Can’t believe it’s already late July and we haven’t had any triple digit heat in Austin since May! Incredible. For those of you interested in the happenings around Mueller, I wanted to share a fun update with you … the Creative Action Arts Collaborative is officially coming to Tilley Street!

If you’re like me and were completely unaware of the awesome work that Creative Action has been doing over the years, here’s a little background info for you: Creative Action is a local nonprofit focused on arts-based education in Austin since 1997 with after-school arts residencies, camps and summer studios, and teen programs focused on identity, community and civic engagement. Their big move arrives as the culmination of years of planning efforts after they eventually outgrew their longtime space at East Austin’s Springdale General.

Austin based Studio8 Architects, local specialists in academic, community based projects, was tasked with the design, and leaned heavily into engaging the students and staff in the design process from day one, through a series of interactive “visioning charrettes.” I for one love what they came up with. How many arts buildings have you seen with their own outdoor movie theater?

One thing that stands out to me about the design renderings is how different they are from the sterile, lifeless educational buildings of yesteryear. You can see how much of the creative freedom and energy of Springdale General carried over into this new design. From what I can gather, the students and teachers provided the project architects with plenty of ideas to work with; from more outdoor space for performance and play to better storage for theater productions and art materials.

I think this project will be a meaningful addition to the Mueller area. We’ve seen quite a bit of commercial retail and restaurant space built recently, so it’s nice to see some local investment in community building and youth education. Stay tuned for more updates as construction kicks off in the coming months, and I am eager to check out Creative Action’s programs once their doors open!