Vestiges of the Future: AUS Changing Art Exhibits

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.