AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin is putting out its final call for prospective artists to help add their artistic flair to the city’s upcoming “Cap and Stitch” program adding highway covers to Interstate 35.
Interested artists can apply by end of day Tuesday for the position. The resident artist selected for the program will receive a $70,000 budget for their time, materials and project expenses, with a project timeline running from October 2024 through June 2026.
The focus of the Our Future 35 artist-in-residence program is to:
- Incorporate community members who have “historically been excluded from city planning”
- Amplify voices of these community members while designing amenities for Our Future 35’s caps and stitches
- Explore and celebrate Austin’s cultural identity and history through art
Our Future 35 is ramping up its efforts to provide highway coverings over the soon-to-be-expanded I-35. The Texas Department of Transportation is poised to kick off its I-35 Capital Express Central project later this year, a $4.5 billion, eight-mile project expanding the interstate near downtown.
As part of Our Future 35’s initiatives, city officials are working to add greenspace, community amenities, artwork and possibly small buildings on top of the sunken highway. Through the artist-in-residence program, city leaders are looking for assistance designing programs, activities, artwork or installations to resonate with the public.
Eligibility is restricted to artists who:
- Are at least 18 years old
- Are residents in Williamson, Travis, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Burnet or Blanco counties
- Are from or have experience with east Austin
- Have worked with and among community members
- Are aware of I-35’s history and cultural context, particularly with adjoining communities in east Austin
- Have the ability to “demonstrate social practice in their art”
- Can create story-driven artwork, with the emphasis on reaching across multiple art mediums
More details on the selection process and how to apply are available online.
The Our Future 35 program will also host its second open house on Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Canopy Austin, located at 916 Springdale Road. That meeting will highlight updated conceptual sketches, based on community feedback received through the city-led survey this summer.