Austin City Council sees some pushback on several items regarding art

AUSTIN, Texas - Two issues surrounding art are causing chatter at City Hall. 

The city is considering out-of-town artists for the airport, while a local artist's work could be destroyed at the Convention Center.

A vote on agreements with three artists for displays at the airport has been pushed back. The total cost is $10.6 million from the airport's capital improvement budget.

Three finalists, Saya Woolfalk from New York, Jim Campbell from San Francisco, and Yvette Mayorga from Chicago, were picked out of 22 eligible applications. 

About a quarter of applicants were local. 

A recent presentation to the Arts Commission lists technical skills, aesthetic appeal, and ability to deliver projects on time as evaluation criteria. 

The other side:

There has been pushback over picking non-local artists for both airport displays and at the Convention Center.

"They're choosing artists that aren't even from Austin, locking out our local artists. Meanwhile, we get lip service from our council that they care so much about local art. It's really wrong. They need to bring that back into the public sphere," Bill Bunch, who supports local artists, said.

New art ordinance passed

What they're saying:

City Council did pass an item, sponsored by Council Member Zo Qadri, to review the Arts in Public Places ordinance, to allow more flexibility for the maintenance, conservation, and deaccession of art. 

This stems from John Yancey's "Riffs and Rhythms" mosaic, which is connected to the wall at the Convention Center. The Convention Center is set to be demolished and rebuilt next month. 

Yancey told FOX 7 last week he's working with preservationists and attorneys to figure out what to do. 

"If an artist has a work in a museum, you don't expect the museum to take it, throw it in the dumpster at the end of the workday. You expect there's care, stewardship, and that there's a responsibility there," he said.

The item won't be able to be applied to Yancey's work.

"I would ask you to recognize the need to be more transparent to table this item and to make it retroactive to cover Mr. Yancey's artwork," Zenobia Joseph, who supports local artists, said during public comment. 

"[It's] an incredible piece of mural, Riffs and Rhythms, that y'all should be doing triple backflips to save," Bunch said during public comment. 

What's next:

Qadri says he hopes something similar doesn't happen in the future. 

"We must strive to do better. It's crucial that we support and uplift our creative community and their contributions to our city," he said. "This item will make sure generations of artists will get stronger support and greater investments from the city, and I look forward to seeing what new iconic pieces of public art that Austin artists come up with next."

The vote on the artists for the airport has been postponed to March 27.