Purpose:

The Artist Access Program is overseen by the City of Austin Department of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment. The purpose of the Artist Access Program is to provide free or low-cost use of space, available equipment and staff expertise to artists and musicians through an annual adjudicated process. Space can be used for rehearsals, performances, workshops or to create smaller works of art at the following Cultural Arts Facilities:

• Asian American Resource Center
• Dougherty Arts Center and Zilker Hillside Theater
• George Washington Carver Museam and Cultural Center

Overview: 

The Artist Access Program was created out of a directive from City Council to utilize Hotel Occupancy Tax’s Cultural Arts funds to provide space and support at the four City-owned cultural centers. Applicants are ranked by an impartial panel made up of professional artists from Austin using an established criterion and provided free rehearsal space as well as performance space at a reduced rental rate of $1 per ticket sold. 

Qualifcations:

Applicants must live in Austin or ETJ (Extra-territorial jurisdiction) and be a working artist. Check out GIS Maps if you’d like to find out if your location qualifies and provides programs and services for citizens of Austin and/or the ETZ and be open and marketing broadly to residents, visitors and tourists. 

ApplicationProcess: 

1. Read the guidelines
2. Check your eligibility. 
3. Fill out an application once you have confirmed your eligibility. 
4. Submit by April 13, 2026 at 11:59pm by clicking the submit button on the SUBMITTABLE form OR mail a paper application and support materials to ARTIST ACCESS PROGRAM, 1110 BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, AUSTIN TX 78704. All materials must arrive by the deadline.

Review and Selection Process:

1. Artists are ranked by the panel in a public process. Panelists may have questions for the applicants during their review. 
2. Staff will contact top scorers to negotiate and schedule dates. (Note that we may not be able to schedule all applicants due to the volume of artists applying for this program.)
3. Once scheduling is completed to everyone's satisfaction, the applicant signs a rental contract with an AAP Addendum confirming that they will abide by the program rules and follow the laws of the land. 

For Information or questions email lucy.miller-downing@austintexas.gov

Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) Call for exhibits

Ends on Sunday, May 31st, 2026

The deadline to apply for the exhibit is 11:59 P.M., Sunday, May 31st, 2026. No submission fees, always free to apply.

Within Austin’s kaleidoscopic, multicultural community lies an abundance of traditions, quirks, beliefs, and aspirations. Pioneering spirits have left enduring legacies of resilience—cultivating harmony through culture as an invaluable heritage, while continually redefining what feels authentic to Austin. This shared love for the city’s uniqueness and its diverse perspectives has shaped Austin into the welcoming city it is today. 

The future holds infinite possibilities, and Austin stands at a threshold where past, present, and future converge in a moment of transformation. As visionaries of society, the Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Department (ACME) invites artists, creatives, collectors, and exhibitors to envision the future of Austin as part of a year-long exhibition, Vestiges of the Future, at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). 

Applicants are encouraged to submit artworks and artifacts that explore traces, signals, and narratives of the future, reflecting on how today’s cultural, social, and environmental moments may become tomorrow’s fragments. Through this exhibition, ACME seeks works that honor Austin’s layered histories while offering bold, thoughtful perspectives on its evolving future. 

ACME intends to pursue a broad strategic direction for connecting with local and regional organizations and institutions to create an appropriate balance of opportunities, ensuring the quality of exhibitions and displays are representative of the vast histories and accomplishments that epitomize the sights and sounds of Austin’s past, present, and future. 

TIMELINE (Subject to change)

Sunday, May 31st, 2026, at 11:59 P.M., Application deadline. No late entries will be accepted.

Selection Announcement: July 2026

Exhibition Dates: October 2, 2026 – May 31, 2027.

Selection Process

Art Program Staff will review all submissions. Artwork will be judged on the basis of the following criteria: creativity, artistic merit, unique use of media, and relevance to the theme.

Following receipt and review of submissions, selected participants will be notified of acceptance. Notification will be made by email.

Approximately 90 days prior to the date of installation, exhibitors will be notified and required to schedule two visits: one for participants to review the airport sites, and one studio visit for AUS Arts staff to review the artist’s work, or organizations’, or collectors’ objects and artifacts.

Artists can show interest in a location, but it is up to the Art Program Staff to determine the location of the art.

Jurors

This season's exhibition applications will be juried by Coka Treviño, Nina Quỳnh-Anh Hồ, and Moyo Okediji. 

Coka Treviño is a curator and cultural advisor with over 20 years of experience evaluating, commissioning, and presenting contemporary art across public and private contexts. Her independent practice centers on curatorial rigor, artist advocacy, and long-term cultural value, bringing informed discernment to jurying processes, collections, and civic art initiatives.

Nina Quỳnh-Anh Hồ is a writer, artist, designer, and educator. She’s been involved with Austin's cultural arts and creative ecosystem since 2016, focused on equity-based work, including founding several arts collectives, serving as a Board Member for Big Medium, and advocating for organizations like Almost Real Things, _OFCOLOR, and DAWA.

Moyo Okediji is a professor of art history at the University of Texas, Austin. He was a curator at the Denver Art Museum. His books include The Shattered Gourd, and Western Frontiers of African Art. An artist and gallerist, he has shown his work at the New Museum of Modern Art, among other venues.

Important 

Incomplete or late entries will not be accepted. All entrants will be notified of the selection process in a timely manner. Please do not call to inquire about the status of your submission. ACME, in partnership with AUS, will thoughtfully and sensitively review all submissions and proposals for appropriateness for public display.

ACME is committed to sustaining an elevated and enjoyable experience for all airport guests regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or physical appearance. All participating artists will be held to the highest regard to exercise respect in their artistic presentations, creations, productions, performances, speech, and actions when presenting their Artworks and Art forms at the airport. 

Gallery Space

Link

FAQ: 

Image upload specs: 

• Acceptable file types: .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg, .mp3, .mp4, .mov
• Max file upload size of 400mb, and a default maximum total submission size of 800mb
• Please get in touch if you think your files or submission will exceed these size limits.

Can I email my proposal to you? 

• Generally, emailed proposals will not be accepted. Please contact jieun.kim@austintexas.gov for accessibility requests.

Will my application be accepted if it is late due to technical issues? 

• Late applications will not be accepted. Please leave yourself plenty of time to work on your submission in case you run into any technical issues. 

Does Submittable save drafts of your application? 

• Yes, Submittable allows you to save work and return to it later to finish.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

• Please email jieun.kim@austintexas.gov with any questions, and a staff member will get back to you.

Clara Hart, Brian Joseph, Citlalli Mendoza, Avery Connett, Amanda Mclnearney.

People’s Gallery 2026 – 2028 Call for Artwork

Application closes on Sunday, May 31st, 2026

The deadline to apply for the exhibit is 11:59 P.M., Sunday, May 31st, 2026. No submission fees, always free to apply.

SUMMARY

The City of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) Department is accepting artwork submissions for the People’s Gallery exhibition at Austin City Hall from April 1st to May 31st, 2026. 

Located on the first three floors of City Hall, the People’s Gallery is part of an ongoing Group Exhibition Series that showcases local and regional artistic endeavors and encourages public dialogue, understanding, and enjoyment of visual art. The exhibition is designed to reflect the creative excellence and cultural diversity of Austin and to promote the City’s cultural and economic initiatives. A high-visibility venue, City Hall hosts over 200,000 visitors each year.

ACME seeks 2- and 3-dimensional artworks in any medium by Austin-area visual artists or from Austin galleries or visual art organizations. All two-dimensional artwork selected must be framed or mounted and ready to hang on the gallery rail system. No saw tooth hangers and more installation instructions to come after selection is made. All three-dimensional artwork selected must be self-supporting or include a pedestal or stand. The gallery may provide pedestals as needed, but the People’s Gallery Program Manager must approve any artist-provided stands before delivering to City Hall. 

Selected artists may offer their artwork for sale; the City of Austin does not receive a commission or compensation from the sale of artwork exhibited at Austin City Hall. The artist or the representing gallery must conduct all sales.

TIMELINE (Subject to change)

Sunday, May 31st, 2026, at 11:59 P.M., Application deadline. No late entries will be accepted.

Selection Announcement: July 2026

Exhibition Dates: October 2, 2026 – May 31, 2028.

Reception Date: Friday, October 2, 2026, 6 - 9 P.M. at City Hall (301 W 2nd St)

ELIGIBILITY 

• The artist must be at least 18 years of age.
• The artist must live in or have a studio in one of the following TX counties: Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, or Williamson. 
• Visual arts organizations in any of the counties listed.  

*City of ACME staff members are ineligible to apply. Other City staff members are eligible to apply, but may not sell their work.

SELECTION PROCESS

All applications will be reviewed by a selection panel appointed by the ACME Program Manager. All applicants will be notified by e-mail of acceptance, modification, or rejection of their applications. Please add Jieun.kim@austintexas.gov to your list of “safe senders" so that you receive these notifications. Do not contact staff about the status of your application once the submission period has closed. 

Selection criteria may include, but are not limited to: 

• Quality or merit of the artwork 
• Cultural diversity of artwork 
• Local or national reputation of the artist 
• Inclusion in the permanent collection of an Austin-based Museum 

HOW TO APPLY 

• A representative may apply on behalf of another artist; however, the artist under consideration must meet all exhibition guidelines and eligibility requirements—one application per artist.
• Applicants must submit up to three artworks available for loan during the exhibition period. 
• Artwork replacement is available once per exhibition season.
• For each artwork entry, one image file (.jpg or .pdf) is accepted. Please format each file as follows.
• EXAMPLES: 

1. First submission: 01-LastName_FirstName_Title.jpg 
2. Second submission: 02-LastName_FirstName_Title.jpg 
3. Third submission: 03-LastName_FirstName_Title.jpg 

• A brief artist statement (up to 50 words).
• A short artist bio (up to 40 words).
• Artwork information: Title of artwork, medium, year of completion, dimensions (plus, weight for 3D art), and whether it is for indoor or outdoor display.

* If proposals of artwork are submitted for consideration, final acceptance for inclusion in the exhibition will be subject to review and approval of the completed work of art.

Only online applications are accepted through this site. No applications are accepted by e-mail or by postal mail. 

EXHIBITION SPACE

Completed in 2005, Austin’s City Hall is a four-story, 118,000-square-foot building designed by New Mexico architect Antoine Predock. Harmonizing unique structural forms with natural materials sourced from Central Texas, the design highlights regional beauty and incorporates distinctive green building features, earning LEED Gold certification.

All two-dimensional artworks displayed on the second and third floors will be displayed using the gallery rail system. Once selected, more information will be provided to prepare the hanging method. 

FIRST FLOOR:

• Atrium lobby and limited locations in adjoining public rooms. 
• Self-supporting sculptures must be on a pedestal at least 4.75” high, to be provided by the artist. 
• Weight may not exceed 200 lbs. per 18” x 18” floor tile. 
• Pedestal must not exceed a 6’ x 6’ footprint. 

SECOND FLOOR:

• Second floor lobby and surrounding conference rooms, east and west hallway corridors. 

THIRD FLOOR:

• Third floor lobby and surrounding conference rooms, excluding the City Manager’s conference room. 
• Self-supporting sculpture must be on a pedestal at least 4.75” high, provided by the artist, and to be painted with a washable paint for ease of maintenance. 
• Pedestal footprint may not exceed 42” in depth. 

No artwork will be displayed on the fourth floor or in the administrative offices located on the first, second, and third floors. 

*Due to new City Hall policies, artwork installed on the 2nd floor, east and west hallways, as well as the 3rd floor, will be accessible to the public only via scheduled tours. Tours will be scheduled quarterly by City staff or volunteers. 

People's Choice Award Purchasing

To select an artwork for purchase as the “People’s Choice,” the City will initiate a public process for the selection, to include: 

• Public announcement of the City’s intent to purchase a piece valued at no more than $5,000. 
• Invitation to City employees and the public to view the works and vote. 
• Voting to take place during the period of the exhibition. 
• Paper ballots to be available at City Hall and/or by another accessible means as approved by the Program Manager. 
• Announcement of the winner and purchase of the piece as part of the next exhibit opening.

Jurors

This season's exhibition applications will be juried by Coka Treviño, Nina Quỳnh-Anh Hồ, and Moyo Okediji. 

Coka Treviño is a curator and cultural advisor with over 20 years of experience evaluating, commissioning, and presenting contemporary art across public and private contexts. Her independent practice centers on curatorial rigor, artist advocacy, and long-term cultural value, bringing informed discernment to jurying processes, collections, and civic art initiatives.

Nina Quỳnh-Anh Hồ is a writer, artist, designer, and educator. She’s been involved with Austin's cultural arts and creative ecosystem since 2016, focused on equity-based work, including founding several arts collectives, serving as a Board Member for Big Medium, and advocating for organizations like Almost Real Things, _OFCOLOR, and DAWA.

Moyo Okediji is a professor of art history at the University of Texas, Austin. He was a curator at the Denver Art Museum. His books include The Shattered Gourd, and Western Frontiers of African Art. An artist and gallerist, he has shown his work at the New Museum of Modern Art, among other venues.

CONTACT

If you have questions regarding this call for artworks, please call 512-974-7817 or email Jieun.kim@austintexas.gov. Add this email address to your "safe senders" list so that you will receive our notifications.

FAQ: 

Image upload specs: 

• Acceptable file types: .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg.
• Max file upload size of 5MB. 

Can I email my proposal to you? 

• No emailed proposals will be accepted. Please contact jieun.kim@austintexas.gov for accessibility requests.

Will my application be accepted if it is late due to technical issues? 

• Late applications will not be accepted. 

Does Submittable save drafts of your application? 

• Yes, Submittable allows you to save work and return to it later to finish.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

• Please email jieun.kim@austintexas.gov with any questions, and a staff member will get back to you.