Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator (AVAI), is an art and public interest design initiative in Market Square, the center of Historic Downtown Brownsville, TX. This program created a viable means for artists to thrive in a region where attaining basic needs can be a struggle, by providing a catalytic hub for Downtown Brownsville and the arts, creating a platform for artistic production and collaboration between artists and the community. AVAI began in Spring 2016 and was produced and curated by [bc] in partnership with the City of Brownsville.