The Creative Reset: Listening Session
The Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment was established in February 2025 and is committed to fostering a vibrant, creative ecosystem that celebrates and supports Austin's artists, musicians, entertainment venues, and cultural institutions.
One of the goals of ACME is to reimagine the structure, accessibility, and implementation of Austin's cultural funding programs.
To achieve this goal, ACME initiated The Creative Reset, a one-year strategic planning process that includes reviewing years of feedback, focus groups and a survey. Together, we hope to gain further insights into what aspects of the programs are working and where there are opportunities for improvement.
Join ACME leadership for a discussion to learn about this initiative and other department goals.
Free and open to the public. No RSVP necessary.
What is The Creative Reset?
The Creative Reset is a citywide initiative led by the City of Austin’s Office of Arts, Culture, Music & Entertainment (ACME). It is designed to reimagine how the City lays the foundation for a more accessible and sustainable creative ecosystem in Austin.
This multi-phase initative will guide the evolution of the department and establish long-term priorities.
What is the purpose of this dashboard?
This public dashboard is your go-to place to:
- Stay up to date on The Creative Reset progress in real time
- Review historic data and community feedback
- Track how decisions are made
- Learn how community input is being used to shape a stronger, more inclusive funding system
Progress Overview
Cultural Funding | Status | Target Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
Historical Data Collection (2020–2025) | Complete | April 2025 | |
Community Feedback Collection - Phase 1 | Complete | May- June 2025 | |
Edits* of Existing Guidelines *based on feedback from Arts, Music, and Historic Landmark Commissions and Art in Public Places (AIPP) Panel | Complete | June 2025 | |
Drafting New Guidelines for FY26 Programming | Complete | July - August 2025 | View Draft Guidelines
|
Where
We've Been
Over the past five years, ACME and its predecessor departments collected feedback through community conversations, previous program evaluations, and formal reports.
Summary includes:
Public feedback from 2020–2025
Evaluations of the Nexus, Thrive, and Elevate grant pilots
Historic Summary of the Art in Public Places Program
Recommendations from the CreateAustin Cultural Master Plan
Findings from the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan
Our Community- Led Process
Where We Are Now: ACME Guidelines Review
The Creative Reset: ACME Guidelines Review
Guidelines lay the structure for any cultural funding program. This is an opportunity to engage with suggested changes to the way that the City of Austin invests in arts and culture. Participation is currently...
Benchmarking Other Cities
We are learning from cities around the U.S. and the world that are leading the way in creative equity and public arts investment.
Cities Benchmarked:
- San Antonio, TX
- Dallas, TX
- Chicago, IL
- Denver, CO
- Phoenix, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Nashville, TN
- And more
