Austin artists, entrepreneurs and civic leaders share their hopes for the city in 2024

Another year in Austin is in the books.

As we close the chapter on 2023 and turn a new page into 2024, we acknowledge these are difficult times for many people. We move into the new year facing devastating conflicts on the world stage plus economic uncertainty and caustic political rhetoric that clouds our common humanity at home.

No longer the sleepy hippie haven Willie Nelson fell in love with back in the '70s, Austin is now a grown up city with grown up problems. In the coming year, we won't shy away from looking at the hard issues our city is facing, but we wanted to close 2023 on a positive note. We asked a selection of Austin artists, community leaders and entrepreneurs to tell us about their hopes for Austin in 2024. Their answers reminded us that we live in a city full of passionate people who recognize Austin's issues and its opportunities, people who are working to build a brighter future.

More: 20+ best restaurants for New Year's Eve dinner in Austin

(These answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

Roxanne Evans, president elect of the Austin History Center Association

My hope for the New Year is that Austin retains the humanity that makes it Austin.

I hope the city and those who call it home find a way to strike a balance in all the issues that have become so divisive and polarizing. One can support more housing options without displacing Black and brown families. One can be pro-development without harming long time residents.

I hope that Austin will realize the importance of preservation of places and spaces that make Austin special. I want future generations to know the Austin that was, in the hopes of it making sense for the Austin that is and the Austin that will be.

My fervent hope is that Austin doesn't lose its moral compass and stays a humane place that values all its many facets and embraces diversity in all of its forms. Let Austin shine brighter as the beacon of hope for what all of Texas should be.

Brigitte Bandit, drag artist and LGBTQ+ rights activist

My hope for the new year is for more queer spaces in Austin, including making it a trans sanctuary city. Queer people have always played a major role in the culture of Austin, especially as a blue dot in a red southern state. Protecting queer spaces and people is a part of protecting the culture of Austin that we see being threatened by large corporations and businesses and anti-LGBTQ legislation.

Austin has an opportunity to protect its trans community by making it a trans sanctuary city now, protecting transgender people on a local level from the laws we see targeting them and their existence in our state government. As a native Austinite, I want to continue to see the art and communities that drew so many people here in the first place be able to thrive. Keep our queer culture alive. Protect trans people. Support local artists and businesses. And tip your drag queens!

Nancy Flores, editor and publisher of Austin Vida

It’s been a tough few years for many Austinites. In 2023, we saw the city fully transition out of pandemic mode and begin navigating many new realities. We lost some local community pillars like boxing legend Joe Vela and celebrated the launch of groundbreaking cultural initiatives like the opening of new Latino art galleries at the Blanton Museum of Art.

As we look toward a new year, my hope is that Austin taps into the power of collaboration to push the needle forward on our big ideas. Time after time, we’ve seen the resilience of our city after a tragedy or disaster strikes. But let’s not wait for the next emergency to bring us together. Let’s look ahead at all the ways community leaders, businesses, organizations and more can collaborate to create bigger change.

I’m inspired by local projects powered by partnerships such as the launch of a new bilingual mental health toolkit fueled by collaborations between the Community Action Network and the Central Texas National Alliance on Mental Illness to address a mental health crisis in the Latino community.

Let us take the hard-learned lessons from the past few years to help uplift our communities in 2024.

Tavel Bristol-Joseph and Kevin Fink, chef-partners at Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group

Bristol-Joseph: My hope for 2024 would be to continue the work that has been done in creating opportunities to maintain and exceed a livable wage based on the major inflation that we have seen in Austin.

As for guests, I'd love to see a movement in which hospitality becomes something sought after, not just good food. Our goal is to create an environment where every department (server, cooks, chefs, general managers) in every restaurant has the same value and appreciation, because they're all major ingredients in this recipe we're sharing with every guest that walks through our doors.

Fink: Austin is an incredible city that has experienced tremendous growth recently. My hope is that we continue to build something special together and keep true to what has attracted and kept all of us staying in this wonderful city. This is easier said than done, there are tons of stresses and opportunities that come from our city evolving and growing. But I hope that our community, developers, and the hospitality industry can continue to lead and innovate in a way that makes us all proud to be Austinites.

Don Bland, Chief Animal Services Officer at Austin Animal Services

We believe that pets are family and deserve all the love and security we can give them. I wish for the New Year that every pet is microchipped so that it can find its way back home if it’s ever lost. I wish that folks are able to spay or neuter their pets, and that every animal at the shelter finds its forever home.

Jazz Mills, musician and co-founder of Free Lunch ATX

My hope for Austin in 2024 is that people will stay open to more human connection. We need to remember to value each other. We are each other's greatest resource if we take the time to get to know one another. We will not be able to move forward in any direction if we stay disconnected. We talk about community all the time, but have forgotten how labor intensive it truly is to build those relationships. I hope we will put in the hard work next year. All my love!

Monica Maldonado Williams, civic leader

I've been thinking about this. My hope for the future is that we re-commit to peace. And by peace, I don't just mean a lack of conflict or a state of tranquility. I mean peace as a commitment by society to do the hard, messy work that leads to justice and protections of human rights, protection of the earth and all living things, harmony and health.

Even in Central Texas, if our ultimate goal is peace, how would our police force evolve? How would we address housing and public transportation? How would we resolve poverty and socioeconomic disparities? And how would we repair the ravages of injustice? It's trite and audacious at the same time.

Adam Orman, co-owner L'Oca d'Oro and co-founder Good Work Austin

I'd love to see more places diving into specific Middle Eastern cuisines. There are big differences between Greek, Turkish, Syrian, Lebanese, Israeli & Palestinian and we should be curious about those differences and respectful of the cultures from where they originated.

Cookie Ruiz, executive director of Ballet Austin

I recently had the opportunity to hear Kind bar CEO/Founder Daniel Lubetzky speak. In his extraordinary discussion he suggested that it is 'easy to be nice, but that it takes courage to be kind.' My greatest hope for 2024 is that we each seek the path to kindness.

My hope for 2024 is…… to see audiences for live performances continue to grow, as more Central Texans return to the theater.…to continue to encourage health and well-being through dance, as art finds way to reach deeply into lives.…to continue to witness the powerful and important community conversations initiated through the art.

Nagavalli, musician and chair of the Austin Music Commission

I envision Austin as an increasingly vibrant tapestry of arts and music that celebrates the richness of representation from all communities that live and contribute to our shared collective story here, where a diverse diaspora increasingly becomes an integral part of the city's mainstream music and arts scene. As Austin grows, my hope is that avenues for music and arts not only sustain, but also evolve and grow alongside the evolving and growing Austin landscape.

I hope we foster collaboration among diverse musicians and music stakeholders across Austin and neighboring counties in a manner that would amplify our creative landscape, with shared and enhanced resources propelling the industry forward.

Looking ahead, let's further streamline the music and arts city hotel occupancy tax grants processes to ensure enhanced accessibility and increased participation from artists in the 2024 rollouts, building on the lessons-learnt as well as on the successes of the 2023 pilot programs.

May Austin bid farewell to snowmageddons in 2024!

Lenny Dewi, Asian cuisine expert and Instagrammer @eats_and_noods

I have lived in Austin since 2002 and have seen the Asian food scene here grow. In 2024, I would hope to see a dim sum restaurant open in Austin. One that has push carts and with different variety of dim sum items like New Fortune. Also, I would love to see other Asian cuisines grow, such as Burmese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Indonesian and more. I grew up in Singapore for 8 years and miss the hawker center. Not sure if that service model would work, but that will be a dream.

Amanda Johnston, 2024 Texas State Poet Laureate, founder and director of Torch Literary Arts

In 2024, I hope to see Austin continue to grow as a literary city with more opportunities and inclusive programs for BIPOC adults who want to nurture their writing careers. As the 2024 Poet Laureate of Texas and founder of Torch Literary Arts, I'm committed to working with our local community to make the Texas capital a place that values and centers marginalized voices in the new year and beyond.

Jane Claire Hervey, working artist and creative director of Future Front Texas

In 2024, I hope Austin moves from a state of existentialism into a collective remembering. If we can remember who we've been, who we are, what we stand for and why we're here, we'll never become a cultural donut, or simply a polite welcome banner for new Texas residents. I think we've got it in us. So, I look forward to witnessing what grows here like I always have.

Bob Bursey, executive and artistic director of Texas Performing Arts

After a year of blockbuster big name tours, I’m excited to see folks also take a risk on less well-known artists and shows in 2024. There are going to be great performances next year from incredible talents you might not have heard of. And I hope that as Austin continues to grow, everyone will support our arts organizations so they can do the kind of exciting work a city of our size deserves.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What Austin artists, community leaders hope for in 2024