Austin in My Eyes - Street Art Tours
After moving in 2017 to Austin from Lyon, France, when her husband’s company transferred him to the United States, Severine found herself falling in love with the city of Austin through its art. With no previous artistic background, Severine took a leap and founded her outdoor art tour company, Austin in My Eyes (AIME). AIME gives regular English and French group tours of outdoor murals located in different Austin neighborhoods. The Alliance Francaise d’Austin is partnering with Severine to offer two exclusive AIME tours to AFA members and students. We recently sat down to chat with her about her background and what people can expect.
What got you interested in street art and what do you love about it?
I always loved street art and took pictures of it. I found that it was a way to discover the city of Austin. I want to share these murals because the artists behind the work deserve to be known. Art needs to be promoted to the people. I also really like that street art is accessible to everyone. You can not know anything about the art and still appreciate it. It’s a special art form in that it’s public, so it’s meant for everyone to experience. I love that it is artists doing art without permission. This art is not vandalism because it is meant to be more permanent, and it has a message. I like that often the message of these murals is to support minority and women’s rights.
Do you have any favorite Austin muralists?
Niz and Zuzu. Niz comes from Peru and I love her work and her style. She defends minority and women’s rights. She is really talented and has a lot of murals everywhere. I like Zuzu because her work is very colorful and feminine. I am also a fan of the Something Cool Studios in East Austin and the Looking Up Mural Fest.
What can people expect on a tour with you?
They can expect to learn a lot about the street art and appreciate it if they don’t know or even like it. It’s like a new view of Austin–a new way of seeing Austin. It tells the story of Austin
The exclusive AFA SoCo-Lorful Tour, which is a 2/2.5-hour walking tour across the magical South Congress neighborhood, will take place on October 21 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Discover 20 different murals, some of which are Austin's most iconic, and learn about the artists who painted these murals, the history, and the meaning of their work. Participants will be given in advance a glossary and bios of the artists. This event is limited to 12 participants at a beginner level A1 and above.
The AFA East Austin Tour, quartier préféré des artistes tour with Severine takes place on November 19 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and will be geared towards more advanced French speakers. Note that tours can be up to 2.5 miles of walking distance, so prepare accordingly. This event is limited to 12 participants at will be geared to those at the A2 Level and above.
AFA Members will receive a discounted rate. You can register for one or both these events HERE on the AFA site. These two exclusive tours are not listed on AIME website but available only through AFA.
We are excited about partnering with Severine to offer these two exclusive AIME tours!