Reginald Adams, Absolute Equality: Unity Tunnel, 2026
Glass and porcelain tile, ceramic, limestone, acrylic paint

Wishbone Bridge and Unity Underpass
203 1/2 S Pleasant Valley Road, Austin, TX 78741

Sponsor Department: Austin Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor Project Manager: Laurie Thering, Capital Delivery Services
Photos by Athena Petropoulos; Elijah Stade; and Kara Henderson, Mindful Media
AIPP Project Budget: $440,000
Artist Budget: $380,000

This public artwork, titled Absolute Equality: Unity Tunnel, was created by artist Reginald C. Adams in collaboration with the Austin community through the City of Austin’s Art in Public Places program. Installed inside the new Unity Underpass under South Pleasant Valley Road, named after the public artwork, the mural is composed of two large-scale mosaic panels and a painted ceiling mural, stretching over 200 feet in total. It honors themes of cultural diversity, environmental stewardship, and social justice — ideas drawn directly from the voices and stories of East Austin residents during a series of community engagement workshops.

Custom ceramic handprints crafted by community members mark the tunnel’s entryways, inviting all who pass through to reflect on the shared values that unite us. The mosaic murals, fabricated with glass and porcelain tile, were built to endure for generations as a lasting tribute to the City’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and creativity.

The painted ceiling mural completes the immersive experience of the tunnel. Flowing above visitors, the mural features a dynamic gradient of color transitioning across the ceiling, layered with bold silhouettes of local fauna commonly found along Austin’s waterways. Native plant species move rhythmically through the composition, reinforcing themes of ecology, movement, and interconnectedness while visually unifying the Day and Night mosaic panels below.

Rehab El Sadek, 1938+, 2025
Salvaged Mixed Media

AFD 1 / EMS 6
401 E 5th St., Austin, TX 78701

Sponsor Department: Austin Fire, Austin / Travis County Emergency Medical Services
Sponsor Project Manager: Michelle Noriega, Capital Delivery Services
AIPP Project initiated by Curt Gettman and Alex Irrera
Photos by Jana Birchum and Lauren Slusher
AIPP Project Budget: $93,626
Artist Budget: $69,000

This site-specific wall sculpture, entitled 1938+, commemorates the rich history of this station and the enduring dedication of Austin's first responders, past, present, and future.

Constructed in 1938, this Streamline Moderne architectural landmark is recognized nationally and listed on The National Register of Historic Places.

The artwork is primarily fabricated from objects salvaged during the building's 2023 renovation, giving them a second life as art. Many of these objects date back to the original construction and hold special meaning.

This sculpture stands as preservation through art, in conversation with its surroundings and echoes of the past—a tribute to our shared history.

Ernesto Hernández Ramírez, The 4 Elements, 2025
3-form engineered resin, richlite, perforated steel and steel treated with patina

North Lamar Corridor, at Payton Gin Road
801 Payton Gin Rd, Austin, TX 78758

Sponsor Department: Austin Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor Project Manager: Ismael Galvez, Capital Delivery Services; Tyler Farrar, Transportation and Public Works
Photos by Lucero Valle
AIPP Project Budget: $116,287
Artist Budget: $85,000

This artwork celebrates the diversity and unity of a vibrant community where immigrants and individuals from various cultural backgrounds coexist harmoniously. Composed of four distinct panels, it masterfully integrates their differences into a single, cohesive vision, symbolizing unity through diversity. Each panel represents one of the four classical elements—water, fire, air, and earth—acknowledging their universal significance and sacredness across cultures. 

This piece serves as a testament to the shared human relationship with the natural elements, celebrating the balance between individuality and interconnectedness in our collective experience. 

Kevin Muñoz, Cor Civitatis, 2024
Steel and paint

AFD 22 / EMS 12
5309 E Riverside Dr., Austin, TX 78741

Sponsor Department: Austin Fire, Austin / Travis County Emergency Medical Services
Sponsor Project Manager: Michelle Noriega, Capital Delivery Services
AIPP Project initiated by Curt Gettman and Alex Irrera
Photos by Lauren Slusher and Athena Petropoulos
AIPP Project Budget: $145,000
Artist Budget: $122,000

This art barrier designed by Kevin Muñoz is made of different types of metals. The metals themselves vary in the way they appear and are meant to reflect the diversity of the community as well as AFD and ATCEMS. Each element illustrated in the fence’s negative space is a nod to either 22/12, the community itself, or the natural elements and landscapes that surround the building. Muñoz’s hand drawn brush work in the illustrations is a nod to the working-class community that helped make the neighborhood what it is.

Shawn Smith, Nexus, 2024
Welded steel and fluoropolymer paint

EMS 1
3616 S 1st St., Austin, TX 78704

Sponsor Department: Austin / Travis County Emergency Medical Services
Sponsor Project Managers: William Massingill and Allison von Stein, Capital Delivery Services
AIPP Project initiated by Marjorie Flanagan
Photos by Lauren Slusher
AIPP Project Budget: $65,428
Artist Budget: $50,000

Artist Shawn Smith chose an anatomical heart to serve as a symbol for compassion, care, humility and the interconnectedness of all living things. Special acknowledgement to first responders at EMS 1, fabricator Colby Brinkman of Brinkman Metal-Smiths, Ann Berman, and everyone at AIPP.

Shawn Smith, Beacon, 2024
Stainless steel, architectural resin, LEDs

EMS 13 / AFD 23
1330 E Rundberg Lane, Austin, TX 78753

Sponsor Department: Austin / Travis County Emergency Medical Services, Austin Fire
Sponsor Project Managers: William Massingill and Allison von Stein, Capital Delivery Services
AIPP Project initiated by Marjorie Flanagan
Photos by Lauren Slusher
AIPP Project Budget: $65,428
Artist Budget: $50,000

Artist Shawn Smith was inspired to create Beacon as a symbol of hope: a light in the darkness or a calm in the storm like a Fresnel lighthouse lens. The structure of the sculpture is made up of the station numbers 13 - 23. The LEDs inside pulse like a heartbeat as a symbol of dedication and compassion. Special acknowledgement to first responders at EMS 13 / AFD 23, fabricator Colby Brinkman of Brinkman Metal-Smiths, Ann Berman, and everyone at AIPP.

Felipe Gómez, Ofrendas, 2025
Steel

SAFE Alliance new shelter

Sponsor Department: Austin Public Health
Sponsor Project Manager: Mari Boren, Capital Delivery Services
Photos by Kara Henderson, Mindful Media
AIPP Project Budget: $101,000
Artist Budget: $70,000

This sculpture, Ofrendas, was created through a trauma-informed, community-centered process in collaboration with the women and children of the SAFE Alliance. Through painting, poetry, sculpture, and journaling workshops, participants shared personal stories of resilience, hope, and healing. Their voices directly shaped the concept and design of the piece, which consists of three painted steel sculptures arranged in a half-decagon, symbolizing growth, connection, and transformation.

Each form features soft, organic shapes inspired by the participants’ expressions, while the inner colors reflect emotions tied to safety, empowerment, and reflection. The artwork is intended to be a space of solace—an invitation to pause, breathe, and reconnect with strength.

Fabricated in steel with a blackened patina, and colorful finishes, the piece is dedicated to the survivors whose honesty and strength brought it to life. Special thanks to the SAFE community for their trust, insight, and inspiration.