2025 IMPACT REPORT
When artists and creatives thrive, downtown centers thrive, too. So, when a city’s central built environment rapidly changes, what does investing in culture—aka the vibe—look like?
KEEP READING FOR 2025 STATS AND TAKEAWAYS
BEHIND VIBE DOWNTOWN
Vibe Downtown amplifies the art, culture and vibe of Austin, Texas.
Designed for the discovery of underutilized downtown Austin spaces, as well as creative community impact, the program’s inaugural event released $30,000 in microgrants and occurred in collaboration with a number of community partners to support returning local visitorship to Downtown spaces.
OUR GOALS
ACTIVATE UNDER-UTILIZED SPACES.
AWARD $30K TO AUSTIN ARTISTS AND CREATIVES.
ATTRACT LOCAL VISITORS. BUILD LOCAL TRUST.
Downtown Austin’s built environment has rapidly changed over the last decade—with block transformations and developments emerging daily. VIBE Downtown highlights priority areas of redevelopment, providing experiential insight into the opportunities and needs of that area.
For the initial pilot of VIBE Downtown, the program’s two-year community engagement process brought 1,500+ stakeholders together, prompting generative activity between developers, property owners, community members and Austin creatives, resulting in everything from future murals to committed interest in cross-collaboration between property owners for cultural initiatives.
Austin has a long and well-documented creative history. As the city rapidly grows, centering Austin’s diverse creative communities in cultural planning continues to drive belonging, economic growth and long-lasting culture. Simultaneously, this growth has posed many questions and barriers for cross-community traditions, arts access, ongoing public engagement in culture and impactful creative empowerment in Austin’s built environment. VIBE Downtown introduced a scalable $30K grant-making model, as well as a creative community engagement plan for all of Downtown Austin’s continued initiatives to bring artists and creatives back to downtown areas.
Local visitors support downtown centers’ economic activity during periods of slow tourism and deeply influence our downtown’s national brand perception. VIBE Downtown’s pilot welcomed 1,000+ local visitors to Old Sixth Street over two days through five all-ages and nightlife community events. Beyond welcoming the public, the program was structured to build an expansive content library of community stories on the art, culture and vibe of downtown Austin for use throughout future initiatives, public engagement plans and marketing strategies.
Onsite
MUSIC. MAKERS. MURALS. DISCOVER DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
Activate Under-Utilized Spaces Through Place-Making & Place-Keeping.
508 + 522 EAST SIXTH STREET
Two spaces transformed for nighttime and daytime use directly with Sixth Street property-owner
Property has been primarily vacant over the last few years outside of cultural tourism peaks
Event coincided with reveal of new barriers on Old Sixth Street, as well as redevelopment signage
Award $30K to Austin Artists & Creatives.
VIBE Downtown was designed to fund $30,000 in local commissions for artists and creatives, emerging from a year-long public engagement process facilitated by 501c3 arts and culture organization, Future Front Texas. Inaugural grantees included: Where Y'all At Though?!, Bobby Pudrido, The Mosaic Workshop, Slow Fashion Festival and Shake It Africa
Each awardee received a strong, inclusive introduction to downtown Austin.
ALL 5 AWARDEES ENGAGED IN DOWNTOWN STORYTELLING.
Each awardee contributed their own marketing plan, engaging influencers and media outlets.
Each awardee supported three storytelling and documentary videos on culture of downtown Austin.
Each awardee grew their audiences, as well as brought new local audiences to downtown.
AWARDEE CURRICULUM LED TO TRANSFORMATIONAL GROWTH FOR AWARDEES & OTHER DAA ARTISTS/CREATIVES.
AWARDEES REDIRECTED THEIR FUTURE CULTURAL EVENTS TO DOWNTOWN VENUES.
Awardees reported transformational growth as cultural producers, storytellers and artists, due to the support provided by downtown Austin and partner teams.
The curriculum provided to awardees from VIBE’s partners was utilized throughout other programs for artists and creatives in downtown Austin—strengthening creative and cultural capacity, as well as strong messaging.
Awardees reported new knowledge about downtown’s built environment and available venues.
Multiple awardees have pivoted their annual cultural events to downtown locations, as well as venues available through Downtown Austin Alliance programs like DASA.
Attract Local Visitors. Build Local Trust.
1,000+ LOCAL VISITORS IN TWO DAYS
5 Community Events with Local Partners
1 Mosaic Mural Created
2 All-Ages Workshops on Sixth Street
500,000+ Online Impressions of organic local storytelling around art, culture and vibe of downtown Austin
30+ Videos for Downtown Austin Storytelling Library
From press and media to influencers and public visitors, VIBE told a values-driven story about downtown’s built environment— connecting local and global, public and private, physical and digital. 2M+ ORGANIC IMPRESSIONS OVER TWO YEARS
250+ Engaged Stakeholders, including downtown property-owners, tenants, restaurants, cultural spaces, state-recognized cultural districts, creative producers, artists and more. Community and public engagement process has been recognized at conferences like the Design Excellence conference and informed other downtown Austin programs and partnerships with key cultural districts and cultural stakeholders.
OUTCOMES
SUMMARY OF ALL ACTIVITIES
2 Years of Community Engagement
1 New Public Engagement Plan For Downtown Austin Artists & Creatives Programs
1 Artists & Creatives Thrive Report (presented at Design Excellence Conference)
1 Grant-Making Model for Downtown Austin projects
9 DASA Spaces Activated by VIBE Applicants & Awardees
5 Community Events Over Two Days to promote an 18-hour downtown
1 Mosaic Mural
1 Transformed Site in Redeveloping Area
SUMMARY OF IMPACT METRICS
1,000+ Public Visitors (All-Ages)
1,500+ Stakeholders Engaged in downtown Austin storytelling
$40,000+ distributed to Austin artists and creatives
15+ Community Partnerships
40+ Musicians, Makers, Visual Artists, Muralists & Cultural Producers
76 Public Applications for VIBE Downtown Partner Grants
THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY BEHIND VIBE.
Where the art on our walls is experienced—and builds community.
PRESENTED BY:
Downtown Austin Alliance
2025 AWARDEE SELECTION COMMITTEE:
Emmy Laursen, The Contemporary Austin
Keyheira Keys, Austin Curator
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
Future Front Texas
SUPPORTED BY:
Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation
Stream Realty Partners
Peak Parking
Tito’s Handmade Vodka + more!
Lu Farrell, Future Front Texas
Marissa Rivera, ofCOLOR
Melissa Garcia, Future Front Texas
Mikaela Rodriguez, Future Front Texas
Olivia Tamzarian, Emma S. Barrientos Mexican
American Cultural Center
Reno Dudley, KAZI
Sania Shifferd, Austin Architect
Marina Islas, Austin History Center
FOUNDING AWARDEES:
Slow Fashion Festival Austin
Pudrido Productions
Shake It Africa
Where Y’all At Though Austin
The Mosaic Workshop
FOUNDING LEADERSHIP:
Raasin McIntosh
Emily Risinger
Amanda Baez
Jane Hervey, Future Front Texas
Xochi Solis, Future Front Texas
VIBE DOWTOWN 2025
BRAND & CREATIVE TEAM:
Program Design by Raasin McIntosh, Emily Risinger, Jane Hervey and Xochi Solis
Event Design by Emily Risinger & Jane Hervey
Production Design by Xochi Solis
Creative Direction by Jane Hervey
Art Direction and Logo Direction by Jesús Acosta
Projection Installations by Essentials Creative
Videos by Carlos Nevarez and Deandre Acosta
Photos by Jasmin Porter and Raven Birk
PARTICIPATING ACTIVE URBANISM COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Nick Moulinet, Chair
Albi Hasku
Ashley Kegley-Whitehead
Dan Jefferson
Heather Hart Potts
Janis Daemmrich
Kevin Brown
Lindsay Palmer
Marissa Rivera
Martin Nembhard
Rachel Blair
Rebecca Senchak
Sania Shifferd
SaulPaul
Xavier Peña
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE
FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Davon Barbour, Downtown Austin
Jennifer Wiebrand, Gables Residential
Kevin Brown, DuBois Bryant & Campbell
Nick Moulinet, Chair, DPR Construction
SaulPaul, SaulPaul Productions, Foundation
Xavier Pena, St. David’s Foundation
The Downtown Austin Alliance is the steward of a collective vision for downtown Austin and enhances every aspect of the downtown experience. It is on a mission to create, preserve and enhance the vibe, vitality and value of downtown Austin for everyone. Currently, the organization supports multiple programs for artists, creatives and cultural producers. Learn more at downtownaustin.com/foundation/dasa.
