Gielstra, D.¹ & Gielstra, A.² ¹ Prescott College ² Monarch Design Group # **Welcome to Austin, Texas!** “If the way Austin is going makes you mad, don’t get even. Get odd.”-Dr. George Greer Land Acknowledgement Before beginning the field trip, the valuable cultural heritage of this region is shaped by the Native communities that still reside there. We acknowledge that the land on which our data were collected in Austin, Texas is the home of several indigenous peoples: the Apache and the Lipan Apache,Tonkawa, Ysleta del sur Pueblo, the Yaqui of Texas, the Coahuitlecan, the Texas Kickapoo, Tigua Pueblo, the Caddo, Comanche, Kiwa, Chickasaw, and the Waco people. We take this opportunity to thank the original caretakers of this land. ## Welcome to East Austin, Texas! East Austin is found on the East side of Austin city center on the opposite side of the Interstate 35 (I-35) corridor if one is facing north. The latitude and longitude are 30.2655° N, 97.7091° W and the area is in close proximity to the Colorado River, Balcones Escarpment, and the Balcones fault zone situated within the coastal plain. The community is bounded by East 7th Street,with the western boundary defined by the I-35 corridor. The Martin Luther King Boulevard is the northernmost street to which the community extends (Felton, 2017). Figure. Map of the east to west orientation of the Balcones Escarpment to the coastal plain (Adapted from the Bureau of Economic Geology, n.d.).

## The Cultural Importance of Place East Austin is historically known as a vibrant black and Latino community with a rich cultural scene. People of African American descent were forced into these districts in 1928 because of zoning laws that tied services to location and placed them on the East side. This districting was called the “Negro District”. (Austin American Statesman, 2019) Despite these racist districting practices, the residents of the East Side formed a strong community, and in the early 20th century the area consisted of small bungalows with connected neighborhoods, and was known for musical venues in jazz and blues as well as an artist enclave (Felton, 2017). However social and economic drivers associated with gentrification placed environmental and economic stress on the population, and created disruptions within these communities that weakened their connection and ties to place. Moreover, an increase in property values created by unsustainable tax conditions displaced many families that had called the East Side home for generations. "*East Austin is now, of course, a highly coveted area for developers to build in and for newcomers to settle into. Between 2011 and 2014 the median home price in East Austin's 78702 ZIP code tripled from \$125,000 to \$375,000*…What happens is developers will offer daily incentives for our residents to move out," (Ontiveros, 2020) Cultural displacement of these populations results in a loss for our city, it flattens out diversity compounding the issues centered around race, and it makes our city weaker without these strong cultural ties to place as a heart of a community disappears. In response to these painful situations that are putting pressure on black families and fracture the East Side community, the loss felt with this displacement is often responded to with arts and culture that people use to push back on these forces of change and call attention to the problem. This author’s background, both in positionality and in academia, is insufficient to explore these deep, community impacts; however, they want to highlight Austin’s tradition of responding to such changes in the city with arts and culture that defies the norms in a specific place and time. Murals are found across the city, but with a high concentration in the East Side of the city. The themes call attention to the issues, but are free and accessible to all people that search for them. ## The Origin of Keep Austin Weird At the millennium in 2000, KOOP Radio’s fund-raising drive captured the response of A local Austin Community College Librarian, Red Wassenich. When the show’s organizers asked Mr. Wassenich why they were donating money, the response was, “I don’t know. It helps keep Austin Weird.” The phrase circulated Austin for a couple of years until local bookstore, “Book People” and the local record store, “Waterloo Records”, began to circulate bumper stickers stating “Keep Austin Weird”. The phrase was soon attached to supporting local businesses (Bueche, 2018). Now, the phrase is attached to the culture and arts scene, and that weirdness is celebrated by many of Austin’s communities. As you explore the **murals** of East Austin, or the art that we find painted directly on the walls of a building, examine both the mural and the cityscape in the context of the cultural and economic issues experienced on the East Side. Please consider time and space associated with rapid development and how communities transition in response to the economic and environmental drivers that place stressors on these communities. ***How might the artists represent these challenges through their own, unique lens?*** ### ‘Til Death Do Us Part This mural is Federico Archuleta’s most well known piece of art. The location of this mural is found on the East Seventh & Waller Streets. This is one of the field trip author’s favorites!

[Enter VR 'Til Dead Do Us Part](/scenes/til-death-do-us-part) ### Resist The artist, known as squid.licker, paints about safe space and bodily autonomy. Themes of reproductive rights, resistance to white supremacy, and tension associated with the rapid changes of the country just pre -and- post pandemic are evident.

[Enter VR Resist](/scenes/resist) ### Frida The artist is Ulo Ang, and this mural of Frida Kahlo is found at 1801 East 6th Street.

[Enter VR Frida](/scenes/frida-women-rising) ## Glossary: **Gentrification:** Inhabitants of an area are displaced as wealthier people move who change the character and taxation of an area as businesses and homes pander to the wealthy residents. **Mural**: Art that is found painted on a wall. ## References Austin American Statesman. (2019). A city divided. Retrieved on March 22, 2023 from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7-0oyvw5M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7-0oyvw5M) Bueche, S. (2018). The history of how 'Keep Austin Weird' became synonymous with the Capital City. CultureMap Austin. [https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-14-18-history-why-is-keep-austin-weird-slogan-bumper-sticker-shop-local/](https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/03-14-18-history-why-is-keep-austin-weird-slogan-bumper-sticker-shop-local/) Bureau of Economic Geology. (n.d.). Retrieved on March 22, 2023 from [https://www.beg.utexas.edu/geowonders/centtex](https://www.beg.utexas.edu/geowonders/centtex) Felton, C. (2021). Best Murals in Austin. Retrieved on December 28, 2022. [https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/austins-best-murals/](https://www.austintexas.org/austin-insider-blog/post/austins-best-murals/) KVUE. (2020). Boomtown 2040: Saving East Austin \| KVUE. Retrieved on March 22, 2023 from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbHQtX1E3rs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbHQtX1E3rs) Ontiveros, R. (2020). From 'negro district' to hipster brunch spot: the gentrification of East 11th Street. Austonia. [https://austonia.com/east-11th-gentrification](https://austonia.com/east-11th-gentrification) Public Broadcasting System (PBS), (2014). Austin Revealed: A tale of two cities. Retrieved on March 22, 2023 from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti6RnKl_REw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti6RnKl_REw) Squid.licker. (2022). Resist. https://www.instagram.com/p/ClPodFEJq9e/