For the Love of Art

Austin launches program to save arts organizations from rising rents

Roadhouse Relics Greetings from Austin postcard mural

Local arts organizations are feeling the pressure from Austin's hot real estate market.

In a time when nobody is safe from the pressures of rising rents, the City of Austin's Cultural Arts Division has launched a new initiative to help save local arts organizations from losing their homes. Introducing the Art Space Assistance Program (ASAP), a pilot series of financial grants designed to combat our hot real estate market.

The goal is to "support nonprofits facing permanent displacement, those previously displaced, or those facing lease renewals at substantially higher rates," with substantially higher defined as a 25 percent increase.

Those interested in applying must demonstrate how the grant will immediately help the the organization avoid closure, move to a new location, or expand its reach. Recipients will be awarded based on a points system, but priority will be given to nonprofits serving at-risk populations; women; or African, Latino, Asian, Arab, and Native American communities.

Grants will be doled out in increments up to $35,000 for help on rent and $50,000 for tenant improvements. Since ASAP is still a pilot program, the city has a one-time funding pool of $200,000 for 2017.

"Austin's creative community is at the heart of what makes our city vibrant and unique," says Meghan Wells, manager of the Cultural Arts Division, in a release. "As affordability issues continue to grow, so too will the city's commitment to supporting local artists in as many ways as possible."

ASAP is a result of the 2016 Austin Music & Creative Ecosystem Omnibus Resolution, a political push to identify and solve issues facing our local arts and entertainment scene. To keep the conversation going, the city has also introduced the annual Creative Space Survey. Everyone from artists to art organizations are invited to participate in the 2017 survey.

An informational session will be held on June 29 at Austin City Hall. The deadline for applications is August 1. Recipients will be announced on August 31. Detailed info on the application process can be found here.

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Interactive art space Meow Wolf broadcasts Texas opening, radio theme

Photo by Tarick Foteh

Travel to another dimension at Meow Wolf.

Art-loving Texans will soon have a new venue to explore. Houston’s Meow Wolf has set its opening date and revealed the theme that governs its interactive installations.

Set to open on October 31, Houston’s Meow Wolf will be called Radio Tave — a riff on “radio wave.” Described in press materials as a radio station that’s been transported to another dimension, Meow Wolf visitors will be able to explore dozens of rooms filled with interactive elements such as hidden doors, paths, and portals.

For those unfamiliar, Meow Wolf is a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based art collective that’s opening its fifth installation in Houston’s Fifth Ward. Think of it as a choose your own adventure contemporary art museum loaded with sculptures, murals, video, and light and sound artworks that each contribute a small piece of the overall theme.

Towards that end, Radio Tave will be stocked with a mix of characters — some created for the venue and others that nod to Meow Wolf’s installations in four other U.S. cities, including the Dallas suburb of Grapevine. That includes a radio station with the call letters ETNL and its own slogan, “Big Sounds From Little Thicket.” As seen in the photos above, the radio station already has a website with a placeholder page.

“Houston is a powerhouse of creativity, and our artists and collaborators have been channeling that electric energy into this exhibition for years,” Meow Wolf CEO Jose Tolosa said in a statement. “They've taken it to the next level, capturing the city's vibrancy in every corner of the experience. We can't wait for you to step inside and explore it for yourself.”

As CultureMap has previously reported, a diverse ensemble of more than 50 contributing artists from Texas has collaborated with Meow Wolf’s in-house artist team to bring the facility to life. The list of local creative superstars included such well know artists as innovative theatrical set and puppet designer Afsaneh Aayani, art activist Kill Joy, and two longtime pillars of Houston’s installation and immersive art community in Dan Havel and Dean Ruck of Havel Ruck Projects.

"The visuals and soundscapes of Radio Tave are on another level,” senior creative producer Susie Cowan added. “Visitors will be immersed in a rich, multi-sensory experience that invites them to explore a world that feels both vast and deeply personal."

Meow Wolf Cowboix Hevvven jukebox Cowboix Hevvven's jukebox will feature 30 tracks recorded by Texas artists. Photo by Kate Russell

Meow Wolf will feature a venue space, a gift shop, and Cowboix Hevvven, a dive bar-inspired bar and restaurant that will offer “otherworldly Texan hospitality and comfort food.” Cole Bee Wilson, a fifth generation Texan and Meow Wolf’s lead artist, took the lead in creating Cowboix Hevvven. True to the venue’s theme, it will feature a jukebox with 30 songs created by Texas artists for Meow Wolf.

Annual season passes are currently on sale for $84. They include unlimited visits to the venue and perks such as a 10-percent discount at both the gift shop and Cowboix Hevvven.

Subscribers to Meow Wolf’s email list may purchase single-day passes beginning September 24. General tickets will go on sale October 1.

Photo by Tarick Foteh

Travel to another dimension at Meow Wolf.

meow wolf openings visual-art