City of Austin's Art in Public Places Program Honored with IAP2 USA Project of the Year Award for "Absolute Equality: Unity Tunnel"

The Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment’s (ACME) Art in Public Places (AIPP) program has been awarded the 2026 IAP2 USA Core Values Award: Project of the Year for Creativity and Innovation for the public artwork Absolute Equality: Unity Tunnel, a new iconic public artwork by Texas artist Reginald Adams. The award recognizes public participation projects that demonstrate highly innovative, creative tools and techniques for meaningfully engaging communities; an achievement the judges noted AIPP and Adams exemplified at every step of the Unity Tunnel process. 

Spanning the Pleasant Valley Road underpass at Lady Bird Lake, Unity Tunnel represents more than a major artistic transformation of a 160‑foot public space. It stands as a model for inclusive and culturally responsive engagement, shaped by more than 250 Austin residents over a year and a half of collaborative design and artmaking. Participants ranged in age from 5 to over 65, with approximately 68% living in the immediate neighborhood and having lived in Austin anywhere from 1 year to more than 50 years. Many were first-time contributors to public art. 

The IAP2 judges highlighted the project’s innovative use of sound baths, quiet reflection and guided meditation to build trust and create culturally appropriate spaces for community voice, an approach they described as both unique and deeply effective. They noted that community enthusiasm “went above and beyond decision-making and led to their investment into the artmaking,” resulting in physical contributions literally embedded into the final artwork.  

“Unity Tunnel exemplifies what is possible when public participation is treated as a creative, collaborative, culturally responsive practice,” said Angela Means, ACME Director. “Austin residents shaped this artwork’s stories, symbols, materials, and even helped fabricate it. The result is not just a tunnel transformed, but a community strengthened.” 

The IAP2 Core Values Awards honor projects that reflect international best practices in public participation. AIPP and Adams’ engagement process aligned with all seven IAP2 Core Values, including ensuring meaningful public influence, engaging equity-driven demographics, and transparently demonstrating how community input shaped decisions. 

AIPP and Adams were recognized at the IAP2 North American Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 1, 2026. Unity Tunnel was also recently selected as the 2026 CODAworx Winner for Best Collaboration. 

About “Absolute Equality: Unity Tunnel” 
“Absolute Equality: Unity Tunnel” transforms the 160-foot-long underpass beneath Pleasant Valley Road at Lady Bird Lake into an iconic public artwork, highlighting Austin's culture and heritage heard directly from the voices of over 250 Austin residents.  

The artwork masterfully features over 689,000 vibrant hand-laid tiles that make up the 1,000 square-foot mosaic mural, over 1,000 square feet of custom flagstone and 3,000 square feet of a painted ceiling mural. The artwork is by Texas artist, Reginald C. Adams, a visionary public artist and community developer whose work has woven art and civic life together for over 30 years. 
 
About Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment 
Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME) is committed to fostering a vibrant, inclusive creative ecosystem that celebrates and supports Austin's artists, musicians, entertainment venues, and cultural institutions. ACME is a centralized hub offering resources, funding opportunities, and strategic programs that promote local talent and drive economic growth.