AUSTIN — Spray paint cans were flying again Friday as Austin’s iconic HOPE Outdoor Gallery reopened at a new 17-acre site near the airport, years after its closure.
The revamped space combines an art park and cultural events center, featuring more than 30 artists inside a 6,000-square-foot gallery and on outdoor mural walls.
Visitors embraced the opportunity to create, painting robots, band names, and colorful designs. Some brought their own supplies, while a cafe and shop on site offered spray paint for tagging the gallery’s outer walls.
“I love that there are different calibers of artists here — some new, some younger, and some formally trained,” said visitor Antonio Delgado, recalling fond memories of the original Clarksville location.
The gallery, founded in 2010 by Andi Scull, began as a temporary installation on the foundation of an unfinished condo. Over nearly a decade, it became a “living art exhibit” where murals were continually refreshed, drawing locals and tourists alike.
The new permanent home faced construction delays, permitting challenges, and pandemic setbacks, but organizers said the reopening captures the spirit of the original gallery.
“It was always beyond murals or graffiti,” said Scull, emphasizing the gallery’s focus on public art, experimentation, and community engagement.
