Announcing a New Mural by Artist Steffi Lynn Tsai at Allens Boots, In Partnership with Waymo
This October, Future Front is proud to announce the launch of a new mural by Austin-based illustrator, designer and small business owner Steffi Lynn Tsai in partnership with Waymo. The mural will be on display at Allen’s Boots—an iconic South Congress mainstay since 1977—through December 2024.
The mural is part of a broader rollout of Waymo partnerships this Fall. Now offering rides in Austin, the autonomous driving technology company has partnered with organizations like Future Front to support local artists and small business communities. For this particular project, Future Front tapped renowned illustrator and designer Steffi Lynn Tsai, a generational Austinite, long-time muralist and the co-founder of independent boutique Roommate Collective.
“This mural celebrates the vibrant energy of Austin where local businesses, the environment and community come together. Inspired by the natural beauty of the city, I wanted to design the mural where it looks like we are looking outward from inside the car on a trip through Austin. Small businesses and a respect for nature keep our community grounded. I hope this mural inspires appreciation for both—the entrepreneurs who shape our city and the environment that sustains it.”
Check out the official announcement video on Instagram here, and keep reading to learn more about the artist, including a Q&A exploring her connection with Austin and inspiration for the mural.
✹ ON Creative Connections with Steffi Lynn Tsai
Steffi Lynn Tsai is a hand-letterer, illustrator, and muralist from Austin, Texas. Now traveling the country painting walls to walls and coast to coast!
Steffi’s work is inspired by everyday things, feelings, and simple imagery from her imagination or her surroundings. She likes to create work that inspires people and brings community together through positivity.
Steffi is also most drawn to the environments she grew up around in Texas, and loves being able to incorporate Texan nature into all her works. Steffi aims to make the final results unique to the environment in which they will exist. The goal for her creations is to inspire people through positive messaging, bright colors and everyday imagery that people can connect with!
Q — Describe yourself! Who are you? What is your practice?
I am Steffi Lynn an illustration artist that specializes in murals!
Q — Why murals as a practice? What do you love about them?
I love seeing an idea develop from a small thought to something that is out living in the world for everyone to see at a large scale. I like the challenges that murals can provide and the excitement it can bring to people when they see it!
Q — What was your process and inspiration with this mural project?
I started the process by looking at the overall surface area where the mural will live. I like to work in balance and symmetry, therefore splitting the design between the panels played a big role in the composition. I wanted to create a mural that was inspired by a road trip through the landscapes and environment around Austin. So the middle panel was painted to look like the viewer is sitting behind the dashboard of a vehicle, looking out. I wanted to make sure the mural was bright and colorful so it is eye catching when people walked by.
Q — Tell us about Roommate Collective and your connection to the Austin artist scene.
Roommate Collective is a collective retail space that houses 3 small businesses- Have a Nice Day, Jollie Ollie, and Little Note. As an Austin native, I’ve always wanted to have a place where my products can live and I thought it would be perfect to open a store with 2 friends who thought the same. We are located in Springdale General beside other local businesses and have artists markets multiple times a year! I want to bring all creators together so we can continue to support each other's crafts and passions.
Q — Our theme this year is RITUALS. What are some of your favorite rituals, whether it’s for your creative practice or personal wellness?
This year, an important ritual for me in my creative practice and personal wellness is to be patient with myself. To not rush a project, not rush a feeling, a design , not rush rest.
Q — What’s your favorite Future Front program or moment?
I had no idea Future Front did a festival every year!! That is insane and so much work and soooo impressive!
Behind the Scenes with Steffi and Waymo:
About Waymo x Future Front
Future Front and Waymo will continue to collaborate on projects this year spotlighting the importance of small businesses and independent creatives in Austin, including an activation at the upcoming Fall Season of The Front Market, where 150+ women and LGBTQ+ artists, makers and craftspeople local to Central Texas will be featured in a weekend-long pop-up market at Waterloo Greenway on November 23 and 24, 2024 in Downtown Austin.
ABOUT WAYMO
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to be the most trusted driver. Since our start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has been focused on building, deploying, and commercializing the World’s Most Experienced Driver™ technology to improve the world's access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo One, the world's first fully autonomous ride-hailing service. To date, Waymo has autonomously driven tens of millions of miles on public roads and tens of billions of miles in simulation, across 13+ U.S. states. For more: www.waymo.com.
ABOUT FUTURE FRONT TEXAS
Homegrown in Austin, Future Front (formerly known as Boss Babes ATX) is an award-winning, culture space and exhibition series—with women and LGBTQ+ creatives at the front. As a 501c3 arts & culture nonprofit, we produce two community-led exhibitions, The Front Market and The Front Festival. Beyond our flagship exhibitions, we host year-round shows and workshops at our creative space in historic East Austin, welcoming 20,000+ visitors per year.
Through these programs and a diverse network of partnerships, we invite the public to dream of a future where creativity, curiosity and intersectional design thrive in Texas—where we see ourselves and our cultures reflected in our communities. Learn more about how it all works, the team, and the important work they do at futurefrontexas.org, and by following along @futurefronttexas on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok and @futurefronttx on Twitter.