New “Community Arts Collaborative” Building Next to Marshall Middle School Will Also House Five Complementary Nonprofit Partner Organizations
AUSTIN, Texas | April 21, 2026: Creative Action — a youth arts education organization that leverages the power of the arts to foster creative artists, critical thinkers, courageous allies and confident leaders — is moving its creative services headquarters to the Mueller community on a site adjacent to Austin ISD’s Dr. General Garwood Marshall Middle School. Creative Action anticipates breaking ground in May 2026 and opening its doors fall 2027.
The “Community Arts Collaborative” building will consist of two stories totaling 25,000 square feet, including approximately 15,000 square feet of ground-floor creative activity, rehearsal and community gathering spaces that help blend the arts with academic and social-emotional learning. An additional approximately 10,000 square feet on the second floor will house programming and administrative space. This vibrant new cultural hub will serve as the “forever home” for a coalition of five of Austin’s most impactful arts and cultural organizations. In a one-of-a-kind partnership, Creative Action will share the facility with Art Spark Texas, Austin Bat Cave, Austin Soundwaves, Latinitas and Studio A.
“Relocating to Mueller has so much to offer Creative Action and the local arts community,” said Joe McIalwain, Executive Director of Creative Action. “Not only is Mueller a centrally located community with close access to many of our established school and nonprofit partners in East and Central Austin, but there is also an existing foundation of partners and a strong creative spirit within Mueller, thanks to the many people living, working and developing in this innovative community.”
The half-acre site is located near the intersection of Philomena and Tilley streets just north of the Marshall Middle School campus, and adjacent to The Jordan affordable multifamily community and Austin Film Studios. By locating next to the middle school, both AISD and Creative Action will be able to share creative and meeting spaces to more efficiently and effectively encourage and inspire students to grow and hone their creative abilities.
“We think Creative Action and its fellow artistic collaborators will be exceptional partners in Mueller,” said Greg Weaver, Founder and CEO of Banbury Development, the private side of the public-private partnership with the City of Austin to redevelop the former 700-acre Mueller Municipal Airport.
Weaver added, “Creative Action’s specialized needs fit well on this smaller parcel of land. They also have a long history of successful partnership with AISD to provide even more arts-based curriculum to develop well-rounded and higher-achieving students. Additionally, they are taking an innovative approach by partnering with other creative nonprofits seeking administrative and programming space and who serve similar audiences.”
Creative Action and its five partner organizations will all teach classes and lead activities at the Community Arts Collaborative itself, while they also continue to provide programs to schools and communities across the City of Austin and throughout Central Texas.
About Creative Action: Creative Action helps young people develop skills for long-term academic, personal, and career success through high-quality, socially and culturally relevant arts education programs led by more than 75 professional Teaching Artists. All Creative Action programs are designed to help young people develop holistically, blending arts education and youth development. We help youth discover how to be what we call “4C” students — Creative Artists, Courageous Allies, Critical Thinkers, and Confident Leaders. We believe that if children can imagine and embody these identities, they will develop the skills they need to thrive. We focus on whole-child learning, intentional practice that informs the type of learning environments we create, the instructional practices and educational philosophies we employ, and the content and skills we teach.
About Mueller: Mueller is one of the nation’s most notable mixed-income, mixed-use communities located in the heart of Austin. The 700-acre site of Austin’s former airport is being transformed into a diverse, sustainable, compatible, revitalizing and fiscally responsible master-planned community. Mueller is a joint project between Austin Financial Services and Catellus Development. Upon completion, Mueller will feature at least 6,900 single-family and multifamily homes (including more than 1,725 affordable homes), a mixed-use town center district known as Aldrich Street, nearly five million square feet of prime commercial space, including 727,000 square feet of local and regional retail space, 144 acres of public parks and open space, plus Dell Children’s Medical Center, the Austin Film Studios, The Thinkery children’s museum, H-E-B and the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. Learn more on Facebook and Instagram.
About Banbury Development: Banbury creates vibrant communities through comprehensive land and vertical development. The Banbury team brings an average of nearly 20 years of collaborative experience. As of 2025, the Banbury team has more than 1,150 acres of completed mixed-use projects and nearly 1,300 acres under development management in Austin, Georgetown, TX and Tempe, AZ. Banbury partners with both public and private landowners to craft purposeful spaces and prioritizes inclusivity and transparency in the development process. The Banbury team is committed to excellence in every project, often showcasing sustainability efforts, affordable housing, and other community benefits, from initial concept to final completion.
About City of Austin Financial Services: The City’s Austin Financial Services department (AFS) maintains the financial and economic integrity of the City of Austin and provides comprehensive and integrated financial management, administration, and support services to the City departments and other customers. AFS supports financial processes from preparing the annual fiscal report, procurement processes, franchise agreements, real estate and development transactions, and overseeing the City’s investment portfolio and debt management.