The city is accepting applications for four different Art in Public Places opportunities \u2014 an initiative that commissions artists to create artwork for public sites around Austin.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 regardless of expertise \u2014 to apply.<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic art is important because it makes art accessible to everyone, regardless of where you live [or] how busy you are,\u201d she said. \u201cIt creates an unexpected element of whimsy throughout our entire city without necessarily having to stop and go to a museum.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program is open to Austin- and Texas-based artists and teams. Applications<\/a> are due Aug. 3.<\/p>\n The city has more than 400 public artworks<\/a>, 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<\/a> over how the 2% figure is calculated.)<\/p>\n Alvarado said Austin’s creative community has been able to thrive because of the ordinance.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen 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,\u201d she said. \u201cIt generates jobs for a variety of different skill sets as a result of one public art project.\u201d<\/p>\n Here’s a breakdown of the four opportunities Texans can apply for.<\/p>\n The Asian American Resource Center Pavilion<\/p>\n The budget for an art installation at the Asian American Resource Center is $90,000. The winning project will be \u201ca high-quality, versatile space that meets the diverse needs of its users and emphasizes sustainability,\u201d according to the application<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat 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,\u201d Alvarado said.<\/p>\n The city is looking for an Austin- or Austin-metro-based artist for this project.<\/p>\n Sidewalks and Shared Streets Program<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n The budget is $170,000 per artist. The opportunity is open to Austin- and Austin-metro-based artists.<\/p>\n There are four possible locations for the public art projects across Districts 2, 4, 7 and 8.<\/p>\n Northeast Service Center<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The use of recycled materials is encouraged. The budget for the project is $300,000, according to the application<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pre-Qualified Texas Public Artist Pool<\/p>\n