Long Live the Yardists!

Day: 247
High Temp: 69F (yep, it's a little chilly here in Austin!)

Tom and I had a crazy weekend filled with things we needed to do:
  -Laundry
  -Grocery Shopping
  -Get Haircuts
  -Packing for our upcoming trip to the Bay Area

and things that we wanted to do:
  -See a movie
  -Brunch with friends
  -Play with Homer
  -Check out the Austin Art Yards Tour

I am proud to say that, although it was what I would consider a very hectic weekend, we somehow managed to do it all. The highlight, was undoubtedly the Austin Art Yards Tour.

I am sure that many of you have heard the slogan "Keep Austin Weird." Well, the Yardists (yard + artists, get it?) are the people who, more than any other group, truly put the weird (or more like unique) in Austin.  They are a legion of people, both artists and normal people (yes, I just implied artists are not normal) who are dedicated to make their outdoor spaces just a little more beautiful/odd/whimsical/inspiring. Tom choose for us a tour route that would take us past the landmarks who call our south Austin neighborhood home.

One yard that I was particularly stoked to experience was the infamous Cathedral of Junk. Unfortunately, just days before the tour, the City of Austin officially announced that this landmark would be closed to the public (against the owners will) until future notice.  For more information on this government-gone-wrong story, check out this Austin American Statesman article.

We did however, get a chance to see:

Smut Putt Heaven- not sure where the name derives from, but this back yard was chocked full of mannequin and doll heads, glass bottle hedges, crutches. There were also dozens of bottle-cap snakes hanging from the grand live oak that is the yard's centerpiece.

Black and White- a front yard who's artist owner has decided to decorate with huge Picasso-esque black and white cardboard sculptures

Flower Power- Another front yard, this time featuring colorful metal flower sculptures, some of which turned on their center axis.

Flamingos du Jour- This wildly overgrown back yard has been besieged by a huge flock of pink flamingo yard ornaments of all shapes and sizes.  


Sea Yard- One of the most understated yards, this spot is best known for the under-sea mural that graces the entire back yard fence. It also features a stunning glass mermaid mural on the yard gate. We were lucky to see the owner Lois Goodman's sea tchotchke-bedecked car in the carport.  And Lois was there soaking up the many compliments that were coming her way, and talking with visitors about her art and her home (a stunning work itself!).

Flat Fork Studios- Our last stop of the tour, this spot was most notable for the GIANT chicken that is chained to a fence in the front yard. Not kidding, the thing is taller than I am.

It was an inspiring and fun afternoon, and made me appreciate yet another level of uniqueness that my adopted city has to offer. Long live the yardists!