If you have a creative project a-brewin’, hope is on the horizon. The Austin Economic Development Department is launching the Nexus Grant, intended to support local artists and arts organizations. Recipients will get $5,000 grants for their creative public projects. Applications are now open and close at 5 p.m. on Aug. 15. “Eligible applicants must have a minimum one-year history of cultural or arts programming in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area – which includes Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties,” according to a news release. Get more info and learn how to apply at austintexas.gov/nexus.

Time to get intellectual. The Library Foundation and the Texas Book Festival have announced the next installment of “In Conversation,” a free event series that hosts two authors talking about their work. Catch MacArthur Foundation fellow Terrance Hayes and Griffin Poetry Prize winner Roger Reeves at 7 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Central Library (710 W. Cesar Chavez St.). Both authors have new essay collections: “Canonized, overlooked, and forgotten African American poets star in Hayes’s ‘Watch Your Language’ … a fascinating collection of graphic reviews and illustrated micro-essays addressing the last century of American poetry. And in his debut work of nonfiction, ‘Dark Days: Fugitive Essays’ … the Austin-based Reeves finds new meaning in silence, protest, freedom, and ecstasy,” according to the announcement. The authors will sign books after the discussion, and books will be available for purchase from Black Pearl Books. Get more information here.

A coalition of community advocates is asking the city to move a little quicker in implementing changes to the Land Development Code. As we have reported, though City Council has approved a number of progressive changes to the code in recent months, city staff has presented a timeline that predicts implementation of those changes will not take place for more than a year. On Monday, members of the Austin Housing Coalition, Transit Forward, HousingWorks Austin and the Austin Justice Coalition asked city staff, Council and the city manager to pick up the pace in codifying things like changed occupancy limits and elimination of parking requirements. “For many of the most impactful amendments, staff is planning for months of development and engagement. While we understand that it is crucial to study the potential impacts of these code changes, we urge Council to press staff to refer to the results of the outreach from the previous land development code rewrite process and prior Council-initiated code changes, where millions of dollars were spent to demonstrate that our city needs to use every tool available to allow more housing. While we support representative and thorough community outreach, we believe that at this point, most efforts would be redundant and likely to just perpetuate the code-created housing crisis that every Council Member campaigned to address,” reads the letter, in part. “Our organizations urge City Council to provide staff with whatever resources are necessary to shorten these development and engagement timelines so that these much needed code amendments will be implemented within the year. We hope that such resources include funding for consultants and additional staff, as well as an investigation into work policies that might expedite filling the many vacancies in departments responsible for implementing these policies.”

City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly will be leading “an immersive learning experience to develop essential skills in disaster response” next month, according to a press release from her District 6 office. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course will be held at the Jollyville Fire Department from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, in collaboration with other instructors. Those who attend will learn about disaster preparedness, fire suppression, medical aid and search and rescue techniques, among other things. “No previous experience in emergency service is required for enrollment,” said Kelly in a statement to the press. “We welcome participants with a genuine interest in serving their community during times of crisis and a willingness to learn and apply their training effectively.” People interested in training with Kelly can register online or contact the District 6 office at 512-978-2106 or district6@austintexas.gov.

Get your Lorax on at a Tree Smart Brown Bag Lunch & Learn on July 19, where experts from the city’s Community Tree Preservation Division will teach attendees about Austin’s tree ordinance and ways to protect the urban forest. The event is free to attend and will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Permitting and Development Center (6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive), Room 1406. There will be snacks (but you can bring a lunch, too). “The presentation will focus mainly on information that affects permit holders and professionals who work in development and landscaping,” according to a news release. Space is limited; you can register here.

The city on Tuesday will host an event intended to showcase the work of the Homeless Services Organizational Capacity Building Initiative and honor the work of organizations serving the city’s unhoused population. The initiative has given grants to 21 nonprofit groups, with an emphasis on expanding service to those experiencing homelessness, improving equity in service and supporting minority-led organizations that provide service to the community. Tuesday’s event is the culmination of a 10-week program facilitated by Blue Sky Partners and city staff and, according to a news release from the city, “provides an opportunity for the organizations to forge new connections, share their success, and celebrate with the broader community.” The event is free and open to the public. More information and RSVP can be found here. “This event will provide an opportunity for our partner organizations who have supported people experiencing homelessness to be honored for their services,” said Homeless Strategy Division Policy & Engagement Unit Manager Gary Pollack in a statement. “Many of the organizations represented at this event have not been previously funded by the city of Austin, and through this initiative and community event we’re excited to bring a spotlight to their important work.”

The Economic Development Department has announced that applications will open on July 11 for Artist Career Training, a six-week business training program for creative professionals. “Throughout the program, Artist Career Training participants will develop a grant proposal for the city’s cultural funding program and other funding opportunities in the region. The program concludes with a proposal pitch in which three winners are selected to receive a seed grant to begin their projects,” according to a news release. Principles that will be taught include business planning, marketing and funding. There will be an information session from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 19 at the Economic Development Department (5202 E. Ben White Blvd., Suite 400). Up to 24 people will be chosen for the program, and participants will be required to pay a $150 fee. Of note: University or community college students are not eligible. Applications close at 5 p.m. on Aug. 15. Apply online and find more info at austintexas.gov/artistcareertraining.

The Austin Monitor has finalized our newest cohort of Strategic Advisory Council members. Membership on the council is a one-year commitment, and members help advise and recommend areas for the Monitor to advance our public service work and mission. The council launched nearly three years ago, following the removal of our paywall and the organization’s desire to bring in additional community voices. This newest cohort includes 28 dedicated individuals that live across the community and bring diverse experiences and backgrounds to their focus on helping to strengthen our local news space.

The Bullock Texas State History Museum will celebrate its namesake’s birthday on Sunday, and for Austin residents, that means free admission, family fun and food. The Bob Bullock Birthday Bash will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. In addition to exploring the museum’s galleries and exhibits for free, there will be games until 2 p.m. and story time for kids at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Robert “Bob” Douglas Bullock Sr., who served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Texas, would have turned 94 this year. “Bullock championed the preservation and exhibition of Texas history and began discussing the idea of a state history museum while serving as lieutenant governor,” according to a news release. Bullock died in 1999. For more information, go to the museum’s website.

Not that there’s a contest, but if you were to consider ranking the best public pools in Austin, you’d have to put Deep Eddy Pool into top consideration. Just sayin’. Anyway, more splashing is on the horizon: The pool is now open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the shallow end opens at 10 a.m. every day, the city announced on Wednesday. “This represents a return to normal operational hours after the well pump and other mechanical issues have been repaired,” according to the city. For more information, visit the city website.

Austin Public Health, the Asian American Resource Center and the Austin Asian Community Health Initiative are teaming up to host a community health fair. The event, which will offer free health services, food, school supplies and a play area for kids, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 22 at 8401 Cameron Road. The fair is free and open to the public, no insurance or citizenship required. Covid-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV, pneumococcal and Tdap vaccines will be available. There also will be screenings for diabetes (after a three-hour fast) and cholesterol (after an eight-hour fast), as well as blood pressure and eye testing. Pashto, Dari, Nepali, Vietnamese and Arabic language services will be available.

It’s time for the Pan Am Hillside Summer Concert Series – for the 65th year, by the way. The free concert series, the longest-running one in Austin, returns to Oswaldo A.B. Cantu Pan American Recreation Center and Neighborhood Park  (2100 E. Third St.) at 6 p.m. on July 11, 18 and 25. Performers for this year’s event include DJ Robert Ligues, Nova Band, Conjunto Los Pinkys (with special guest Susan Torres), DJ Wiz, JR Gomez and the Conjunto Bandits, George Mercado, Kaitlyn Perez, DJ Old Skool, the Tiarras and Ruben Ramos. “The Hillside Summer Concert Series at Pan Am Park is an opportunity to showcase the music and culture of Austin’s Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, and Latino/a/e/x communities,” according to a news release. Lawn chairs and coolers are welcome. Visit the city website for more information.