RACC Press Releases

After nearly a seven-year freeze on the creation of large-scale community murals because of sign code regulations in the City of Portland, the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is pleased to launch a new and highly anticipated Public Art Murals Program. All murals proposed for outdoor public spaces in the City of Portland must now be approved by RACC. In addition, muralists may apply for public funds to assist with the creation of their murals. Guidelines and applications are available online at http://www.racc.org/murals, and are due April 5, May 3, and June 3, 2005.

Prior to 1998, the City of Portland exempted murals from the size limitations of the City’s sign code, which bans anything larger than 200 square feet. That exemption was challenged in court, forcing the City to regulate murals as signs, virtually banning large-scale community mural projects. After over a year of collaborative planning with community residents, local artists, and legal counsel, the Portland City Council voted in December 2004 to oversee the selection of murals through the City’s Public Art Program, managed by RACC, instead of regulating them through the City’s sign code.

Through this new program, a mural of any size can be proposed as long as the mural belongs to the public – murals may be painted on publicly owned buildings and on walls that a property owner has donated to the City through an easement. Public art murals will not be approved on historic landmarks nor in historic districts until RACC and the Landmarks Commission agree upon a review process that best serves the public’s interest in these unique structures and areas.

A building owner can choose to pay the entire cost of a mural as negotiated with an artist, but public funding is also available for mural projects that demonstrate community support through a cash or in-kind match. Artists may request up to $15,000 in matching funds for such projects. Portland City Council has allocated approximately $45,000 to RACC to help pay for about five to ten murals through June 2005, and RACC has requested an additional $50,000 for more community mural matching funds in FY05-06.

Like other RACC-administered public art programs, proposed murals will be reviewed by the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC), a standing RACC committee that meets monthly and is responsible for all aspects of the city’s public art program. Committee members include artists, arts advocates, arts professionals, and a representative from the City’s Design Commission.

RACC is working to make the application and selection process as streamlined as possible. Artists interested in proposing large-scale murals should follow these steps:

Through vision, leadership and service the Regional Arts & Culture Council works to integrate arts and culture in all aspects of community life.
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