Waving a colorful banner for cultural pride and a rich historical tapestry, the Mexic-Arte Museum partnered with Downtown Austin Alliance to cast a new light on Republic Square Park. With the unveiling of seven vibrant banners designed by Claudia Aparicio Gamundi, the park's history is now fluttering for all to see along 5th and Guadalupe streets. "Each banner has a QR code that they can use on their phone, and it goes to our webpage on the Mexic-Arte Museum website that has all the history," Mexic-Arte Museum executive director Sylvia Orozco explained in a statement obtained by CBS Austin. The visual storytelling is just the beginning as the banners serve to acknowledge Austin's Mexican American heritage that has pulsed through Republic Square for centuries.

But the Mexic-Arte Museum aspires to more than just celebrate; they are fully engaged in pushing to secure state recognition for a cultural district along Fifth Street. With more than a nod to the past, they've rolled out actions to thoroughly conduct public engagement and diligently inventory the area's cultural assets. Their goal is to weave together a tapestry of diverse cultural organizations and lay a foundation for sustainable cultural programming. "By next June she and others involved in securing the state designation need to complete public engagement with community members and relevant area organizations, do an inventory of cultural assets, create a marketing plan for the district and assemble a board of directors that would help manage and program the area," reported Austin Monitor.

The banners also signal the upcoming museum reconstruction while preserving the historic facade for a blend of old and new—an Austin aesthetic if there ever was one. Beyond aesthetics, there's practical advancement here. Sylvia Orozco's team, according to the same Austin Monitor interview, is rolling up their sleeves to prepare for the $24 million redevelopment project set to begin next fall. "We have basically fallen in love with the building, but we know it’s old and it has its deficits. Keeping that façade will be something wonderful, because it's part of our history," she said.

With community engagement and state designation processes simultaneously unfolding, the Mexic-Arte Museum is charting a potential future for Austin's rich cultural landscapes. They're also fully prepared to carefully cultivate a unique cultural landscape. Consultant Andrew Gonzales emphatically told the Austin Monitor about the anticipated cultural and economic boom. "A successful application to the state, it would go to further support the Dia de los Muertos celebrations, the Diez y Seis celebrations, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations, even possible street fairs," he projected with an eye towards future celebrations that embrace the area's heritage.

With brightly colored banners now adorning Republic Square and plans for elevated sidewalks and murals, it's clear that Mexic-Arte Museum and its partners are ambitiously plotting a course to not just preserve but to actively resuscitate and showcase the cultural heartbeat of Austin's Mexican American community. They're shaping a vision of the city that footnotes its history with every QR code and celebrates its spirit in every scheduled event. And if the plans unfold as envisioned, Fifth Street's new beat could just dance its way into becoming a renowned cultural artery, equivalent to those spaces in cities that have famously succeeded in fusing heritage, artistry, and bustling communal life.