you’ll see a lot of beautiful pieces of art, whether it’s on the backside of a gas station, on an abandoned building, or on the side of a bridge, it’s going to mean something to someone. Covering ALL of the murals in Austin would take a LOT of time (for me to write and find it and for you to read through it all!) so here are over 30 murals to go search out and enjoy.
In this post I’ll be covering the iconic murals and some of the ones you might have to search for. If I was able to find the backstory and artist information, I’ve also listed those details.
Love From Austin
Location: North side wall of Prima Dora - 1912 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Unknown
#NationalMuralDay (2019)
Location: Southwest side of abandoned previous La Bare (“Ultimate Ladies Club”) building at 110 E Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78704
Pabst Blue Ribbon selected artists across the country for National Mural Day where Adrian Landon Brooks, Tara Leigh Johnston and Miles Starkey all partnered with the HOPE Campaign to find the wall to decorate.
Hello Darlin
Artist: Tara Leigh Johnston - Tara Leigh Johnston has adorned many businesses with her incredible script modern art like Smart City Locating, Still Austin Whiskey Co, and Kung Fu Saloon.
Website: www.tarajohnston.co/
Instagram: @taraleighjohnston
Facebook: www.facebook.com/taraleighjohnston/
ATX & Bats
Artist: Miles Starkey
Instagram: @starkeymiles
Facebook: www.facebook.com/miles.starkey.10
Birds
Artist: Adrian Landon Brooks
Website: www.adrianlandonbrooks.com
Instagram: @adrianlandonbrooks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Adrian-Landon-Brooks-176692832389285/
“TuPac”
Location: Sugar Mama’s Bakery (1905 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704)
Artist: Niz is a Peruvian stencil artist that claims her specialty is in mythical photorealism. She says, “I want my viewers to be reminded of their connection to primal human emotions as well as the magic and wonder of our collective unconscious...I want them to feel a nostalgia for the places reflected in my backgrounds. It is less important to me that they identify form so much as it is that they connect emotionally and spiritually to the colors and imagery.” I personally think that Niz nails this with her art around Austin.
Website: http://www.nizgraphics.com/
Instagram: @elenizzle
Willie For President
Location: South side of STAG - Provisions for Men - 1423 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Artists:
Jacqui Oakley
Website: http://jacquioakley.com/ // Instagram: @jacquioakley
Erick Montes
Website: https://heyok.studio/
Joe Swec
Instagram: @jswec
SMILE!
Location: Hey Cupcake! Food truck - 1511 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Unknown
Pizza Guy
Location: East side (rear) of Home Slice Pizza
Artist: Unknown
Won’t you be my neighbor?
Mr Rogers and South Austin Express
Location: Northside wall of Home Slice Pizza (1415 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704)
Artist: Niz (previously mentioned artist)
“I love you so much”
Location: Jo’s Coffee- 1300 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Amy Cook - The backstory of this mural was a genuine, grandiose exclamation of love! The story is that Amy Cook, an Austin musician and artist, spray painted this phrase originally on her partner, Liz Lambert’s coffee shop, Jo’s Coffee. Cook was inspired by the same phrase her and Liz saw spray painted in New York on an alley wall years before that moment. (Story credit to Amy Cook) Now unintentionally, love is captured in front of this wall every single day.
You’re My Butter Half
Location: United Way for Greater Austin - 2000 E Martin Luther King Blvd, Austin, Texas 78702
Artist: A local Austin designer, John Rockwell helped redesign United Way for Greater Austin from an unknown, disconnected United Way Capital Area to the incredibly established UWATX program that is helping our community fight against poverty in our area.
Website (artist): http://johnrockwell.net/about
Website (UWATX): www.unitedwayaustin.org
“Hello!”
Location: 1102 Koenig Lane, Austin, Texas 78756
Artist: Samson “BOZA” Barboza has his art all over Austin, from this beautiful tiger meets airplane piece to Spin, our new local ping pong bar. On top of that, he also has worked with many high-profile clients where he utilizes a mix of clean and abrasive graffiti to deliver incredible artwork.
Instagram: @samsonbarbozadesign
“Click” (2015)
Location: Westside of Front Page Realty - 401 E 53rd St #201, Austin, TX 78751
Artist: Andy Nelson
Website: AndyNelsonArt.com
Instagram: @riktor100
Hi, How Are You? Featuring Jeremiah the Innocent (1993)
Location: South side of Thai, How Are You? (408 W 21st St, Austin, TX 78705)
Artist: Daniel Johnston - An artist, songwriter, and singer that grew in popularity when Kurt Cobain from the iconic Nirvana band was wearing artwork from Johnston (from his album, Hi, How Are You) on his t-shirt. Austin named January 22nd (Johnston’s birthday), Hi, How Are You Day to celebrate Johnston’s music and art along with recognizing the struggle of mental health, anxiety, depression, and/or learning disabilities (some of the hardships that Johnston had to experience within his lifetime).
[[ RIP DANIEL JOHNSTON (1961 - 2019) ]]
Website: www.hihowareyou.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/danieldalejohnston
Dinosaur Skeletons
Location: Joe’s Amplifier Repair - 5214 Avenue F, Austin, TX 78751
Artist: Unknown
‘Til Death Do Us Part
Location: West side of the Green and White Grocery corner of E 7th and Waller Street - 1201 E 7th Street, Austin, TX 78702
Artist: Federico Archuleta
Website: fe-de-rico.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FedericoArchuleta/
Butterfly Effect - Be the change you want to see in the world.
Location: Eastside wall of the Violet Crown Social Club - 1111 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Artist: An unknown Butterfly Effect Team. This underground movement, The Butterfly Effect, was founded by Tasha Wahl, to inspire change amongst communities involving street art. What you do to get involved is to take a photo with the art installation, post it on social media using #ButterflyEffect and #SocialButterfly and then also text that photo to the organization (858-400-8272) with the name of your favorite charity. The Butterfly Effect team will then donate a small amount of money in the name of asking you to pay it forward. What an incredible idea!
This particular piece in Austin also asks you to tag the photo with #wahl2wallinstallation and #wervisible.
Program’s Website: butterflyeffectbethechange.com
Program’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/butterflybtc
Greetings from Austin - 1997
Location: Roadhouse Relics - 1720 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Artists: Rory Skagen and Bill Brakhage
Rory’s Website: https://roryskagen.com/
Roadhouse Relics’ Website: hwww.roadhouserelics.com/
An art gallery on the corner of W. Annie Street and S. 1st St founded in 1997 by Todd Sanders. Fun fact about Todd Sanders, he has created several pieces for celebrities but one of the most famous pieces was an animated “Fireflies in a Mason Jar” that was made for Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton’s wedding, along with the Junk Gypies.
Location: Westside wall of an Austin Pedicab company - 1301 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702
How YOU doin’?
Artist: Unknown
Don’t Open Dead Inside
Artist: Unknown
NoMo Fomo
Artist: Unknown
Three Legends
Stevie Ray Vaughan, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson
Location: Northside of Lydian Dental - 1601 S Lamar Blvd Suite A, Austin, TX 78704
Artist - Unknown Artist
Historic 6th Street Mural
Location: E 6th Street and Southbound I-35 Access Road (582 N Interstate 35 Frontage Rd, Austin, TX 78701)
Artist: Team at Sanctuary Printshop (Now Closed)
Before I Die…
Location: 206 E Elizabeth Street, Austin, Texas 78704
Artist: Candy Chang - Originally Chang made a “Before I Die” wall in her hometown of New Orleans and since then, there have been over hundreds of recreations of the insightful concept.
Artist website: http://candychang.com/
Before I Die concept: https://beforeidieproject.com/
Austin Website: https://www.thecontemporaryaustin.org/event/before-i-die-the-global-interactive-art-project/
Austin Texas
Location: Northside wall of Planet K - 3700 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705
Artist: Unknown
Austin, Stevie, UT Tower, Food Mart Chevron
Location: Riverside Chevron - 400 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Unknown
God Bless Texas
Location: HA Guerro Carpet Cleaners - 2313 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Unknown
If you look at the North side of the building, you’ll see another mural.
I Heart Austin
Location: Simply Austin - 1621 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Sensacionalmedia
Instagram: @sensacionalmedia
TV Color Bars
Location: North side of Bird’s Barbershop - 1902 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Unknown
Office Space
Location: In front of Criquet Shirts - 1603 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: MezData
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mez.data
Instagram: @mezdata
Shark (2016)
Location: Southside (rear) of Violet Crown Social Club - 1111 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Artist: Scott Tarbox - An artist that was selected for an ImpossibleWall by PowWow Worldwide and Spratx during SXSW 2016.
Instagram: @tarboxx2
Will You Marry Me?
Location: Corner of South Lamar and Oltorf @ Martinez Brothers Taxidermist - 2057 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Unknown Artist
Octopus and Underwater Life
Location: 298 E Monroe St, Austin, Texas, 78704
Artist: J Muzacz
Website: https://jmuzacz.com/
Instagram: @jmuzacz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jmuzaczartist
You Make My Heart Sing
Location: Threadgills (No longer in business) - 301 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704
Artist: Unknown Artist
These are just a few of the incredible amount of art blessing our walls here in Austin. What’s your favorite mural? Are there any murals you recommend I go check out?
Hope you can visit these murals with your family, friends or even just by yourself to enjoy a part of what makes Austin so different and weird.
Enjoy!
