The City of Austin Parks & Recreation Department's Old Bakery & Artisan Emporium partnered with the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation to transform Old Bakery Park with the first mural on the historic building. This Community Activated Parks Project included an active community engagement process to explore ideas about how to revitalize this downtown greenspace through a new Writing on the Walls mural that tells the story of this area of Austin. The new mural is entitled "Generational Ties" by Ruben Esquivel. City Council District 9
Background
The Old Bakery & Artisan Emporium is a historic building located in downtown Austin at the north-west corner of Congress Avenue and 10th Street. The space is home to a shop filled with unique, handmade items from local artists and craftspeople. The art gallery features works by local artists who are 50+ years old, and the Visitor Center tells Austin’s immigrant history through the Lundberg-Maerki Historical Collection. Just south of the building is the Old Bakery Park, a City of Austin public plaza that was transformed with seating, shade and plantings in 2014 by a partnership of the Downtown Austin Alliance, Austin Parks Foundation and City of Austin.
Project Description
The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department partnered with Downtown Austin, the Old Bakery & Artisan Emporium, and Austin Parks Foundation to add a new mural to the south facing wall and to energize the public plaza with new programming and activations for the community.
The goals for this project included:
- Build momentum for a series of murals and mural tours that will transform the space for the years to come
- Add new activities that inspire people of all ages
- Amplify peoples’ stories and experiences
- Use modern storytelling to express the important issues of our time
About the Mural
The mural by local Austin-born artist, Ruben Esquivel, explores the Indigenous heritage of Austin and the Swedish legacy of the Old Bakery and Emporium. The design prominently features two native women whose braids are intertwined, illustrating the beauty and wisdom that are passed down from generation to generation. The braids are filled with flora, fauna, and the Swedish national flower - the giktgräs. Hummingbirds, believed to symbolize love, joy, and rebirth, and a protective swallow add to the rich symbolism. The background is adorned with a traditional Swedish textile pattern, blending the heritage of both cultures. Ruben Esquivel is an artist of Latino and indigenous descent who was recently voted Austin Chronicle's Best Muralist 2024.
Anticipated Schedule
- Spring 2023: Outreach, Engagement Begins
- Summer 2023: Idea Gathering, Listening, Reflection
- Fall 2023: Call for Mural Artists
- Winter 2023: Artist Selection
- Spring 2024: Implementation
- July 2024: Completed
Community Engagement
The Downtown Austin Alliance led an 18-month engagement process for the mural on this historic building through the Writing on the Walls program.
The project kicked off with a preliminary survey to educate the community about the history of the land, the building and the museum that exists today. The survey culminated in the first engagement event at the Downtown Austin Alliance’s annual Holiday Stroll event, where community members learned about Austin murals through a Downtown Mural coloring book and could create their own art with local artist Riches Art, which was projected on the wall in real time to inspire the next mural.
The process can be viewed through the following documents:
Funding and Resources
This Old Bakery Park enhancement is part of the Community Activated Parks Project (CAPP). The CAPP program streamlines the proposal process for neighbors, community groups, and partners seeking to initiate improvements on city-owned parkland.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact Herlinda Zamora.
