“The show made me so proud - and I’m not often proud of myself - but that show made me proud. And it helped me financially to make it through the year, and you can’t beat that.”

Marilyn Swartz, a local Austinite, has been attending our open studio 2 to 3 times a week for a year. She is a self-described color artist favoring oranges and blues, her paintings are "loud and boisterous". Inspirations for her pieces come from her outings to art museums like the Blanton. Swartz describes AFTS as a validating space for her that allows her to have positive interactions with people and to feel proud of the work she produces.