Mulling over Mueller

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Four and a half years ago, Catellus Corporation was chosen as the developer for the site of the former Robert Mueller Airport in North Austin, which spans 700 acres along I-35 around the east 40's. Catellus specializes in constructing modern, urban communities that combine residential and business areas, and -- wisely -- art. (Check out their previous work in California here.)

If you flip through the 1,000+ page agreement between Catellus and the City of Austin, you'll find that the company agreed to donate 500K for a public arts project along Mueller's I-35 frontage, which spans approximately 1,500-2,000 feet.

Several teams of artists are competing to install this permanent artpiece. Their design proposals and conceptual drawings are being unveiled this week in three places (note that neither Catellus nor the City of Austin has seen them prior). The first is online at Austin's Art in Public Places (AIPP) website. The second is Clementine Coffee Bar, and the third Austin City Hall.

At each location virtual and non-, your feedback will be requested; it will then make its way to a panel of four local artists tasked with giving the final "thumbs-up" to the winningest installation proposal.

Though they may remain online for a more extended period, these AIPP proposals are slated for display at City Hall and Clementine through the 10th of July, only. The artists you can expect to see plans from are: The Art Guys (Houston), Dixie Friend Gay and Rey de la Reza (Houston), Mags Harries and Lajos Heder (Cambridge, Mass.) and Mel Ziegler (Austin).

Let us know what you think of these ideas: yea or nay?

Image courtesy of AIPP, Austin

Clementine Coffee Bar is located at 2200 Manor Road and is open Monday through Thursday: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday: 7 a.m. to midnight, Saturday: 8 a.m. to midnight and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Austin City Hall and Public Plaza is located at 301 West Second Street and is open Monday through Friday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By beth_lebwohl in Arts & Entertainment on July 6, 2006 11:05 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

slight

I like the blue sunflowers but moreso, the wall of jars. It sounds like it would be collected by us residents and be 10000 pieces of Austin.

sudo

Dixie Friend Gay has some great sculpture on her website. I'm disappointed that the best she could come up with for Austin is a bunch of pink buffalo. In fact, all of these designs seem a little too safe, trying to substitute "cute" for "creative". Can we get a redo?

b_b

not so much people on top of poles, eh?

i thought that had universal aesthetic appeal... ;)

Josh

I really like the "Sunflowers" design - large, shade-producing flower shaped structures containing solar power "pedals." It reminds me of the public space art of Cristo, but more functional, and making a solid statement about the environmental dedication of Austin.

People on top of poles? Not as much.