The ribbon was cut Friday at Third City Studio, marking the first visible milestone in the creation of the North Austin Arts District.
Community leaders, artists and organizers gathered to celebrate the transformation of two long-vacant commercial spaces into a vibrant gallery and event hub.
Vanessa Stokes, owner of Outwest Gallery & Cafe, partnered with Jon Womack of Third City Properties, to bring an arts district to North Avenue in Austin. Sid Zalani, executive director of Third City Studio, will lead programming that highlights West Side artists while sharing the diversity of Chicago art with the Austin community. Together, they aim to transform the 5500 block of West North Avenue into a creative hub.
Womack reflected on how the project began five and a half years ago he and his partners purchased the building. As a newcomer to the neighborhood, he was introduced to community leader Leotis Thomas, who encouraged him to connect with the Austin African American Business Networking Association and its director, Malcolm Crawford. Through that network, he met collaborators, contractors and local officials who played key roles in bringing the project to life.
After meeting supportive community members, the group began revitalizing two long-vacant commercial spaces, envisioning one as a cafe and the other as a gallery.
“We’re creating the North Austin Arts District and this is the first major step. The district is designed to include three main components to advance arts and culture. We’re working to build out art studio spaces, with six planned in this middle building and we’re also developing additional spaces across the street so artists have dedicated places to create and art organizations have a place to call home,” Womack said.
The North Austin Arts District aims to strengthen arts and culture through three main initiatives: The first focuses on developing art studio spaces, providing resources such as grant support, marketing and partnerships with local schools for arts programming. The second centers on economic development by revitalizing vacant commercial spaces, creating jobs through the cafe and gallery and attracting more visitors to support nearby businesses. The third initiative prioritizes affordable housing for artists, with plans to keep 35% of apartments at affordable rates and ongoing efforts to secure funding for construction of long-vacant buildings.
Stokes emphasizes the importance of multiculturalism and community collaboration for both the Austin organization and local residents.
“This is what community looks like, right? This is something I’ve spoken about many times. This is what inclusivity looks like and this is what really attracted me to working with Jon. We’re all from different parts of the city. Jon isn’t even from Chicago; he’s from Oklahoma,” Stokes said.
William Baker III, a visual and textile artist with roots in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, works with mixed media and textile pieces that highlight creativity and community. He first learned about Third City Studio through meetings with Womack and Stokes and was drawn to the space as an opportunity to showcase his work and support other West Side artists.
“I’m from the West Side, and I haven’t seen many opportunities for West Siders to create, showcase or receive support. I want to see more artists of any demographic or background have the chance to share their work, whether it’s fiber, textile, visual or any medium, anyone with vision and creativity,” Baker said.
Baker emphasized the importance of having a platform where artists can showcase their work and engage their communities, noting that art should be accessible to everyone, regardless of background. He expressed strong support for initiatives that bring diverse voices into Austin’s creative spaces.
“We want to show Chicago to Austin and Austin to Chicago. That’s what this is all about, bringing Chicago here to Austin. It’s not just about beautifying with art; this community deserves art. Communities need art, they have the ability to appreciate it, and that’s what we want to provide here,” Zalani said.
