The city is accepting applications for four different Art in Public Places opportunities — an initiative that commissions artists to create artwork for public sites around Austin.

Selected artists will receive budgets ranging from $90,000 to $300,000 to complete their projects, according to Melissa Alvarado, cultural heritage tourism division manager at Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment. Alvarado said she encourages all artists — regardless of expertise — to apply.

“Public art is important because it makes art accessible to everyone, regardless of where you live [or] how busy you are,” she said. “It creates an unexpected element of whimsy throughout our entire city without necessarily having to stop and go to a museum.”

The program is open to Austin- and Texas-based artists and teams. Applications are due Aug. 3.

The city has more than 400 public artworks, made possible by a 1985 ordinance that mandates 2% of capital improvement project budgets be set aside to commission artwork. Austin became the first city in Texas with this type of initiative. (Recently, however, Austin arts leaders have raised concerns over how the 2% figure is calculated.)

Alvarado said Austin’s creative community has been able to thrive because of the ordinance.

“When you have a public art project, you’re not only commissioning the artist to produce the public art, but the artist then is able to assemble their design team, which can include engineers, fabricators [and] welders,” she said. “It generates jobs for a variety of different skill sets as a result of one public art project.”

Here’s a breakdown of the four opportunities Texans can apply for.

The Asian American Resource Center Pavilion

The budget for an art installation at the Asian American Resource Center is $90,000. The winning project will be “a high-quality, versatile space that meets the diverse needs of its users and emphasizes sustainability,” according to the application.

“What is really important, especially at this resource center, is that the artwork reflects and that it celebrates Austin’s Asian American community, and the space itself is one that honors culture and community and connection,” Alvarado said.

The city is looking for an Austin- or Austin-metro-based artist for this project.

Sidewalks and Shared Streets Program

ACME is partnering with the Austin Transportation and Public Works departments to commission three artists to create site-specific public artwork that encourages safety, according to the application.

The budget is $170,000 per artist. The opportunity is open to Austin- and Austin-metro-based artists.

There are four possible locations for the public art projects across Districts 2, 4, 7 and 8.

Northeast Service Center

ACME is seeking a Texas-based artist to create a permanent 3D piece for the grand staircase within the administrative building of the new Northeast Service Center, expected to open in fall 2027.

The use of recycled materials is encouraged. The budget for the project is $300,000, according to the application.

Pre-Qualified Texas Public Artist Pool

Texas-based artists of all levels can apply to design and install future public artworks. Budgets can range from $10,000 to $250,000+, according to the application.

“What it does is it leaves the door open for these artists to receive notification or consideration when there are future public art calls issued,” Alvarado said. “It becomes our roster in terms of notification for future opportunities, and it creates a pathway for artists to contribute to public art projects throughout the city.”