Murals creating controversy in Corvallis, Oregon

“If an artist is getting paid and it’s promoting art, I love it.”   Jennifer Moreland of the Corvallis Mural Project.

The Corvallis Gazette reports that murals have become a regulatory issue in Corvallis.  A citizens group called Call to Balance has painted nine murals in downtown Corvallis.  The project originated when a supervisor in the public works department asked if the group could put a mural on the back wall of a building.

Overall Murals got in the act by putting up the mural on the right to promote the Overwatch video game.

Now the city planners are deciding if they needs to adopt regulations or to start requiring sign permits for murals.  The city seems to be taking the approach that non-commercial murals are OK but commercial murals aren’t.

Insider’s take: “If an artist is getting paid and it’s promoting art, I love it.”  We couldn’t agree more.  Insider can’t recall a mural which has made a cityscape worse, even if it’s an advertisement.  Look at the work of Overall Murals or Colossal Media.   More cities out to bring energy and stimulation to their downtown core by permitting murals on old buildings.

[wpforms id=”9787″]


Paid Advertisement

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

One Comment

  1. I’d like to submit a few clarifications for accuracy:

    “The Corvallis Gazette reports that murals have become a regulatory issue in Corvallis.”
    There is not a regulatory issue, but the GT is trying to stir up community conversation about commercial murals.

    “A citizens group called Call to Balance has painted nine murals in downtown Corvallis.”
    Call to Balance is the name of the latest mural featuring a Heron. The group coordinating the murals is called Corvallis Mural Project.

    “The project originated when a supervisor in the public works department asked if the group could put a mural on the back wall of a building.”
    Corvallis Public Works has had nothing to do with the murals or the Mural Project. However, the City owns the parking lot adjacent to the latest mural, Call to Balance. A Public Works supervisor did contact the Corvallis Mural Project and stated that they planned on revamping the planter at the edge of the parking lot and next to a big blank wall, and asked if the Mural Project was interested in putting up a mural before the replanting work was done. The Mural Project then coordinated with private property owner (of the building), SP&B Printing, and commissioned a local artist for the project. It was more of a heads-up from Public Works that this good space for a mural was about to become much more difficult to work around with river rock and tall grasses.

    It’s a beautiful mural and an all around gift to the community by SP&B Printing.