Yarn Bomb

Favorite South Congress boutique taps Austin artist for holiday installation

The candy cane-colored ropes are reminiscent of stockings hanging from a fire.

Photo courtesy of ByGeorge

A yarn bomb has gone off on South Congress Avenue. Just in time for the holidays, Austin-based artist Magda Sayeg has crafted a unique candy cane-colored art installation for By George's South Congress location.

Sayeg defines the craft as "taking knitting material to the street, graffiti-style." She is credited with creating the art form 10 years ago when she wrapped her shop's door handle to add a warm, human quality to the store. While her work can be seen around the world, the "mother of yarn bombing" is always excited to create art in her own city.

Sayeg and By George wanted to display an out-of-the-ordinary decoration that reflects what we love most about the holidays. The "chaotic beauty" of her piece, which went up Thanksgiving weekend, consists of red and white yarn ropes draped down the store's facade, reminiscent of stockings hanging from a mantle. Sayeg describes it as "the scarf By George will be wearing for the month of December."

Sayeg's usual yarn bombing method entails wrapping an object in yarn, but she approached the By George installation a little differently. The artist was inspired by her similar, well-received installation at the Zhejiang Museum during a visit to Hangzhou, China, earlier this year.

Sayeg believes this scarf-like technique perfectly represents Christmas. "It's going to feel lovable and bring up the happy feelings of the holiday season," says Sayeg.

The candy cane-colored ropes are reminiscent of stockings hanging from a fire.

Photo courtesy of ByGeorge

The candy cane-colored ropes are reminiscent of stockings hanging from a fire.

shopping holidays

Tap Pause

Austin dance company loses federal funds, cancels 25th annual festival

Tapestry Dance Company artistic director Acia Gray dancing

Photo courtesy of Tapestry Dance

Tapestry Dance Company artistic director Acia Gray spoke on the loss of funding.

The 25th annual Soul 2 Sole Festival has been canceled. Tapestry Dance Company announced and explained the closure in a press release, saying that it was forced to make the decision because of "an unexpected revocation of National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding." The festival was scheduled for June 18-22, 2025.

Tapestry is a tap dance company that also deals in many other forms of performance as it relates to dance or movement. Soul 2 Sole has gained international relevance as a place for tap dancer to gather and improvise. The festival was planning to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which would include workshops, artist residencies, and public performances at Austin's Long Center.

“This festival has been more than just a series of performances and classes,” said Tapestry artistic director Acia Gray in the release. “Soul 2 Sole has served as a sanctuary and a spotlight for tap dancers worldwide — a space for tradition, innovation and community. To cancel our 25th anniversary due to the unexpected loss of NEA support is heartbreaking, not just for Tapestry but for the entire tap family that gathers here each year.”

As of the event's cancellation and this article's publication, the NEA still exists, but has announced some cuts to funding. Its continued work is not guaranteed as budget cuts proposed by President Donald Trump may eliminate the program altogether.

The NEA has many Austin-area organizations on its funding ledger. In January of 2025, awards went to 17 Austin organizations for their respective projects, including Tapestry Dance for Soul 2 Sole. According to the Austin Monitor on May 6, it has confirmed loss of funding for Tapestry and three other local groups: Cine Las Americas, Women & Their Work, and American Short Fiction.

An public-facing email about the festival's cancellation (separate from the press release) shared language from the email Tapestry received from the NEA. The passage matches one shared by NPR. According to NPR, but not the passage selected by Tapestry, the message tells recipients that they may appeal the decision within seven days.

'The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities. The NEA will now prioritize projects that elevate the Nation's HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to serve communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities. Funding is being allocated in a new direction in furtherance of the Administration's agenda."

Tapestry appears to only cancel this year's festival, leaving the door open for a future return. Separately from the festival, which is what the NEA grant was awarded for, Tapestry says it "remains committed to preserving and elevating the art of tap dance and is actively exploring future opportunities to bring the tap community back together."

dance grants