18 award winners transforming Austin spaces
East Side mural, Forklift pool performance, and renovations galore: Preservation Austin Merit winners
Historic and cultural preservation in Austin tends to be a tricky business, with different kinds of stakeholders holding a variety of positions on the subject, from “trap it all in amber” to “tear it all down.” And more moderate positions in between.
Preservation Austin, the city’s leading nonprofit advocate of historic preservation, has finessed this the situation adeptly, especially in the past decade or so. “Preservation” now takes different forms in Austin, and includes civic projects, buildings, and performances. Historically and culturally significant private homes have also undergone more than a standard restoration job, with some adding contemporary components, accessory dwelling units, or both.
The 18 recipients of this year’s Preservation Austin Merit Awards run that gamut, from the restoration of iconic institutional buildings at St. Edwards University and the Austin State Hospital to celebration of cultural and community landmarks such as the For La Raza mural in East Austin and Forklift Danceworks’s performance series My Park, My Pool, My City.
