A header banner image displaying an assortment of artists – visual and musical.

CapMetro Art & Music

Our mission is to work collaboratively to educate, inform and engage Central Texas residents about the value public transit brings to the community. We believe that art enhances rider experience and illustrates how CapMetro is part of the fabric of Central Texas by celebrating the arts, cultures and heritage of the communities in the service area.

CapMetro aims to build community and culture throughout Central Texas through its public arts program by:

Creating inviting public spaces that people want to return to
Supporting local artists by commissioning and compensating them for their work
Increasing a sense of home and belonging for people who live in these neighborhoods
Partnering with local government agencies, nonprofits and other community organizations

CapMetro Art

We’re inviting local artists to apply to our CapMetro Art Program. CapMetro is seeking a strong network of artists who’ll be able to partner with us in creating meaningful public art on vehicles, at transit centers and in your own neighborhoods.

Projects we’ve done in the past have included bus wraps, murals at transit facilities and art applied directly to bus shelters.

Creative Action Murals

Through mural artwork and interviews, CapMetro and Creative Action aim to promote community engagement as well as uplift individual heroes: our operators and staff who help the earth by keeping public transit going.

This partnership with Creative Action’s Color Squad will yield four total murals at CapMetro facilities across Austin. The theme of this year's works is Sustainability, centering specifically on addressing climate change.

Locations for the murals include:

Pleasant Valley & 5th
Braker & Stonelake
Oltorf & S. 1st
St. Johns & Grand Canyon

Pleasant Valley & 5th

In November 2020, East Austin Studio Tour (EAST) featured a mural at CapMetro's 2910 E. 5th St location. The mural included an interactive audio component to enhance the experience, featuring a CapMetro driver speaking about the relationship between the environment and her work. The collective also researched native Texas plants to include in the blooming flora emerging from the bus.

Norwood Bus Stop Murals & Community Input

In the fall of 2020, two local Austin artists were invited to create unique murals for Norwood Transit Center, Kevin Muñoz and Samara Barks. They set up a tent next to the North Austin bus stop to survey riders on what they’d like to see in the murals. Their works represent the rich history of diversity in the area, as well as the colorful beauty of everyday life.

The Artists and Their Work

Visual Artists

The CapMetro Art program seeks to commission visual artists interested in working with the community to create and design original artwork for transportation projects. Applications are closed. Check back for future opportunities.

Selection Panel

Interested in helping us select artists to include? We're seeking jury members to select artists for our pool of public artists. This is a paid opportunity. Applications are currently closed.

CapMetro Music

Everyone knows Austin loves live music, and so what better way for us to keep this culture alive than with live musical performances? In collaboration with the city of Austin, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians and the Downtown Austin Alliance, we're bringing CapMetro Music to a bus stop near you.

Local musicians can perform at bus stops, train stations and transit centers throughout the city!

Want to take your show on the road? Find out how.

Learn more about the program and apply today to be placed on our list of performers.

Applications are currently closed.