Culture Flash
Source: Austin Chronicle
Robert Faires

When the new Whole Foods world headquarters goes live in '05, the blocklong complex will boast new public art: a sculpture garden in the pedestrian plaza along Sixth Street and a three-panel mural wall on Fifth Street. Schlosser Development, which is transforming several blocks east of Lamar into the Market District, is dropping $250,000 on the two art projects – the first phase of a million-dollar commitment to what the company calls the Market District's Art, Culture, and Community Plan, which will ensure public art in all the newly developed areas, plus the existing Sixth and Lamar center where BookPeople and Whole Foods are currently housed. A list of finalists for the first two projects – all Austin artists – has been announced, and an impressive list it is. For the sculpture garden, they are: Steve Wiman, El Ray, Beverly Penn, Claudia Reese, Margo Sawyer, and Kate Catterall. For the mural wall, they are Reji Thomas, Virginia Fleck, Fidencio Duran, Sandra Fiedorek, and Chris and John Ray (Clayworks). Projects will be reviewed over the next couple of months, and Schlosser expects to name the winning artists in February. For more information, call 472-7774.

Click here for list of all news items.