See Art ~ Make Art

Artist demonstrations and art making opportunities available at this year’s Austin Artworks Festival

Scheduled Events

Calligraphy

Join Sally Wightkin as she demonstrates various styles, tools and materials of calligraphy. Collaborate with Sally to create a keepsake bookmark. Saturday 9am- 5pm. Wightkin has been teaching calligraphy for over 30 years, and her work has been exhibited and awarded across several states, as well as featured in Letter Arts Review. She is currently an active member, tech-host, and webmaster for the Colleagues of Calligraphy, and continues to find joy in both creating and teaching this timeless art.

Henna

Choose from a variety of designs using natural dye henna. Ongoing both days.

Watercolor

Join Amy Krause as she demonstrates the art of watercolor paints. Stay and make your own! Sunday 10am- 4pm. Krause is a Minnesota-based artist whose work explores social justice, mental health, belonging, and her Korean American heritage. Trained in fine art painting, she works in acrylics, watercolors, digital media, and murals, and also teaches art classes. Through her art, Amy aims to create inclusive spaces that foster connection, growth, and healing.

Community Chalk Mandala

Join interactive community artist Sandy Forseth on the pavement to create a colorful, collaborative chalk mandala filled with art-making, movement, music, and playful creativity for all ages and abilities. Ongoing both days. Forseth is an interactive, community mandala artist who believe in the power of community, art, music & play. A community mandala is universal, ageless & inclusive. Chalk reachers help those using a wheelchair or a walker to reach the pavement. Spontaneous tummy chalking, dance moves, game of tag, happen in the mandala.

Art activities are sponsored by: Belita Schindler, Zach Morem

Ongoing Events

Print Making

Experience the art of print making with Shoua Yang. Come print a design on a tote bag to take home with you! Ongoing both days. Yang, a Hmong American artist born in a refugee camp, uses printmaking to explore identity and share narratives of the Hmong diaspora. After earning a BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Stout, he founded CeevTseg Press, led workshops, exhibited widely, and collaborated on community murals and publications. His work blends Hmong folklore, spiritual traditions, and pop culture into abstract relief prints that carve personal and cultural stories into wood.

Face Painting

Stop by the face painting tent to get a unique Austin ArtWorks Festival design, painted by Claire Bliese of Just Face It. Ongoing both days.

Henna

Stop by the tent and choose from a variety of designs offered by our Henna artists. Henna is a natural dye originating from Northern Africa, The Middle-East, and Southern Asia, created using powdered Henna leaves. When applied to the skin, the dye leaves a temporary stain after drying. Designs typically last one to two weeks, charges apply. Ongoing both days.

Family Arts Tent

Get inspired and exercise your creativity by trying out our vast collection of communal craft supplies. Attendees are encouraged to create whatever their heart desires, no instructions! All projects are yours to keep.

Spin Art

Watch the paint flow while creating a one-of-a-kind pour painting on our free spin art machine!

Paint the PT

Grab a brush, apron, some of our tempura paints, and leave your mark on the Festival PT Cruiser this year!

Art is the Heart

New to the Artworks Festival this year, attendees are encouraged to contribute to this communal project sharing what art means to you.

Bubble Blow

Take a break from the festival buzz by blowing some bubbles! Attendees are free to grab a wand and have some fun!

String Box Shanty

After winding your way around the festival grounds, be sure to grab some string and participate in our annual String Box Shanty! Attendees are encouraged to contribute to this temporary art project by weaving their length of rope around everyone else’s.