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More than 120 students at the McCallum Fine Arts Academy spent the school year turning individual ceramic pieces into a public sculpture—”Mosaic of Minds”—now installed at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center.

The details: The sculpture is made up of 100 ceramic heads stacked on large forms covered in glass mosaic tiles. 

Each face on the sculpture is different—some expressive, some abstract, some realistic—representing the range of experiences and emotions within the school community.

What they’re saying: "Every individual matters, and together we create something larger than ourselves," the students said at the unveiling. 

Academy students hope the sculpture will spark conversations about mental health for generations.

Austin could partner with Capital Metro and Travis County to expand fare-free voting availability around this fall's general election.

The details: CapMetro typically suspends transit fares on Election Day in even-numbered years, which a transportation agency spokesperson said can "simplify operations and maximize access" when voter turnout is highest.

In an effort to broaden voting access, City Council recently supported a request to extend fare-free offerings to early voting days leading up to the election. The service expansion was first proposed by Austin's African American Resource Advisory Commission in April before securing council approval in late May.

Going forward: With council's recent approval, the city will now work with CapMetro and Travis County on possible extra free-fare days for this fall. CapMetro typically generates between $50,000-$75,000 from fares on an average day. The agency spokesperson said more review will be needed before any final decisions on added fare-free dates.

The latest data from Unlock MLS shows signs that the housing market is ticking up in Central Texas, with higher year-over-year home sales and homes selling closer to their original listing price.

The details: Representing the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area, or MSA, the data released May 12 shows residential home sales increased 2% year over year in April for the MSA, reaching 2,648. That's the highest number of monthly home sales so far this year, up from a 0.5% year-over-year increase in March and decreases in both January and February. 

“What stands out in April’s data is the shift in buyer psychology and overall market momentum," said Vaike O’Grady, market research advisor at Unlock MLS, in a news release. "Many buyers who had been delaying their home search took advantage of the temporary dip in mortgage rates we saw earlier this year and moved quickly once conditions became more manageable."

Increasing pending and closed sales point to a market where buyers are "stepping into the market with more urgency," O'Grady said.

A new apartment complex in Bee Cave, an EMS station in Bastrop and improvements to the Graham Middle School athletic field are among the five most expensive projects filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Austin metro this week.

1. Twin Oaks Ridge ($29.5 million): Twin Oaks Ridge is a privately funded, $29.5 million mixed-use and leasing development spanning 175,000 square feet.

2. Leah Ave Industrial Building ($18.5 million): This project involves the construction of an 87,306 square-foot ground-up industrial building.

3. New EMS Station for Bastrop County ESD ($2.5 million): The project will consist of an approximately 6,000 square-foot single-story metal building consisting of apparatus bays, day room, kitchen, fitness room, living quarters, restrooms, and associated site amenities.

4. 24 Indoor ($2.3 million): This project is a 20,898 square-foot Interior renovation to create an indoor recreational facility geared towards children.

5. Grisham MS Athletic Field and Field House ($1.98 million): This project involves the conversion of an existing practice field to artificial turf.