Watson Wire: The People’s Gallery

The halls and walls (and corners and shelves) of Austin City Hall have been getting a refresh over the past several weeks as 136 new pieces of art have been installed in The People’s Gallery.

Covering three floors of City Hall, The People’s Gallery showcases the work of local visual artists and gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy their work in a wonderful public space – together, as a community.

As the new pieces were installed, every stroll through the halls became an opportunity to discover interesting sculptures, colorful paintings and striking photographs. Some of them are visually arresting while others are provocative or intriguing or fun.

I just love that Austin City Hall, which is a piece of art in and of itself, has provided display space for about 1,800 artists since the first exhibit in 2005, when City Hall opened. Way back during my first stint as Austin Mayor, when we were figuring out what we wanted in a new City Hall, we hoped it would be a place that could showcase work like this. And we wanted the architect to consider how to make it more than a building of offices and make it, well, a gallery, too.

Austin thrives on the creativity and talents of its visual artists, whose work makes our city a unique, dynamic center for the arts as well as a vibrant, interesting place to live. By supporting local artists, you’re helping sustain the vibrant creative spirit that defines Austin.

Our artists have brought beauty and color and insight to our shared public space, giving all of us a reason to slow down, think a little, and appreciate their work.

We’ll celebrate their artwork in the People’s Gallery at a City Hall reception tonight from 6pm to 9pm. The reception is free and open to all, and I hope you’ll join us. A number of the artists will be on hand at the reception, and many of the works are for sale, with all proceeds going directly to the artists. After tonight, the Austin Public Library will offer guided tours of the City Hall exhibit on a regular basis. The exhibit will remain until Summer 2026.