''Keep Austin Weird'' is the

slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...

adopted by the

Austin Independent Business Alliance Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) is an organization of independent business, independent, locally owned firms in Austin, Texas and is composed of over 300 member businesses. It was started in 2002 by several local businesses and citizens ...

to promote small businesses in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

. It is intended to promote local businesses and is inspired by comments made by Red Wassenich in 2000 while giving a pledge to an Austin radio station. He later began printing bumper stickers and operated the website keepaustinweird.com until his death in 2020 and published ''Keep Austin Weird: A Guide to the Odd Side of Town''. Despite a challenge from Wassenich, the slogan was later trademarked by Outhouse Designs and used to market

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a ''crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are general ...

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

s, and

mug A mug is a type of cup typically used for drinking hot drinks, such as coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Mugs usually have handles and hold a larger amount of fluid than other types of cup. Typically, a mug holds approximately of liquid. A mug i ...

s. Other cities have since mimicked the nickname, including Portland in 2003, Louisville in 2005, and Indianapolis in 2013. A 2010 book on the topic, '' Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas'', discusses the cultural evolution of the "Keep Austin Weird" movement as well as its commercialization and socio-political significance. The origins of Austin's unique culture have been claimed to be the product of unusually cheap housing prices following the end of a housing boom in the 1980s, combined with the location of the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

in the city. The Austin Independent Business Alliance is among at least 85 community organizations affiliated with the

American Independent Business Alliance The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of local independent businesses, helps communities develop strong local economies through nurturing local entrepreneurs, and promotes citi ...

, a national non-profit that supports and connects pro-local community-based organizations.

Gallery

File:Leslie Cochran 1.jpg, Beloved Austin local

Leslie Cochran Albert Leslie Cochran (June 24, 1951March 8, 2012) was an American homeless man, peace activist, cross-dresser, urban outdoorsman, and outspoken critic of police treatment of the homeless. Cochran was known in Austin as Leslie. Cochran was consi ...

File:Cathedral of junk austin.jpg, Cathedral of Junk File:TMI castle austin 2014.jpg, HOPE Outdoor gallery File:Taco express austin.jpg, Maria's Taco Xpress restaurant File:South austin museum of popular culture.jpg, South Austin Museum of Popular Culture File:Hi How Are You Austin 2005.jpg, Daniel Johnston's ''

Hi, How Are You ''Hi, How Are You: The Unfinished Album'' is the sixth self-released music cassette album by singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, recorded in September 1983. The subtitle refers to the length of the album; Johnston had intended for it to be an h ...

'' mural

References

External links

* {{Austin Slogans Culture of Austin, Texas Economy of Austin, Texas Small business Anti-corporate activism

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See also

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Further reading

External links