Some major news occurred this past week in the broader Austin creative community that I wanted to share in case some folks hadn’t yet heard.
Malin, the Pease Park Troll
This friendly, neighborhood troll burned to the ground in the early morning hours last Thursday. It was built primarily with recycled materials through the work of over 150 volunteers (maybe some from within our community) as well as contributions from our friends at Harvest Lumber. It was a massive work of community art that brought joy to a lot of people and is very sad to see gone.
We reached out Pease Park Conservancy to offer our condolences and connect on potential ways our community can help if/when a rebuild occurs. They have a bit they need to determine for next steps, but will be in touch when they know more. @smartin is leading up the maker support in Asmbly for this effort. Please reach out to him if you’re interested in being a part.
Peelander-Z, Austin’s most creative joyful punk band
This band is one of the best embodiments of Keep Austin Weird and a creative treasure to our city on multiple fronts. Their act is full of brightly colored custom costumes and art, with an endless commitment to bringing joy and smiles to anyone they encounter. Kengo (aka Peelander Yellow) is the head of the band and a prolific artist whose work you’ve likely seen even if you didn’t know it. If you’ve been around Asmbly/ATXHS long enough, it’s possible you’ve seen Peelander Yellow at the space cutting out custom shapes to paint.
Last week, the band was in a major accident with an 18-wheeler while on tour. All three members were critically injured and have a long road to recovery ahead. If you’re interested in reading more about how they’re doing and how you can help support, please check out their GoFundMe.
Peelander-Z at Headhunters SxSW 2010
