Where did the ‘atx’ sign go?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austinites may notice an iconic 3D sculpture missing as they are driving down North Lamar Boulevard and Fifth Street.

The iconic ‘atx’ sign was removed earlier this month and was replaced with a 2D sign with a note written behind it from the City of Austin, saying it needed a “restorative vacation,” according to a news release from Ion Art Inc.

The 3D sign was created in 2017 by Ion Art and Whole Foods Market “to enforce a feeling of place in the city,” according to Ion Art.

Whole Foods Market later dedicated the sculpture to the city and “is now a must-visit spot whenever one is in town,” the release said.

The last touch-up for the sculpture was back in 2019, and that is when “Whole Foods Market decided the “atx” was due for a spa day, so they reached out to Ion Art to make it happen,” according to Ion Art.

Ion Art said the letters will be reinstalled at the end of the month.

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