The Blue House Artist Residency supports Austin artists by giving them space, tools, and opportunities to grow their art. For each month, a local artist has been selected to work in the studio provided by Plugin House and share their skills with the community through mentorship and public art projects.
Introducing The Lot on 12th:
A Public Art Playground
Powered by the Elevate Grant from the City of Austin, The Lot on 12th is a vibrant outdoor space on East 12th Street where the community comes together through art. Here we host public art activities, workshops, mentorship programs, and community events, giving everyone a chance to create, learn, and connect.
Bieke Campos is a Mexican American artist raised on the East Side of Austin whose work is deeply rooted in his lived experience growing up in HACA affordable housing and navigating over 15 years of low-income living. Drawing from personal experience and the shared struggles of East Austin families and communities, his oil paintings confront poverty with honesty while illuminating resilience, history, and hope. Through this residency, he seeks to create work that reflects the authenticity, pain, and cultural legacy of East Austin while building meaningful connections with the broader community through mural and public art.
Passionate about serving his purpose, inspiring youth, and uplifting underserved communities, Bieke is committed to expanding his practice as an emerging artist and fostering collaboration among fellow creatives.
He is currently pursuing a BFA in Studio Art at Texas State University (expected 2026) and has received notable recognition including the 2022 Scholastic Gold Key, Scholastic Visual Award, and American Visions Award, with his work exhibited at Mexic-Arte Museum, San Marcos Art League, 2324 Studios, and other regional galleries; his paintings are also held in the Mexic-Arte Museum Permanent Collection.
FOLLOW BIEKE ON INSTAGRAM
Bieke Campos
Meet our March Artist-in-Residence:
Maya Sokora is an Austin-based self-taught painter who has spent her life using art to create spaces of belonging, expressing herself through writing, film, music, performance, and visual storytelling. After studying theater at an Arts Magnet High School in Dallas, she moved alone to New York City, where she spent 13 years singing and playing guitar in her punk-edged rock band, later writing and starring in the indie sci-fi film RAIN to challenge the lack of Black women represented in the genre.
In 2011, after the stillbirth of her only child, her world shifted profoundly, leading her to begin creating heart paintings as a way to process and communicate her grief and enduring love.
Over the past 12 years, her work has evolved into a visceral exploration of afterlife mythologies and ancient cultural symbolism, deeply influenced by the vibrant street art of New York City. For the past year and a half she has dedicated herself fully to her practice, painting relentlessly in her home studio—surrounded by donkeys, goats, and stacks of her signature “heart art,” which she shares and sells independently through social media and open house exhibits, inviting viewers into visual portals that explore love, loss, and transformation.
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Maya Sokora
Meet our February Artist-in-Residence:
PAST GUEST Artist
Fergie
OCT 2025 Resident
Stephanie Saldivor
Dec 2025 ResidentWhat Happens at The Lot on 12th?
The Lot on 12th is a place where creativity grows, and everyone is welcome to join.
Practice Painting Days
Open walls let aspiring muralists try new techniques and learn, no experience needed.
Youth & Mentorship Programs
Through the Palette to Purpose program, resident artists lead workshops, give guidance, and help young creatives build their skills and portfolios.
Community Activations
Live mural events, pop-up performances, and cultural celebrations invite the public to take part in the creativity.
Skill-Building Sessions
Artists can learn about mural care, storytelling, and public art as a career.
Collaborative Projects
Artists and community members work together on murals and installations, making art a shared experience that everyone can be part of.
Why It Matters
With support from the City of Austin, The Lot on 12th is a place where the stories of East Austin are shared through art. This space helps artists learn and grow, and it brings the whole community together to create, celebrate, and connect.