A Clear Mission to Serve Underinsured and Underserved in Austin

Local optometrists are giving underinsured, underserved people in Austin the chance to get a free eye exam and eyewear, as well as a diabetes screening. It's part of the Eye on Diabetes Campaign, kicking off downtown on Friday.

The outreach event will go on from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, August 27 on Colorado Street between 12th and 13th Streets. There will be a 45-foot mobile eye exam clinic, fully stocked and with local optometrists on hand to screen people for diabetes and other eye problems.

VSP Vision Care is the company behind the event. More information about the Eye on Diabetes Campaign is available on their website.

Addressing Climate Change Challenges

from AustinNotes

The public is invited to help shape Austin’s community response to climate change for the next 40 years at a workshop at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center.

Participants will receive an overview of the work done on the Community Climate Action Plan and discuss the next steps of the process. Groups will divide by resource area -- such as transportation or energy -- to discuss how objectives developed earlier this year can evolve into tangible actions for the community to take to fulfill the goal.

“We need your help to reach this goal by participating in the continued development of the Austin Community Climate Action Plan,” said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “This plan has to come directly from the community and be one that the community is prepared to implement -- in partnership with the City of Austin. Addressing climate change is one of the most critical challenges of our generation, and I know the citizens of Austin are up to the task.”

More than 100 community leaders met in March to address the serious and growing challenges that climate change presents. During a two-day session, participants agreed to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through creating an integrated, affordable green lifestyle that supports the local economy and is accessible to all.

Every step the community takes towards being environmentally responsible, from regional planning to indoor air quality, is a step towards helping climate change.

The Mexican American Cultural Center is at 600 River St. in Downtown Austin.

Contact: Marc Coudert, Austin Climate Protection Program, (512) 322-6105

Public Arts Symposium Features Manhattan Redevelopment Project

from AustinNotes

Award-winning “aerial greenway” urban redevelopment project in New York City

What: “Blurring the Lines: Public Art Re-Examined” Full-day Symposium for learning, connecting
When: 9 am – 3 pm, Saturday September 11, 2010
Where: Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center, 501 W. 3rd Street; Austin, TX 78701 (free parking available at State Garage “N” immediately to the north of Ballet Austin)

Symposium will feature keynote speakers from the High Line, award-winning urban redevelopment project built on a section of a former elevated freight railroad spur in New York City. Also featured will be local public artists and community creative voices.

The City of Austin’s Art in Public Places Program is proud to welcome Robert Hammond, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the High Line, and Lauren Ross, the Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Curator & Director of Arts Programs, to Austin as keynote speakers for “Blurring the Lines: Public Art Re-Examined,” an exploration of public art, creative partnerships, civic engagement and more.

About the High Line: The High Line railway was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan's streets. Now re-imaginied as a city park the elevated space has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway. When complete, the High Line will be a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell's Kitchen. This pedestrian-only space boasts an integrated landscape, fixed and movable seating, lighting, public programming spaces, and temporary public art. The project has garnered several prestigious awards and in less than a year of operation, has attracted over 2 million visitors.

The Symposium will feature:
· Keynote address by High Line Co-Founder and Public Art Curator
· Pecha Kucha(fast paced, six-minute blasts of narrated visuals) by local creatives
· Interactive panel discussion with experienced public artists and administrators
· Networking opportunities and access to industry experts
· Roundtable lunch (provided)
· Take-home materials such as the “Public Art Resource Guide”

Registration: Visit www.cityofaustin.org/nextlevel

Cost: $15 and includes choice of gourmet boxed lunch from Central Market.

The City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division offers the Take it to the Next Level professional development workshops to enhance the management capacity of nonprofit creative organizations and to grow jobs, wealth, and the economic impact of the creative economy. The 2010 Next Level series is supported in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Cultural Arts Division provides leadership and management for the City’s cultural arts programs and for the development of arts and cultural industries. The Cultural Arts Division is responsible for the Cultural Arts Funding Programs, Art in Public Places Program, community-based arts development, and programs to assist the development of music, film, and creative industries in Austin. For more information, visit www.ci.austin.tx.us/redevelopment/cad.htm.

Contact: Meghan Turner, (512) 974-9314

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