Downtown Austin is ready for SXSW! In preparation for the festival, our ambassadors wrapped the poles and electrical boxes around downtown for all the fun flyers that make their way around Central Austin throughout the weeks. This makes for an easy clean-up and helps prevent damage by poster attachment methods. Our Ambassador Team replanted many of the downtown planters that needed some TLC just in time for out-of-town friends and locals to enjoy.
The Downtown Austin Alliance staff, outside of the ambassador team, has also been hard at work creating extraordinary events, curating fun experiences and collaborating on some inspiring artwork just in time for SXSW. Enjoy!
Arts & Parks All Wheels Tour
Mr. Doodle Mural
The world-renowned Mr. Doodle has donated his time and talent to gift Austin with a mural that will cover a large, empty wall above the parking garage entrance at 515 Congress Avenue. Watch Mr. Doodle do his thing March 8-9, and enjoy the finished graffiti spaghetti product any time after that!
SXSW Workshop
Our Director of Strategic Communications, Vanessa Olson, is hosting a sold-out SXSW workshop with Rosanna Vitiello of The Place Bureau on March 8. The interactive workshop, “Downtown Evolution: Digital Dreaming & Civic Imagination,” will inspire attendees to create their vision of vibrant downtowns using MidJourney technology. Find the description from the SXSW schedule below:
“How can we transform downtowns through civic imagination and engagement? Parts of urban downtowns across the world are falling on hard times: empty shopfronts, vacant offices, and soaring rents. These tough times provide the basis for reimagination and renewal as the world around us enters a new era. Could we face these urban challenges head-on and consider this opportunity for cities and citizens to flourish for a more sustainable future? What opportunities for fresh imagination and growth does it create? How can emergent technologies like AI support this as a civic practice?”
Old Bakery Mural Engagement
While there is an influx of people downtown, we want to gather input on one of the next murals going up. Stop by the Old Bakery & Emporium to vote for your favorite of three mural design concepts by Ruben Esquivel for the wall of this historic building. Place a sticker on the board to select your favorite design and make your mark on Austin. Engagement will kick off during the Arts & Parks Tour, but if you can’t join us in person, have your voice heard through our virtual engagement option.
POP! by Gentilhomme Studios
We are bringing a traveling art installation, POP! by Gentilhomme, to Republic Square. The installation will bring surprises, music and dance to Downtown Austin! Set the creatures free by calling out to them, talking to them or even by singing. The monolith gets brighter and brighter until it opens to release a creature ready to put on a show. Learn more here and visit between March 8-22.
Hear from the POP! artists at the tail-end of our Arts & Parks Tour on March 9. Meet us at Republic Square to hear an artist talk from Gentilhomme Studios around 2:30pm, and stay after for a fun afternoon of food trucks and DJ Kay Cali spinning records.
We hope you make the best of your SXSW and join us for something fun!
