Graffiti in Austin, Texas

Graffiti in Austin, Texas

Graffiti is a cause of disagreement among residents of Austin, Texas.[1][2][3][4]

Notable Graffiti

Crossing Lady Bird Lake is a Union Pacific railroad bridge whose west side (the side that's visible from the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge) is frequently covered in graffiti. Unlike traditional graffiti, however, the graffiti on this bridge is often inspirational (eg. "Never Give Up") or whimsical (eg. "I've Got Ninja Style And A Kung Fu Grip") in nature.[5]

In August 2022, The Austin Chronicle published an interview with TVHeadATX, whose graffiti around town features "a business-suited citizen with a big old-fashioned cathode-ray-tube of a television in place of where his head should be".[6] In December 2022, KXAN-TV ran an article talking about the then rampant "Buscar" graffiti that was appearing around town.[7] In March 2023, KXAN-TV reported on the appearance of "I was raped, I am OK" graffiti appearing throughout the city.[8]

Notable Street Art

In 1993, local record store Sound Exchange commissioned musician Daniel Johnston to paint "Hi, How Are You" on the side of their building, located on The Drag.[9] In 2018, American Campus Communities bought the building on which the mural had been painted and, in 2023, demolished it, leaving only the mural and the wall on which it was painted still standing.[10][11]. A November 2012 article in The Daily Texan described the "Hi, How Are You" frog as "one of Austin's most iconic pieces of street art".[12]

In 2010,[13][14] musician Amy Cook[15] spray painted "i love you so much" on the side of Jo's Coffee on South Congress. Amy Cook was dating Jo's Coffee owner Liz Lambert at that time. By 2013 the Austin American-Statesman was describing the mural as "an iconic Austin spot".[16]

HOPE Outdoor Gallery is a graffiti park that, as of November 2025, is located close to Austin–Bergstrom International Airport. HOPE Outdoor Gallery was originally located in the north east corner of the Castle Hill Local Historic District in downtown Austin from 2011 to 2019.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "City of Austin spends roughly $500K a year cleaning up graffiti". KXAN Austin. 2023-03-10. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  2. ↑ Ayers, Vivien. "New graffiti working group poses questions about maintaining Austin's culture, local iconic art". The Daily Texan. Archived from the original on 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  3. ↑ Garderet, Ava (2023-02-07). "Downtown Commission votes to form graffiti working group". Austin Monitor. Archived from the original on 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  4. ↑ "Downtown Austin business owners fed up with illegal graffiti damaging their property". kvue.com. October 2, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  5. ↑ Largey, Matt (December 16, 2020). "Who has the ninja style and kung fu grip to spray-paint Austin's most visible graffiti?". KUT. Archived from the original on July 15, 2025. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  6. ↑ Brenner, W. A. (August 11, 2022). "Who the Hell Is TVHeadATX?". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 25, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  7. ↑ Reader, Grace (December 16, 2022). "What gives with the 'Buscar' graffiti?". KXAN-TV. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  8. ↑ Grant, Matt (March 1, 2023). "Austin bar manager concerned after camera shows person graffitiing 'I was raped, I am OK'". KXAN-TV. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  9. ↑ Gross, Joe (2023-05-25). "Daniel, Kurt, and Jeremiah: Why "Hi, How Are You" Matters". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  10. ↑ Smith, Corey (2023-04-17). "'Hi, How Are You' mural lives on despite building's demolition". KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  11. ↑ Krinjak, John (2023-04-17). "Decades-old 'Hi, How Are You' mural preserved in West Campus". FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
  12. ↑ Smothers, Hannah (2012-11-28). "Urban Art Vs. Graffiti". The Daily Texan. pp. 10, 8.
  13. ↑ Kamnetz, Taylor (2024-07-11). "The story behind Austin's iconic 'I love you so much' mural". lonestarlive. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  14. ↑ Moreno-Paz, Bianca (2023-06-09). "The story behind the 'I love you so much' mural and how it celebrates every kind of love". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  15. ↑ "i love you so much". AMY COOK. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  16. ↑ "Share your 'I Love You So Much' photos". Austin American-Statesman. 2013-01-30. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
  17. ↑ McAfee, Katy (March 28, 2025). "Six years after it closed, HOPE Outdoor Gallery is set to reopen this fall near the airport". KUT. Archived from the original on July 18, 2025. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
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