With $12 million for acquisition of creative space approved by voters earlier this month, members of the city’s music and arts commissions will spend the rest of November generating ideas for how to best use the money for saving and adding arts spaces all over the city. A working group made up of members of […]
Austin Music Commission
The Austin Music Commission guides city practices on music development issues, including the SxSW music festival.
Posted inAustin
Debate over convention center, hotel tax funds spreads to Music Commission
A recently created music activism group has been thrown into the fray of the debate – largely playing out in meetings of the new Tourism Commission – over how to spend money the city generates through its roughly $100 million portion of the Hotel Occupancy Tax, and the larger issue of possibly expanding the Austin […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Places and names
What do you say… The Austin street with the most confounding, or at least distinctively quirky, pronunciation could be headed for a name change. A public hearing scheduled for Thursday’s City Council meeting will focus on a request to rename Manchaca Road to Menchaca Road to correct a generations-old misspelling of the surname of Texas […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Don’t expect harmony from groups attached to $128M push for creative, culture centers
While the city’s cultural centers and the disparate arts and music communities will win or lose collectively in November when voters decide whether to approve $128 million in bond funding, it appears those groups will be working separately to campaign and educate voters over the next two months. That’s the indication from a recent board […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Communication
They don’t want to talk to you… Staff from the Development Services Department repeatedly told members of the Zoning and Platting Commission at their Tuesday meeting that they were legally obligated to approve a site plan for the controversial Champion project. A few of the commissioners were unconvinced that the advice they were receiving from […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Arts, music supporters eye bond money to assist existing creative spaces
Leaders in Austin’s arts community appear to be in favor of using $12 million in proposed bond money to help existing creative businesses in purchasing their current spaces before they can be priced out or forced to move because of redevelopment. That was the focus of discussion at Monday’s meeting of the Austin Music Commission, […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Arts, culture groups joining forces for bond request likely to exceed $100M
Representatives from the city’s three ethnic cultural centers will join forces with members of the Arts and Music commissions to ask City Council for a bond package request that could add up to more than $120 million. At Monday’s meeting, the Music Commission voted unanimously to form a working group with members from the Emma […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Six years gone: Music Commission again asks Council to halt special events ordinance
The Austin Music Commission has asked City Council to put on hold nearly six years of work on updating and revamping of the city’s regulations covering special events. At Monday’s meeting, the commission approved a resolution that calls the current draft of a new special events ordinance too vague, with too many of the rule-making […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Collective concerns
No need to bug out… Word hit the street recently that the city was considering a rule that would require all homes to install insect screens. “Proposal would require homeowners to install insect screens,” said a KXAN headline. Buried near the bottom of the story is an important caveat: The proposed rule would only apply […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Creative ‘hubs’ requests moving forward for $40M bond ask
The questions surrounding a movement to build multiple creative “hubs” – or possibly one single campus – for Austin’s arts and music communities are becoming somewhat clearer as proponents of those groups continue talks ahead of an August decision on the size and makeup of the city’s fall general obligation proposal. The city’s Arts and […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Music Commission’s ‘hub’ concept prompts request for $15M bond increase
The Austin Music Commission is asking City Council to add $15 million to November’s bond package to buy or build property that could be used as a music hub to support the city’s flagging music industry. At Monday’s meeting the commission voted 8-0 to approve a recommendation that points to the need for a facility […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Let’s talk talk
Talking to themselves… Do the members of the Commissioners Court and their staff need to take some time to discuss how they discuss things? Well, last Tuesday, the court discussed that very question! Concerning an upcoming retreat, Commissioner Brigid Shea remarked on the single-focused agenda by declaring, “I don’t think we need to spend an […]