A graffiti artist at work on Castle Hill
Editor’s Note: The HOPE Outdoor Gallery closed on Jan. 2, 2019. A new location will open later in the year.
There are a few mainstays in Austin I like to take visitors to when they visit. My list includes the impressive Capitol Building, which is taller than the U.S. Capitol Building in D.C., Whole Foods headquarters, where you can get a $5 smoothie, Zilker Park to fly a kite, and anything on South Congress. But there’s one place that embodies the true spirit and weirdness of our city, and every resident and visitor must experience it: the graffiti wall at Castle Hill.
Tucked away on Baylor and 11th near Whole Foods, this is one of my favorite places in Austin because it has a great energy and amazing art. When I say graffiti wall, I don’t mean just one wall like the “i love you so much” graffiti at Jo’s Coffee Shop or the Austin Postcard at Roadhouse Relics. I’m talking about a three-story playground for artists.
On my most recent trip, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. It was a sign announcing the arrival of the HOPE Outdoor Gallery.
HOPE Outdoor Gallery sign at Castle Hill
I’ll admit, the sign may not be so new. After all, every time I go to Castle Hill I’m there to see the graffiti, not read the signs. But my curiosity was spiked enough to look into this Hope Outdoor Gallery a bit more.
History of the HOPE Outdoor Gallery
From what I understand, the half-developed space was initially slated for housing (surprise, surprise), but the property owners ran into some zoning problems. From that time on, the space sat empty, calling out for its boring white concrete walls to be painted upon.
The property owners, Dick Clark Architecture and Castle Hill Partners, could have easily considered the hundreds of gallons of paint used on their property as vandalism. Instead, they happily allow people to come paint on their million-dollar property.
Sounds a little too good to be true, right? Prime real estate, downtown, with a great view of the city, not being developed into housing, but rather being “vandalized.” So I did more digging.
For years, the energy of this undeveloped space drew artists and art aficionados alike. It was only in 2011 that it was crowned with the title of HOPE Outdoor Gallery, becoming one of the largest outdoor galleries in Texas. HOPE stands for Helping Other People Everywhere, a movement created in 2006 by Shepard Fairey to help raise awareness around Darfur, Sudan.
So it was true. Instead of blowing the whistle on vandals, the property owners saw an opportunity to keep Austin weird and support the local community by allowing the space to be used as a sort of inspirational message board.
Spreading HOPE on Castle Hill
Who Can Paint on Castle Hill?
While one of the most unique showcases available for artists in Austin, not everyone has permission to participate. It is considered trespassing if you paint on the wall without approval. I mean, you can’t just walk into an art museum and hang your artwork on the walls, right?
But Castle Hill definitely offers a great source of inspiration, and a place where artists can come together to share their positive messages with the world. For those interested in participating, email murals@hopecampaign.org. Otherwise, participate like I do, by visiting, enjoying the walls and taking a few photographs.
Because HOPE Outdoor Gallery changes continuously, it deserves a visit, or five. So the next time you have a friend in town, swing by Whole Foods downtown, grab a smoothie, and take a quick stroll over to Baylor and 11th. After all, outside food and drinks are allowed at this art gallery.
Jessica has been a resident of Austin for fives years and believes in the promotion of all things local. She dabbles in photography and writing. Follow her on Twitter and Tumblr.
@jpino9 asks:
Have you been to HOPE Outdoor Gallery at Castle Hill?
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It’s one of my favorite places in Austin as well. But I kind of miss the semi-criminal aesthetic of it’s early years. There is an interesting, but slippery transition from real street art to gallery art that I think so far is being handled well by the folks who run Castle Hill, but I worry that at some point the vandalism aspect will be totally lost and with it most of the meaning of graffiti and street art.
Thanks for taking the time to share your perspective, @matthew_duncan:disqus. It’s definitely an interesting debate to have.
I must be quite carefull because as i tried to say once before my last post disappeared. . I am FROM here. And as i see my bright beautiful town (a council) paved and developed into this city i am just warning you to get ready to do something to save what you love. VOTE. It not hard! This city council has got to hear from you. Save our sweet Austin! !!!!!
Whos the artist in the first picture?
Austin needs more graffiti art. Hello, how are you?! Computer Repair Austin
This is an awesome post! I just visited this spot for the first time about a week ago. It was truly a masterpiece! The weather wasn’t all that great, but that didn’t stop me at all.
I’m writing a blog about scenic spots in the Central Texas area, and I linked this post in my blog so people could read over some of the stuff you wrote as well.
You can find my blog here: scenicspot.wordpress.com
I was the contractor that built the walls…..They were intended to be the foundations for a condo project named the Palestra. However, those of us who were involved with the project grew to know it as the “Disastera” The walls were first constructed in 1983/1984, and because of a soils report that had incorrect structural recommendations, the footings and walls started heaving and moving due to expansive clay below the rock cap at the top of the hill. New engineers were hired to re-design the structure and the original walls and footings were demolished and the project started over sometime in 1985 or 1986. The new design was just as flawed as the original, and after most of the wood framing for the planned condominium project had been erected, the structure again started to heave and move as a result of the expansive clay that was changing volume through wet and dry seasons.
The developer went out of business and back in the late 1980’s there was a real estate and banking bust in Texas, and most of the banks went out of business as well. So….the RTC (Resolution Trust Corporation) took over the project and eventually disposed of the property. All of the wood framing that had been built was torn down, leaving the concrete foundations. ….And the rest is the history that you can see on the walls.
As far as prime property goes….I don’t think so. It certainly has a prime location, but in my opinion, the property is probably worthless except for the artistic value that it now holds for our community. The geology of the site consists of many layers of Del Rio Clay laced with fissures and conduits that allow water to infiltrate the clay causing it to swell and contract. In addition, the entire hillside is actually a landslide in slow motion. One can see the overturning movement of the walls, as well as the soil creeping over the curb down at the street. Also look at the utility poles and the trees on adjacent properties to see their downhill slant. The entire soil mass is moving down the hill very slowly, and this is not conducive to a sound structure (see above). I believe it probably is possible to build a lasting structure on the property, but I doubt that the required engineering solution would be affordable in the market.
Wow, @Scott! Really appreciate your comment. This personal insight is really fascinating.
i was there just two days ago, on a weekend visit.
very cool places, and one of the best visited in austin.
however, i must dissent from whoever described it as showing an ‘artsy’ drift.
I am not very familiar with its previous and daily history, other than what can be surmised from the web, but although there were a few ‘big’ gallery-like pieces, some of them in the making, most of the not so recent one where fully and utterly ‘vandalized’ by minor (in all senses) graffiti, and it was chock full of people with their own cans just there to spray their name or that of their loved ones, often on top of pieces of apparent higher ‘artistic’ value. and i guarantee they had no ‘permit’ for it.
on the other hand, around town there are a lot of other places with large murals with a much stronger “gallery” vibe, and of much higher quality, including some impressive art on the Iron Works walls.
as an aside, ti would be great if there was a site that would chronicle the evolution of castle hill park (maybe there is, but i didn’t find it). in fact, if i lived in the area, i would go every day at the same hour and take the vary same picture(s)/videos for a full year, and then mount it as a time-lapse short video.
I went today. Jan 2 2017. Although very cool to see from a distance. You see the bigger art that once took the spaces. But everyone was there. Kids. Moms teens with spray paint painting very badly puting their names and covering good art with simple one word childish things. I wish i could have seen it when it was actual art.