East Austin Murals Draw Crowds as New Installations Roll Out July

Three large-scale murals went up along East Fifth Street between Chicon and Waller this week, completed July 9 by a crew working under the Austin Cultural Arts Division permit program.

The timing lines up with a citywide push to add 20 new permitted pieces by the end of August, driven by a 2025 budget line that set aside $180,000 for artist stipends and wall prep in high-traffic corridors. Residents in East Cesar Chavez and Holly neighborhoods have been posting photos and arguing on neighborhood forums about whether the new pieces lean too commercial or still carry the raw edge that defined the area a decade ago.

New pieces land near established sites

One mural covers the side of a former tire shop at 1200 East Fifth, showing layered images of local radio towers and handwritten song lyrics. Another sits two blocks east at the corner of East Fifth and Navasota, painted over a boarded-up storefront that last housed a taqueria. Both sit within walking distance of the longstanding Hope Outdoor Gallery on Baylor Street, where visitors still pay $5 at the gate on weekends to climb the hill and view older works. The Austin Parks Foundation, which manages several of the gallery walls, added new lighting last month so evening tours can run until 9 p.m. on Thursdays.

City records show 47 mural permits issued through June 2026, up from 31 in the same period last year. Average artist payment per approved wall now sits at $4,200, according to division invoices released last week. Tour operators have added stops: the weekly East Austin Art Walk, run by local guides out of the Museum of the Weird on Sixth Street, reported 1,200 paid participants in the first half of 2026.

Where to see the work and what comes next

Anyone wanting to catch the newest pieces can start at the East Fifth corridor and continue south on Chicon to the small lot behind the historic Victory Grill building, where a fourth mural is scheduled for completion July 18. The Cultural Arts Division will hold an open review meeting July 22 at the Dougherty Arts Center on Barton Springs Road to discuss the next round of applications. Maps and permit lists are posted on the city website under the public art tab.