Nearly three years after the city approved funding to upgrade the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, the project remains incomplete. The wait for new theater seating to complete the upgrade has been pushed back to at least summer 2026 amid departmental transitions and procurement delays. The delay extends a yearslong effort to modernize the sizable East […]
Arts Commission
The Arts Commission advises the Austin City Council in all arts-related matters, fosters the development of the arts, and promotes cooperation between the City and the public.
Posted inAustin
Arts commissioners question new structure for grant programs
The Arts Commission took a close look at significant changes proposed for the city’s grant programs for artists and creative organizations on Monday, raising questions about how new eligibility rules, scoring criteria and funding structures would affect the city’s diverse cultural ecosystem. Commissioners and staff from the newly formed Department of Arts, Culture, Music and […]
Posted inAustin
Dozens of city music grants stalled over missing final reports
Sixty recipients of Austin’s Live Music Fund grants are currently in non-compliance with the city’s reporting requirements, leaving more than half a million dollars in hotel tax funds unpaid and effectively frozen, according to data presented at the June 16 meeting of the Austin Arts Commission. In total, 70 grant contracts across all city arts […]
Posted inCity Hall
City to help preserve artworks threatened by convention center teardown
The city appears to have solutions to save a group of artworks installed in the Austin Convention Center that were in danger of being destroyed as the demolition and reconstruction of the facility moves forward. Late last month, artist John Yancey, whose Riffs & Rhythms mural was at the centerpiece of the controversy, informed the […]
Posted inCity Hall
Study of arts, music grant programs finds gaps among award recipients
A new study examining how Austin distributes Hotel Occupancy Tax funds for arts and culture programs found that some groups and areas of the city are missing out on the progress being made in helping some historically underserved communities. The study conducted by the research group Measure looked at Cultural Arts programs like Elevate and […]
Posted inAustin
Arts Commission questions changes to Nexus’ $500K grant process
With the city’s next round of Nexus cultural arts grants open to applicants, members of the Arts Commission recently discussed how to improve the selection process for awardees so the program better serves emerging and disadvantaged artists. At last week’s meeting, the commission received a presentation from Zac Traeger, executive director of the Museum of […]
Posted inAustin
Arts Commission wants convention center installations preserved ahead of demolition
The Arts Commission wants the city to push the Austin Convention Center to pay for and assist in the removal and preservation of four city-commissioned art installations that are at risk of being destroyed when the facility is torn down next spring. At Monday’s meeting, the commission approved a request to City Council asking for […]
Posted inAustin
Arts Commission joins call for bond money to replace Dougherty Arts Center
The Arts Commission wants City Council to commit to including funding for a new Dougherty Arts Center in the city’s next bond package, likely to go before voters in 2026. At its most recent meeting, the commission unanimously approved the recommendation proposed by the Friends of the Dougherty Arts Center advocacy group that has been […]
Posted inAustin
Arts Commission weighs sizes of grants to aid underserved groups
Members of the Arts Commission want the city to show how effective new grant programs have been at reaching arts organizations from underserved communities, out of concern that large award amounts for the Thrive grant program may result in too few awards available to include newer recipients. At Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Gina Houston spelled out […]
Posted inAustin
Arts Commission gives early OK for city aid to expand Umlauf museum
The Arts Commission wants City Council to give an initial endorsement to an ambitious plan to improve and expand the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, which is managed in partnership with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. At Monday’s meeting, the commission received a presentation on the plan for the 8-acre site, which sits on […]
Posted inPlanning
Arts, music commissioners want new convention center to support Austin creatives
Members of the Music Commission and Arts Commission have assembled a list of 31 recommendations detailing how the reconstructed Austin Convention Center could best support the local creative community. The recommendations from the Urban Core Land Use Working Group, which includes two members of each commission as well as development and event professionals, was scheduled […]
Posted inAustin
Arts Commission sees potential in proposed cultural district framework
The Arts Commission expressed early support recently for the Economic Development Department’s plans to simplify and standardize the process for creating cultural and economic districts, with the expectation that more districts will be established and funded in the coming years. At last month’s meeting, the commission received a presentation from Matthew Schmidt, a program manager […]