With millions of dollars from the city’s hotel tax expected soon to be available for use by the local music industry, the Music Commission is forming a task force to advise City Council on the best way to use those funds. At last week’s meeting, the commission voted unanimously to create an 11-member task force, […]
Austin Music Commission
The Austin Music Commission guides city practices on music development issues, including the SxSW music festival.
Posted inAustin
Eyeing hotel tax dollars, Music Commission signs on to support convention center
With City Council set to consider two items on Thursday related to the proposed expansion of the Austin Convention Center, the Austin Music Commission voted last week to support the plan, which is projected to cost more than $1 billion from the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax funds. At the 7-2 vote, commission members Jonathan “Chaka” […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: The end of Austin?
And another thing… In arguing against the proposed expansion of the Austin Convention Center at last week’s Music Commission meeting, local developer Brian Rodgers drew some confused and sideways glances from commission members. Rodgers, a Tourism Commission member who helped fund the November ballot measure that could derail the expansion, used a seemingly random if […]
Posted inParks
Music Commission pushes to make park sites viable for music, arts events
Members of the Music Commission are pushing for an up-close look at city parks facilities that could be used to host music performances and other arts and cultural events in coming years. The effort is partly tied to the $12 million voters approved to provide more creative spaces throughout the city last year, with the […]
Posted inAustin
By decriminalizing homelessness, Austin stumbles into legalized busking
The city’s recent changes to ordinances intended to decriminalize homelessness may have, in a roundabout way, provided a new way for Austin musicians to earn money while also ending a years-long legal stalemate. The issue in question centers around busking, the term for playing unamplified music for tips in a public space, which is a […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission set to finalize proposal process for creative space bonds
The city’s Music Commission hopes to make a decision by September on how arts and music groups will be able to submit proposals to receive some of the city’s $12 million in creative spaces funding. At last week’s meeting, commissioners agreed, without passing an official resolution, to come to the August meeting with consensus on […]
Posted inUncategorized
Survey says spend creative spaces money throughout East Austin
More than 600 respondents to a recent survey have weighed in to push for the city to use $12 million in bond money to create multiple performance centers for arts and music uses in East Austin. Initial results of the survey, which closed on Tuesday, were shared Saturday at a joint meeting of the city’s […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Music Commission eyes minority populations in allocating $12M for creative spaces
Leaders from the arts and music communities appear to be leaning toward splitting up $12 million in city bond funds for creative spaces based on the city’s racial and gender demographics, in a move to emphasize equity and inclusion. At Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission, discussion on how the city will opt to spend […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
MACC supporters enter the fray for $12M in creative space funding
Members of the Latino and Mexican American communities are pushing for arts spaces representing those groups to receive money from the $12 million approved by voters to preserve and create arts spaces. Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission featured several speakers concerned that Tejano music and other Mexican American artists are being overlooked by the […]
Posted inAustin
Arts, music proponents push for bond money to help existing groups
A coalition of more than 20 arts and music groups has called on the city to use $12 million in creative spaces bond money on multiple properties that would be used by existing threatened entities. The coalition known as Supporting Preserving Austin’s Creative Ecosystem, or SPACE, submitted a four-page memo in February outlining six main […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music commission pushes for action on ‘agent of change’
Members of the city’s Music Commission are pushing staff for action to produce an “agent of change” ordinance that City Council can vote on to bring some clarity to friction between entertainment venues and nearby hotels and residences. At last week’s meeting, commissioner Rick Carney expressed frustration that the agent of change concept – which […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Urgent plodding
District 3 gets into it… The gloves are off in the race for the District 3 City Council seat between siblings Susana Almanza and incumbent Pio Renteria. The long-combative candidates have taken their campaign charges to the digital and physical realms with charged attacks on each other’s level of community involvement and the contributions they’ve […]