UPDATE: We’re currently undergoing temporary maintenance—forms and uploads will be fixed soon!

Participant Resources

Congratulations on being selected as a featured participant in the historic 24th annual Austin Studio Tour!

We are so proud to have you by our side as we collectively showcase Austin’s unmatched creative energy. We’ve been hard at work building new systems to make this journey as seamless as possible, for you and the tens of thousands of attendees come November.

Since there are a lot of exciting upgrades during this big transition year, our goal is to be concise but communicative. We’ll compile all participant resources and questions on this page as new milestones are reached and new features are launched!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Jump to

General Participant FAQ

Application Details​

Application & Technical Assistance

Profile Details & Guidebook

General Participant FAQ

  • The online Application to Participate opened on Monday, July 6th and closed on Fri, Aug 21st at 11:59pm.
  • If your application is approved, you will be invited to fill out your Profile Details, featuring your bio, images, what attendees can expect at your location and more. Your details must be finalized by 11:59pm on Sun, August 30th to meet our Guidebook printing deadline. Further edits can be made to your online profile through Fri, Oct 30th.
  • This year’s application takes five minutes! We’ll collect basic information about you and your practice:
    • Artist Name
    • Website and social links
    • Mediums
    • Two-sentence blurb about yourself and your work
    • Upload two photos that best represent your art and/or space
  • Things to keep in mind:
    • You do not need a confirmed location to apply.
    • Please use an email address that you check frequently and and add events@almostrealthings.com to your contacts to ensure you receive important information (we don’t want your celebratory approval email ending up in the spam folder).
    • You will create a password associated with your email address to log in.
      • After submitting your application with payment, you can edit it for 72 hours.
      • After approval, you’ll fill out your Profile Details.
    • You must complete payment on the last page of the application in order for us to receive your submission.

Application review has begun + Host Directory is available!

  • Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Expect to hear back from us within 48 hours after your 72-hour application editing period.
  • We’ll flag the must-read milestone emails with a guiding compass emoji 🧭 in the subject line, to stand out in your inbox.
  • All artists, art groups, musicians, art & music organizations, nonprofits and host locations are encouraged to participate.
  • Your location for the Tour must be within Austin, Austin ETJ, West Lake Hills, Rollingwood or Sunset Valley.
  • You must be at least 18 years old, or represented by someone at least 18 years old.
  • Still have questions about your eligibility? Email info@almostrealthings.com and we’ll help.
  • No, you are responsible for securing your own exhibition location for the Austin Studio Tour.
  • If you are an Individual Artist or Art Group looking for a space, check out our Host Directory.
    • We will not be involved in coordination beyond supplying contact information for the Hosts.
  • If you select a Host location as your address, your Individual Artist or Art Group profile will also be visible when people look up or click into that Host’s profile.
  • Yes! Apply as a Host to be granted the ability to create both a Host profile, as well as an additional Individual Artist or Art Group profile. You will be able to host others and can be listed on our Host Directory.
  • This is a great way to expand your marketing reach and provide more for attendees who visit your space.
  • Each hosted Individual Artist or Art Group is encouraged to apply to get their own dedicated profile, visible during the Tour and year-round.
  • Yes, you may travel to Austin to participate in the Tour.
  • Your location for the Tour must be within Austin, Austin ETJ, West Lake Hills, Rollingwood or Sunset Valley.
  • Yes, our participation fee makes the Austin Studio Tour possible.
  • Individual Artist: $250 standard, $150 for active students—valid ID required
  • Art Group: $250
  • Host: $350 bundle for two profiles (includes an additional Individual Artist / Art Group profile)
  • NOTE: Late applications submitted after Mon, August 10th have an additional $50 fee applied for expedited review. Prices shown include the $50 fee.
  • We highly encourage participation during both Tour weekends.
  • If that is not possible, you will have the option to input your open dates in your Profile Details after your application is approved.
  • We highly encourage participating during the full Tour hours.
  • If that is not possible, you will have the option to input your specific open times in your Profile Details after your application is approved.
  • There will also be a calendar for events that occur outside of the regular Tour hours.
  • No, selling your artwork is not a requirement to participate.
  • There are many other benefits to participating during the Austin Studio Tour and having a Profile in the year-round Artist Directory.
  • No, this year’s tour is citywide during both weekends.
  • We encourage participation during all four days but it is not required.
  • Absolutely!
  • We’ve always been passionate about bringing people together and building community around creativity.
  • The Austin Studio Tour is such a powerful tool for connection and we’re building on last year’s momentum to make 2026 the best year yet!

Application Details

All artists, art groups, musicians, art & music organizations, nonprofits and host locations are encouraged to participate.

  • You must be exhibiting within Austin, Austin ETJ, West Lake Hills, Rollingwood or Sunset Valley for the duration of the Tour.
  • Applicants must be over 18 years old
    • Parents and guardians may apply on behalf of artists under 18 years old, and must be listed as the primary contact.

If you are approved, you will have access to log in to complete your Profile Details:

  • Location where you will exhibit during the Tour
  • About you and your space
  • What attendees can expect to experience
  • Images of your space
  • For Hosts: who/what you will be hosting and images of your location
  • Images of your art
  • ADA accessibility details

You are responsible for securing your own exhibition space.

  • Exhibition locations must be within Austin, Austin ETJ, West Lake Hills, Rollingwood or Sunset Valley.
  • Our Host Directory is available for Individuals and Art Groups to find exhibition locations.
    • Hosts have the option to be listed in our Host Directory to offer space for Individual Artists and Art Groups.
    • We will not be involved in coordination beyond supplying contact information for Hosts in the directory.
  • After approval, you must add your confirmed location to your Profile Details by Sun, August 30th for it to appear in the printed Guidebook.
  • If you are exhibiting at multiple locations, you will be able to list each in your Profile Details after application approval.

Participation fees make the Austin Studio Tour possible. See the list of deliverables in our Ways to Participate section below.

  • Students with a currently valid student ID may apply for a discounted Individual Artist profile.
  • Pay via Klarna or Affirm for the option to make four, equal, interest-free payments (one every 2 weeks).
  • Participation fees are only refundable if your application is not approved.

Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Expect a response within 48 hours after your 72-hour application editing period.
  • Please use an email address that you check frequently and and add events@almostrealthings.com to your contacts to ensure you receive important information (we don’t want your celebratory approval email ending up in the spam folder).
  • If your application is not approved, your participation fee will be refunded.

Application review is ongoing + Host Directory is available!

  • Fri, August 21st at 11:59pm was the final application deadline for Artists, Art Groups & Hosts
  • Sun, August 30th at 11:59pm: deadline for Profile Details to be included in the printed Guidebook
  • September: Event Calendar begins accepting submissions for special programming during and beyond Tour hours
  • By Wed, October 7th: Online Explore page goes live—you can make your profile(s) public
  • Fri, October 30th at 11:59pm: Profile Details editing period closes

Application & Technical Assistance FAQ

  • Yes! We recommend applying ASAP since applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • It takes less than 5 minutes to apply and you will be able to add your location in your Profile Details after your application is approved.
  • You can also refer to our Host Directory to contact spaces that may be able to host you.
  • Our Host Directory is now open!
  • Contact spaces that may be able to host you.
    • We will not be involved in coordination beyond supplying contact information for the Hosts.
  • This list will be updated daily.
  • The website assigns you a user role based on what you click when you start your application but we can change it for you.
  • If you’ve already submitted your application as an Artist or Art Group but you’d like to become a Host, we can help with that as well!
  • Please email tech@almostrealthings.com and we will change your user role on the backend.
  • Hosts receive two profiles:
    • one for the location under the name of the space/event
    • one for an Individual Artist or Art Group—usually the primary contact or organizer for that space/event
  • Art Groups receive one profile for the group itself.
  • If you will be hosted, we recommend also applying as Individual Artists and Art Groups to receive your own year-round profile, which will be visible when people look up or click into your Host’s profile.

Yes! Let’s use us as an example:

  • Our organization “Almost Real Things” usually hosts a vendor market and a group gallery exhibition with multiple artists who are not directly associated with our brand, so we are listed as a Host to receive one profile for our Host location (our gallery) to describe the venue and programming, as well as an Art Group profile about our organization.
    • Artists/groups that we invite to show with us should apply for their own Individual Artist or Art Group profiles to describe themselves and their art in our printed Guidebook and online Artist Directory during the Tour and year-round.
  • Now, if we just wanted to sell our Almost Real Things branded products without inviting anyone else to pop up with us, we would be considered an Art Group, since there are multiple artists represented under our one brand name.
    • If someone invited us to have a vendor booth within their space, they would be considered a Host and our profile would have a link to them as our hosted location.
  • Online profiles include the following fields. Due to size constraints, profiles in our printed Guidebook will be shortened.
  • Partner Profile
    • Partners can create any of the profile types below, or a business profile with Partner name, Industry, Mission Statement or Description, Links, Business Location, Bio or Offerings, Headshot or Logo, Business Images
  • Host Profile
    • Host Name, Profile Picture, Location Number, Location Name, Location Category, Location Address, Location Image, Experience Images, Artist Bio, Description of “What to Expect” for Attendees, Participating Days & Hours, Accessibility Information, Links, Family-friendly/Adult Themes, Additional Mediums, Experience Activities, Highlighted Communities
  • Art Group Profile
    • Art Group Name, Primary Medium, Profile Picture, Location Number, Location Category, Location Address, Location Image, Art Images, Art Group Description, Description of “What to Expect” for Attendees, Participating Days & Hours, Accessibility Information, Links, Family-friendly/Adult Themes, Additional Mediums, Experience Activities, Highlighted Communities
  • Individual Artist Profile
    • Individual Artist Name, Primary Medium, Profile Picture, Location Number, Location Category, Location Address, Location Image, Art Images, Artist Bio, Description of “What to Expect” for Attendees, Participating Days & Hours, Accessibility Information, Links, Family-friendly/Adult Themes, Additional Mediums, Experience Activities, Highlighted Communities
  • After your application is approved, you can specify the dates and times you are participating in your Profile Details. 
  • No. We require this info for internal communications only.
  • We do not have a fellowship program this year but we are actively searching for a sponsor to help with discounted fellowships in the future.
  • A 50% discount is available for students, with proof of currently valid student ID.
  • If your application is not approved, we will issue a full refund, minus Stripe’s 3% fee.
  • Fees are not otherwise refundable.

Profile Details & Guidebook FAQ

Click here to log in and navigate to your Profile Details tab. Click “Edit Profile” and fill in all mandatory fields.

When you scroll all the way down to the bottom to click “SAVE”, it will give an error message if you haven’t completed these mandatory fields. Fill in ALL fields until you see this green “success” message:

You may edit your details and photos for the Guidebook until 11:59pm on Monday, August 31st.

Please navigate to the Location section of your Profile Details and select from the dropdown list of all confirmed Hosts.

Please navigate to the Profile Details tab and click “Manage Hosted Artists” to view and confirm participants who listed you as their Host.

  • We will use this information in the Guidebook to group your hosted participants.
    • Only participants with the status “Confirmed” will have you listed as their Host in the Guidebook and online profiles.
    • Use the status “Pending” if you’re waiting on payment or other details before confirming the participant.
    • The status “Other” is helpful for cancellations or anyone you don’t recognize (but please contact them to clarify).
  • If you think a participant is missing from your list, contact them directly and instruct them to choose you in the Host dropdown in their Profile Details.

If you need to change your Host Directory information or your spaces are all full, email tech@almostrealthings.com explaining what you want to change and we’ll update or remove your listing!

The “Address” field will suggest simplified addresses if it can’t find the exact wording that you typed.

  • Use the “Optional descriptive name” field to clarify further.
  • Use the “Optional navigation instructions” field if your address detail isn’t an official USPS “address line 2”.
  • For example, you’d write that your location is “in the back house of a duplex”, if the duplex isn’t officially separated into “A” & “B” units.
  • One image that best represents your work
  • Artist or Art Group Name
  • 3-4 sentence statement (condensed into one paragraph with a maximum of 500 characters, including spaces)
  • Website URL
  • Main social media handle
  • Dates that you will participate in the Tour
  • Main medium
  • Content suitability (e.g. All Ages)
  • Location number, address and the name of your Host, if applicable
  • One image that best represents your work
  • Location number and address
  • Host name
  • 3-4 sentence statement (condensed into one paragraph with a maximum of 450 characters, including spaces)
  • Website URL
  • Main social media handle
  • Dates that you will participate in the Tour
  • Location category
  • Content suitability (e.g. All Ages)
  • Page number of hosted Artist & Art Group profiles
  • Indoor and/or Outdoor
  • Location permanence

Yes, that’s totally fine. You can add your location at a later date and your profile will still appear in the Guidebook for attendees to see your art and learn about you. They can search for your profile online to find your location and add it to their list of favorites.

Please navigate to the Location section of your Profile Details and select “Yes, multiple locations” to write each of your locations in the text box. Please follow the formatting instructions.

For questions related to technical issues, please contact tech@almostrealthings.com