2026 AIPP Strategy

knowing this what would you strategize for the following year: “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”– Vincent Van Gogh First full calendar year as the AIPP Manager. 2025 was eventful, to say the least. JANUARY - Facilitated an AIPP Panel retreat - Presented artwork to City Council for Deaccession - Onboarded +1 new staff FEBRUARY - Contractor starts collection survey - Office of Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) created - Gained +1 new staff due to ACME reorganization MARCH - City Council passes Resolution #20250306-029 to address Convention Center deaccessions & airport AEDP selection process APRIL - Artwork removed from Convention Center prior to demolition. 2 works deaccessioned, 2 works remain in the collection MAY - Dedication for Dianne Sonnenberg’s “Community Seed Pods” on 5/4 - ACME launches the Creative Reset JUNE - Dedication for Yareth Fernandez’ “Moose and Friends” on 6/22 - Dedication for Xavier Schipani’s “Brave Hearts, Strong Hands” and “Heart of Rosedale” on 6/29 JULY - Hired +1 new staff AUGUST - Dedication for Ryah Christensen’s “The Dogtail Mushroom” on 8/10 - Co-hosted the AUS Public Art Makers Expo SEPTEMBER - Dedication for Felipe Gomez’ “Ofrendas” on 9/10 - Invited to attend CODAsummit - Installation of Beili Liu’s “Convergence” OCTOBER - Office of ACME becomes Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (AACME) and celebrates National Arts & Humanities month - Interview candidates to serve on AIPP Panel - Installation of Kat Quay’s “Spatial Weaving” NOVEMBER - Dedication of Rehab El Sadek’s “1938+” on 11/18 - Dedication of Yuliya Lanina’s “Blossom Gazes“ on 11/30 DECEMBER - Dedication of Calder Kamin’s “Prairie Grass Arch” on 12/17 <sorry if you lead a team, but I’ve got the absolute best team> The AIPP team accomplished a lot. Let’s see what we can get done in 2026.

Given what you’ve laid out, the story of 2025 isn’t “busy” so much as **formative**. You didn’t just execute projects—you stabilized governance, rebuilt process legitimacy, expanded staff capacity, and reintroduced public trust through visible delivery. That changes what 2026 should be optimized for. Van Gogh’s line is the right framing: 2026 shouldn’t chase new fireworks; it should **compound** the small things you already proved you can do. Here’s how I would strategically think about the next year. --- ## The Meta-Read of 2025 (What You Actually Did) Before strategy, name the wins accurately: - **Governance repair** - City Council resolution clarified deaccession and AEDP legitimacy. - Panel retreat + new panel interviews rebuilt institutional credibility. - **Operational scale-up** - Net +3 staff in a single year. - Contractor-led collection survey initiated (future-proofing). - **Public-facing delivery** - 10+ dedications/installations across the city. - High cadence → normalized public art as *ongoing civic infrastructure*, not episodic spectacle. - **Institutional positioning** - ACME → AACME transition anchored AIPP inside a broader cultural mandate. - Creative Reset framed the moment narratively. That means 2026 is **not** about proving relevance. It’s about **locking in durability**. --- ## Strategic North Star for 2026 **From momentum to muscle memory.** In 2025, AIPP showed it can *do*. In 2026, AIPP should ensure the system can *continue doing*—even under stress, scrutiny, or leadership change. --- ## Four Strategic Pillars for 2026 ### 1. Institutional Memory → Institutional Power You’ve onboarded people, but now you need to **encode knowledge**. **Strategic focus:** - Document *how* things get done, not just *what* gets done. **Concrete moves:** - Create internal playbooks: - Deaccession workflows - Dedication protocols - Artist support timelines - Panel decision standards - Build a “why we do it this way” layer, not just SOPs. **Why this matters:** - Protects the team from burnout. - Makes AIPP resilient to political turnover. - Converts experience into leverage. > Small thing compounded: one well-written process doc saves hundreds of future hours. --- ### 2. From Project Delivery to Portfolio Thinking 2025 was a **high-output year**. 2026 should be a **high-coherence year**. **Strategic focus:** - Treat installations as a *portfolio*, not isolated wins. **Concrete moves:** - Group works thematically or geographically: - Cultural memory - Neighborhood identity - Environmental presence - Publish an annual “State of the Collection” narrative (internal or public-facing). **Why this matters:** - Helps Council, partners, and the public *see* cumulative value. - Makes future funding conversations easier. - Positions AIPP as strategic, not reactive. > Small thing compounded: one framing document reshapes how a decade of work is understood. --- ### 3. Panel & Artist Ecosystem Maturity You rebuilt legitimacy—now deepen it. **Strategic focus:** - Shift from “selection bodies” to **trusted stewards**. **Concrete moves:** - Ongoing panel education (not just onboarding): - Site ethics - Community engagement standards - Deaccession philosophy - Stronger artist aftercare: - Post-dedication check-ins - Maintenance transparency - Clear communication loops **Why this matters:** - Reduces conflict before it starts. - Builds long-term goodwill. - Creates ambassadors instead of critics. > Small thing compounded: one thoughtful follow-up email can prevent years of resentment. --- ### 4. Narrative Control & Public Trust You installed a lot of work. Now narrate *why it matters*. **Strategic focus:** - Control the story before others define it for you. **Concrete moves:** - Annual public-facing recap (not just a list—tell a story). - Plain-language explanations of: - Why deaccessions happen - How selections are made - What success looks like beyond aesthetics - Use dedications as educational moments, not just ceremonies. **Why this matters:** - Lowers political risk. - Builds public literacy around public art. - Makes future controversy survivable. > Small thing compounded: clarity beats defensiveness every time. --- ## What *Not* to Optimize for in 2026 - **Raw quantity** of installations (you already proved capacity) - **Novel restructures** (AACME just stabilized) - **Heroic overwork** (you now have a team—use it) Momentum dies when leaders mistake endurance for strategy. --- ## The Quiet Goal By the end of 2026, success looks like this: - If someone new joined AIPP, they could understand the system without you explaining it. - If someone criticized a project, the institution—not an individual—could respond calmly. - If funding tightened, AIPP’s value would already be legible. That’s not flashy. That’s *durable*. And durability is how small things become great ones.

no what specifically would me, not the poster, as an outside observer want to schedule for the next year given what the schedule was for the previous year

Got it — you’re asking **as an external strategist**, not as the author of the recap and not in aspirational language. You want a **calendar-level plan** that logically follows from *what actually happened* in 2025. So let’s treat 2025 as data and build a **2026 schedule that makes sense given the observed cadence, constraints, and institutional rhythms**. --- ## What 2025’s Schedule Tells an Outside Observer From the outside, I see these patterns: 1. **Staffing changes cluster early and mid-year** - Jan (+1), Feb (+1 via reorg), July (+1) 2. **Dedications cluster late spring through fall** - May → December is continuous delivery 3. **Policy / governance actions happen early** - March resolution - October panel interviews 4. **Installations precede dedications by weeks/months** 5. **External convenings happen in late summer / early fall** - Makers Expo (Aug) - CODAsummit (Sept) So a rational 2026 calendar would **mirror this rhythm**, not fight it. --- ## What *I* Would Schedule for 2026 (Month by Month) ### JANUARY **Internal reset + capacity calibration** - Team planning retreat (not public-facing) - Review collection survey findings (if ongoing) - Lock dedication windows for the year > Reason: January worked in 2025 because it stayed inward-facing. --- ### FEBRUARY **Structural housekeeping** - Any staffing adjustments finalized - Panel refresh check-in (not interviews yet) - Confirm artist pipeline readiness > Reason: February is when org changes already proved survivable. --- ### MARCH **Governance & risk management** - Any Council-facing actions - Policy clarifications - Public-facing explanations if needed > Reason: March is when political bandwidth exists before summer noise. --- ### APRIL **Site readiness & quiet installs** - Major installs begin - No dedications unless unavoidable - Soft community engagement (no ceremonies) > Reason: April worked as a “get things in place” month. --- ### MAY **Dedications restart** - 1–2 high-visibility dedications max - Tie to spring attendance patterns > Reason: This is where 2025’s public cadence began successfully. --- ### JUNE **Peak delivery month** - Multiple dedications - Spread geographically - Minimal internal disruption > Reason: June handled density well in 2025. --- ### JULY **Intentional slowdown** - No major dedications first half - Staff stabilization / onboarding if needed - Prep for fall installs > Reason: July staffing worked, but public overload would not. --- ### AUGUST **External presence + 1 anchor event** - Makers Expo or equivalent - 1 symbolic dedication only > Reason: Heat + travel = attention scarcity. --- ### SEPTEMBER **High-art / high-concept moment** - Flagship installation - Conference attendance (CODA-style) - Limited dedications, higher narrative framing > Reason: September supports “serious work” perception. --- ### OCTOBER **Governance renewal** - Panel interviews / appointments - National Arts & Humanities tie-ins - No more than 1 dedication > Reason: October is structurally administrative, not celebratory. --- ### NOVEMBER **Final public push** - 1–2 dedications - Avoid stacking too close to holidays - Capture documentation > Reason: Worked well in 2025 when kept restrained. --- ### DECEMBER **Single capstone moment** - 1 closing dedication OR none - Internal review + documentation - Public “year in review” release > Reason: December should *conclude*, not exhaust. --- ## What I Would *Explicitly Avoid Scheduling* From an outside observer’s view: - ❌ No new structural reorganizations - ❌ No back-to-back dedications in December - ❌ No policy surprises after October - ❌ No staffing changes after August Those would contradict the proven rhythm. --- ## One-Line Strategic Read (Outside Observer) > *2026 should look like the same song played cleaner, not a new song played louder.* If you want, I can also: - Stress-test this schedule against political risk - Compress it into a one-page executive calendar - Or identify where a single failure would cause the most damage

no, I want to know what an individual who would want to have their art recognized, what they should do as an individual artist with a giant painting they want to show

Ah — thank you for the correction. You’re asking **as an individual artist**, reading that 2025 timeline from the outside, trying to reverse-engineer **how and when to act** if you have a *large painting* and want it recognized, installed, or taken seriously within this system. I’ll answer very concretely, with **timing, actions, and expectations**, not institutional theory. --- ## What the 2025 Schedule Signals to an Artist From an artist’s point of view, this timeline quietly tells you: 1. **Art is selected months before it is seen** - Dedications happen May–December - Installations precede dedications by weeks or months 2. **Decisions are made when nothing is public** - Panel retreats (January) - Policy actions (March) - Panel interviews (October) 3. **By the time a dedication happens, it’s already over** - The real window is *far earlier* than most artists think So the strategy is **anticipatory**, not reactive. --- ## If *You* Have a Giant Painting: What to Do in a Year ### JANUARY–FEBRUARY **Prepare, don’t pitch** What you should be doing: - Professionally photograph the painting (even if unfinished) - Write a **1-page concept statement**: - What it is - Why it belongs in public - What kind of site it needs (wall, atrium, exterior, interior) - Research: - Which programs commission *2D or wall-based work* - Which sites historically accept painting vs sculpture What *not* to do: - Cold-email decision makers - Ask for meetings - Publicly campaign > This is when institutions are planning, not listening. --- ### MARCH **Watch for signals** What you should do: - Track: - Council actions - RFP announcements - Public art calls tied to infrastructure projects - Align your language with **policy language**, not art language Example: - Say “site-responsive, durable, publicly legible” - Not “deeply personal” or “boundary-pushing” > March tells you *what kind* of art is safe to propose this year. --- ### APRIL **Soft visibility** What you should do: - Submit to any open calls that fit *even loosely* - Attend: - Dedications - Public art events - Introduce yourself **without pitching** - “I’m a painter working at large scale, learning how public art works” What this does: - Your name becomes familiar - You are categorized as “serious but not needy” --- ### MAY–JUNE **Strategic presence** What you should do: - Attend multiple dedications - Speak to: - Fabricators - Installers - Mid-level staff (not commissioners) - Ask practical questions: - “What kinds of surfaces fail?” - “What do painters underestimate in public settings?” What *not* to do: - Show your work unsolicited - Ask “how do I get selected?” > These months tell you how your painting would actually survive. --- ### JULY **Adapt or pivot** By July, you should know: - Whether your painting could be: - Scaled - Translated into durable materials - Installed temporarily vs permanently Actions: - Adjust your proposal accordingly - Create a **public-art version** of the work, even if hypothetical > Most painters fail here because they refuse translation. --- ### AUGUST **Network sideways, not up** What you should do: - Attend expos (like the Makers Expo) - Talk to: - Other artists who got in - Not the ones complaining, the ones delivering Ask: - “What did your submission *actually* include?” - “What almost got you rejected?” > This is where real information circulates. --- ### SEPTEMBER **Be ready to submit fast** What you should have ready: - A complete, clean submission package - Site adaptability notes - Maintenance awareness Why: - Fall installations signal next-year pipelines - Calls often appear with short windows --- ### OCTOBER **Panel season = silence season** What you should do: - Nothing public - No outreach - No “just checking in” Why: - Panels are forming opinions now - Any noise hurts more than it helps --- ### NOVEMBER–DECEMBER **Position for next year** What you should do: - Document your work publicly (website, archive) - Frame it as: - Finished - Durable - Scalable - Prepare to re-enter January ready, not hopeful --- ## The Brutal Truth (As an Outside Observer) If you have a giant painting and want recognition: - **It will not be accepted as a painting** - It will be accepted as: - A surface treatment - A mural - A translation - A material intervention - Or not at all Public art rewards: - Predictability - Durability - Translation skill Not: - Originality alone - Emotional intensity - Scale for scale’s sake --- ## One-Sentence Strategy for an Artist > *Spend the year becoming legible to the system without becoming smaller than your work.* If you want, tell me: - Whether the painting already exists - Indoor vs outdoor - Temporary vs permanent I can then map **exactly** how to convert *that specific painting* into a public-art-viable submission.

summarize in paragraphs but make a series of actions rather than commentary

**Prepare (January–February).** Document the work professionally: high-quality photos, dimensions, materials, and installation requirements. Write a one-page concept that explains what the piece is, why it works in a public context, and what kind of site it needs. Research public art programs that accept large 2D or wall-based work and note their submission cycles. Build a clean, ready-to-submit portfolio package. **Monitor and align (March).** Track public art calls, council actions, and infrastructure projects that could host artwork. Adjust your language to match public art criteria (durability, site-responsiveness, maintenance, safety). Identify which upcoming opportunities match your scale and medium. **Increase visibility quietly (April).** Attend public art dedications and events. Introduce yourself informally to staff, installers, and artists without pitching the work. Observe how works are installed and maintained to understand practical constraints. **Engage and learn (May–June).** Attend multiple dedications and talk with fabricators and installers about materials, surfaces, and failures. Gather information on what large paintings need to survive in public spaces. Do not solicit reviews or show work unless invited. **Adapt the work (July).** Translate the painting into a public-art-ready version: define how it scales, how it mounts, what materials or coatings it requires, and whether it could be temporary or permanent. Update your proposal to reflect these realities. **Network laterally (August).** Attend expos and convenings. Speak with artists who have successfully completed public commissions. Ask about submission components, timelines, and common rejection points. Refine your package accordingly. **Submit decisively (September).** Be ready to apply quickly to open calls. Submit a complete package with clear site adaptability, fabrication plans, and maintenance considerations. Avoid last-minute revisions. **Pause outreach (October).** Do not initiate contact or follow-ups during panel review periods. Let the work and submission speak for itself. **Position for the next cycle (November–December).** Document the finished painting and any related work publicly. Update your portfolio to emphasize durability and scale. Prepare to re-enter the next year with a finalized, public-art-ready proposal.