AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin city council signed off on artwork plans for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport during a meeting Thursday.
After public outcry that Austin artists were not involved with the plans, the city took note. Now, local artists can submit their works for display at various areas across the airport.
This is not just a painting on the wall; these are large-scale pieces. This includes displays in public-facing areas and inside a new tunnel that’ll connect the terminals. The art plan’s budget and the actions taken by the city council can be found on austintexas.gov.
Council members said it’s crucial to get that local representation in the airport that serves as a gateway to Austin and beyond.
“I think it’s important to keep this in context,” said Council Member Mike Siegel. “These are very large art installations that are essentially construction projects. And so a lot of the money is to hire a lot of people to compose these pieces. And the new, proposed contract would guarantee that local artists get at least a portion of that work.”
Phase three of this project includes smaller art pieces in high-traffic areas and is exclusively open to Austin artists. The city said it has over 169 applicants for that alone.
In-Depth
In 1985, Austin city council passed an ordinance that established the art in public places program. It sets aside 2% of the eligible capital improvement budget for commissioned art on city-owned properties.
In the airport’s case, it has to spend a certain amount on art. The money cannot be allocated to something else.
The Big Takeaway
Council wants to make sure Austin is represented after it heard feedback that artists felt left out. Artists are included in this new approach, and funds have been approved.