When Charlie Parr returned to his hometown of Austin to headline the Caravan du Nord show at the Paramount Theatre on Oct.11, 2013, he told the Herald he was happy to chat with a group of Austin residents who were working to grow a vibrant art scene in Austin.

“It’s people that care enough that say, ‘I’m staying here; I’m going to make this the place the place that I want to live.’ I think that’s amazing; I really do. I’m really gratified by that, and I’m glad that it’s my hometown that’s doing that,” Parr told the Herald.

Parr is one of several people with Austin ties set to showcase his talent at the third annual Austin ArtWorks Festival Aug. 23 and 24, and Austin’s blossoming arts scene is sure inspire many more creative-minded people.

The ArtWorks Festival is a grand collection of Austin talent, and it’s a bug that’s sure to catch and spread in the community. The festival boasts no shortage of talent with Austin ties: artist Eric Anfinson, Shannon Frid-Rubin of Cloud Cult, the Hanson family in Full Circle, author Julie Kramer, musician Trace Bundy, and musician Joshua Whalen, and many more.

As Austin prepares to come together to celebrate it’s current art scene and its historical roots, it’s fitting to think about what’s to come.

Austin will soon have a place to help people hone their brand of art: The Austin ArtWorks Center. Outside the festival, which is only one weekend each year, the center will serve as a hub for people to share and grow their talents year-round. One of many focuses for the Austin ArtWorks Center will be to provide education opportunities to Austin children and students.

Furthermore, Austin’s arts scene is proving to be inclusive rather than exclusive. Just look at the Spare Arts Bike Show. It’s a new idea that proved successful this spring, and one that some artistic communities may not have embraced.

Indeed art is contagious, and surely the festival and center will inspire many artists of all ages to take their art to the next level.