REGULAR MEETING of the ARTS COMMISSION April 21, 2025, at 6:00 PM Austin City Hall, Council Chambers, Room 1001. 301 West 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the ARTS COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than Noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Jesús Varela at jesus.varela@austintexas.gov or at 512-974-2444. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Celina Zisman - Chair, Heidi Schmalbach - Vice Chair, Keyheira Keys, Monica Maldonado, Felipe Garza, Gina Houston, Acia Gray, Muna Hussaini, Faiza Kracheni, Sharron B Anderson, Nagavalli Medicharla AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Arts Commission Regular Meeting on March 24, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Report of the Art in Public Places Liaison concerning actions taking during the April 7th meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Maldonado STAFF BRIEFINGS 3. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Matthew Schmidt, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager 4. Staff briefing on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor and Candice Cooper, Interim Chief Administrative Officer DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. Approve the Selection Process Recommendations for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Airport Expansion & Development Program (AEDP) Phase II Art in Public Places Projects – Midfield Concourse, Departures Ticketing, Arrivals Baggage Claim, Arrivals Curbside, Elevated Pedestrian Bridge, and Lower-Level Pedestrian Crossings. 6. Approve the Selection Process Recommendations for the Walter E. Long and John Treviño, Jr. Metro Parks, Districts 1 & 2. 7. Approve the Final Design for the Austin Public Health / SAFE Alliance Art in Public Places Project – Felipe Gomez. 8. Appoint new representative to the Downtown Commission. 9. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 10. Update from joint Arts/Music Commission Working Group on Urban Core Issues with Commissioners Gray, and Schmalbach (chair). 11. Update …
Hotel Occupancy Tax Update Arts Commission Meeting April 21, 2025 Hotel Occupancy Tax – March 2025 Approved Budget Amended Budget March w/ Encumb Year-to-date w/Encumb Year-End Estimate Total Revenue $169,901,585 $169,901,585 $1,964,718 $75,089,308 $165,125,756 Transfer to Cultural Arts Fund $16,217,879 $16,217,879 $169,486 $7,171,105 $15,762,004 • Total HOT Collections March 2025 = $1,964,718 • 44% of FY25 Approved Budget of $169,901,585 • Cultural Arts Fund March 2025 = $169,486 C I T Y O F A U S T I N HOT Cultural Arts Fund - FY25 C I T Y O F A U S T I N Approved Budget for FY25: $16,217,879 FY25 HOT Cultural Arts Fund to date: $7,171,105 HOT Collections (FY22 – FY25) C I T Y O F A U S T I N Questions? C I T Y O F A U S T I N
Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) Cultural Arts Funding Update April 21, 2025 Agenda 1. CONTRACTS & PAYMENTS 2. CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATES 3. GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES Contracts & Payments Contracts & Payments (As of 3/19/25) FY23 Elevate FY23 Nexus (Fall/Winter) FY24 Nexus (Spring/ Summer) FY23-24 Thrive (Year 1) FY23-24 Thrive (Year 2) Total Contracts Signed & Processed Contracts Test payments issued & verified Payment 1 Issued Payment 2 Issued Payment 3 Issued 199 199 (100%) 199 (100%) 199 (100%) 197 (98%) 181 (91%) 51 51 (100%) 51 (100%) 51 (100%) 49 (96%) n/a 51 51 (100%) 51 (100%) 51 (100%) 44 (86%) n/a 36 36 (100%) 36 (100%) 36 (100%) 36 (100%) n/a See year 1 N/A N/A 35 (97%) 35 (100%) n/a Total Dist. to date Total Allocation $6,127,692 (96%) $6,250,000 $254,000 (99%) $255,000 $251,500 (100%) $255,000 $3,901,500 (100%) $3,901,500 (100%) $3,901,500 $3,901,500 *Each grant has a different reporting deadline. Final Payments are issued upon successful close out of Final Report. Cultural Arts Funding Updates Program Update • ACME Program Evalution and Strategic Plan • Community Feedback • 2020-2025 Data Collection & Analysis • Cultural Funding Guidelines • Language Revision • Working Group Feedback FY 25 Nexus Timeline January 28, 2025 May 1, 2025 May 30, 2026 Nexus application opens Nexus activities begin Latest Nexus Final Report due date Nexus application closes Last day for Nexus activities March 6, 2025 April 30, 2026 FY 25 Elevate Timeline Grant Funded Activities FY 24-25 Cultural Funding Grantee Activities Without Borders/Sin Fronteras: A Solo Exhibition February 1 – May 10 DORF (District 5) – DORF Games Y’all April 24 Games Y’all (District 3) – Museum of Human Achievement Lipstick: A Queer Farce April 11 – April 26 Austin Rainbow Theatre (District 9) – Ground Floor Theatre Music Mixer ATX April 24 Music Mixer ATX (District 9) – The Highball I Scream Social featuring Lisa Olstein, Sebastian Páramo, Camari Carter Hawkins, & Ella Kim April 25 Host Publications (District 9) – Alienated Majesty Books C I TY O F A U S T I N FY 24-25 Cultural Funding Grantee Activities Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival April 25 – April 27 Rancho Alegre – Central Machine Works Brewery & Doris Miller Auditorium (ETJ) Madame Butterfly April 25 – April 27 Austin Opera (District 7) – Long Center Austin Blues Festival April 26 – April 27 Clifford Antone Foundation (District 9) – Moody …
Selection Process Recommendations for Phase II AUS Airport Expansion & Development Program AIPP Opportunities Arts Commission Meeting - April 21, 2025 Art In Public Places Austin-Bergstrom International Airport AUS-AIPP AEDP Phase II Artist Selection Panel Recommendation Sponsoring Department: Aviation Project Budget: Total $4.7M Midfield Concourse: $400K Departures Ticketing: $1M Arrivals Baggage Claim: $1M Arrivals Curbside: $512K Elevated Pedestrian Bridge: $540K Lower-Level Pedestrian Crossings: $416K (x3 = $1.248M) Council District: District 2 Project Manager: Alex Irrera 1 AUS-AIPP AEDP Phase II PROJECT BACKGROUND Commissioning bodies* sponsored an open call for Texas-based artists/artist- led teams to submit qualifications for design, fabrication, and installation consideration for large to medium-scale interdisciplinary, mixed or multimedia artworks within AUS's Airport Expansion & Development Program (AEDP). Opportunities were identified as Phase II of the AUS Arts Sites and Opportunities Plan as: • Midfield Concourse • • • • • Departures Ticketing Arrivals Baggage Claim Arrivals Curbside Elevated Pedestrian Bridge Lower-Level Pedestrian Crossings *The City of Austin Art in Public Places program (AIPP) of the Cultural Arts Division, Economic Development Department (EDD) and Austin- Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) 2 AUS-AIPP AEDP Phase II SOLICITATION PROCESS: Open Call to Texas-Based Artists Evaluation Criteria • Technical skills and aesthetic appeal of past work • Relevant and applicable experience • Authenticity, creativity, and innovation of work as presented • Communication of ideas and intentions • Ability to deliver completed projects on time and within budget 3 AUS-AIPP AEDP Phase II SELECTION MEMBERS Voting Jesus ‘Cimi’ Alvarado, Muralist, El Paso, TX Danielle Burns Wilson, Executive Director, Project Row Houses, Houston, TX Linda LaMantia, Texas Cultural Trust Board of Directors At-Large & Artist, Laredo, TX Giovani Valderas, Assistant Professor for Painting & Drawing Texas Woman’s University & Artist, Denton, TX Non-Voting Advisory Robert Mercado, Program Manager / Architect, AUS Nick Garcia, Program Design Manager, AEDP, AUS Kristi-Anne Shaer, AIPP Panel Liaison Stephanie Lemmo, AIPP Panel Liaison 4 AUS-AIPP AEDP Phase II APPLICATION RESULTS 195 COMPLETED APPLICATIONS (68% LOCAL) SELECTION RESULTS MARCH 4, 2025 MARCH 21 & 25 + APRIL 1, 2025 Selection Panel Convened/Reviewed Eligible Completed Applications (4 hours) Selection Panel Convened/Deliberated 15 Artists Interviews (14 hours) AIPP OPPORTUNITY ESTIMATED ARTIST BUDGET RECOMMENDED ARTIST RECOMMENDED ALTERNATE Midfield Concourse Departures Ticketing Arrivals Baggage Claim Arrivals Curbside Elevated Pedestrian Bridge $400,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $512,000 $540,000 Lower-Level Pedestrian Crossings $416,000 per crossing Virginia L. Montgomery* Carlyn Ray Gilberto Rocha Jasmine …
• Project: Walter E. Long and John Trevino, Jr Metro Parks • Artist(s): Dharmesh Patel (recommended), John Maisano (alternate) • Phase: Artist Selection • Sponsoring Department: Parks & Recreation Department (PARD) • Project Budget: $100,100 • Council District: District 2 and District 4 • Project Manager: Rebecca Rende and Bryana Iglesias AIPP Panel Meeting Agenda Item #5 Date:04/07/2025 Walter E. Long & John Trevino, Jr Metro Parks Selection Criteria • Technical quality and aesthetic appeal of past work • Dedicated and consistent artistic practice • Authenticity, creativity, and innovation of work as presented • Communication of ideas and intentions • Ability and enthusiasm to engage the community in which the artwork will be installed • Experience with public art projects of a relatively similar size and scope Artwork Goals • A work of art of redeeming quality that advances public understanding of visual art and enhances the aesthetic quality of public places • Conceptualizes a strong overall artwork design approach that integrates with the site and surrounding natural environment • Is easily maintained and vandal resistant in an exterior environment • Is permanent with an expected life span of at least 20 years Walter E. Long & John Trevino, Jr Metro Parks Vision Plan John Trevino, Jr Metro Park Wlater E. Long Metro Park Rendering Artist Selection Process Open Call (publicartist.org) • 33 applications received • AIPP Staff determined 30 applications were eligible Selection Panel Voting Panelists • Celica Ledesma, AIPP artist • • Andrea McDowell, Visual Arts Professional Jacqueline Overby, Austin artist Selection Panel Non-voting Advisors • Alicia Perez Hodge, Community Member • Reynaldo Hernandez, Sponsor Project Manager, Parks & Recreation • D’Anne Williams, Sponsor Project Manager, Parks & Recreation • Mel Fuechec, Capital Delivery Services Associate Project Manager Selection Results • • January 17, 2025, selection panelist were given access to review and score applications February 28, 2025, the selection panel met for four hours and determined one Recommended Artist (Dharmesh Patel) and on Alternate Artist (John Maisano) for the $100,100 commission Recommended Artist: Dharmesh Patel Out of all applicants I felt as if this artist was the most qualified and appropriate choice for this project. The contemporary and cohesive design aesthetic coupled artistic ingenuity and skill are some of the many factors that aided in my voting choice. –Jacqueline Overby I appreciated his use of light in the space. His pieces feel unique and unexpected. – Andrea …
•Project: Family Violence Shelter & Protection Center – SAFE Alliance •Artist: Felipe Gomez •Phase: Final Design •Sponsoring Department: Austin Public Health •Project Budget: $70,000 •Council District: District 1 •Project Manager: Lindsay Hutchens Arts Commission Meeting 04/21/2025 Family Violence Shelter & Protection Center Project Background City Council unanimously passed Resolution No. 20200604-048 to acquire a former Super 8 Hotel and fund SAFE Alliance to operate and manage the property as a protective shelter from family violence. This is the first time the city has invested in such a shelter in 20 years. I N O T A T N E S E R P FELIPE GOMEZ I , X T N T S U A . R E T N E C E C N E L O V S N E M O W I FINAL CONCEPT DESIGN PROPOSAL MARCH 2025 01 About me 03 Concept Narrative 05 Budget 07 Contact 02 Community Egagement 04 Schedule 06 Site map 07 Thank you Agenda I N O T C U D O R T N I Who is Felipe? Felipe Gomez is a multi-media artist who blends nature, technology, and human emotion through vivid color and layered materials. His work, rooted in surrealism, realism, and geometric abstraction, invites viewers to explore both the external world and their internal landscapes. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, and now based in Austin, Texas, Felipe’s influences span fine art and street art, particularly screen-printing, which inspired his signature technique of layered wood. As a full-time artist since 2019, he has developed a practice centered on sculpture, color theory, and modern techniques, seeking to evoke emotional and intellectual reflection in his viewers. THE COMMUNITY SAFE Alliance Womens Violence Center Who they are: The SAFE community consists of women and children who are survivors of family violence and trauma. They are individuals navigating difficult journeys toward safety, healing, and empowerment. What they shared: Through art workshops—painting, sculpting, poetry, and journaling—the participants expressed their thoughts, emotions, and desires for a space of solace and reflection. They seek comfort, safety, and calm in their environment. They value opportunities for self-expression, healing, and connection through creative engagement. They desire art that inspires hope, strength, and growth while honoring their resilience. T R O P E R T N E M E G A G N E Y T I N U M M O C WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS: REFLECTIONS AND OUTCOMES: Painting: …
