AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Local artists and volunteers will paint a second mural on Austin streets Thursday, this time highlighting black artists.
A mural proclaiming "Black Artists Matter" will be painted on East 11th Street between Waller Street and Lydia Street. The project is being supported by Capitol View Arts and the Austin Justice Coalition, along with local artists and 70 Austin-area volunteers.
"For over nine years, Capitol View Arts has worked with urban artists, particularly in East Austin neighborhoods. In a city where the black population is overlooked, our purpose through this mural is to show continued support and acknowledgment of black artists and their contribution to Austin's legacy and character," notes Clifford Gillard, Founder and President of Capitol View Arts.
The East Austin street mural follows the painting of a ‘Black Austin Matters’ mural on Congress Avenue earlier this week.
"We want the community to not only fight for justice, but do it in a city they find beautiful," explains Gabi Pritchard, Community Outreach Coordinator for Austin Justice Coalition. "We're doing this to make it very clear that this fight has just begun, and we are here to support those keeping the arts alive in our city — black artists. Art brings life and creativity into the movement, and we are here for it."
The City of Austin will contract with Capitol View Arts in the amount of $55,000 as a part of the Economic Development Department’s Art in Public Places program. Those funds will primarily be used to compensate local African-American artists economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for their participation on the murals. In addition to the funding, city staff is providing technical and operational support to ensure their safe installation.
Traffic lanes on East 11th Street between Waller Street and Lydia Street, as well as Congress Avenue between 6th Street and 9th Street will remain closed to vehicles through Sunday night to allow community members time to safely view the murals.