For us the ordinance is really clear:  no commercial logos or messages, or it has to be permitted as a sign. In fact, the ordinance says no text at all except the artist’s name as a signature.  Enforcement is the issue, though, and relies on someone who knows the ordinance asking questions.  If it’s in a historic district or the city center it will typically get enforced, because there is a city agency issuing permits, and if there is a zoning variance requested for other aspects of the property, but in the outer reaches, where there is less oversight and less attention paid to process, there are plenty of murals that push the envelope into sign territory.  

I always think that an effort to alert artists would help:  education as to what would and would not be a sign so that in trying to please the client, the artists don’t inadvertently get them in trouble or have their hard work removed. Yet another thing on my LONG list of things to do.

Julia Muney Moore
Director of Public Art

Arts Council of Indianapolis
924 N. Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN  46204
o (317) 631-3301 x240
m (317) 332-8382
e jmoore@indyarts.org





On Aug 8, 2018, at 9:54 AM, Pierson, Jeff <Jeff.Pierson@cityofcharleston.org> wrote:

I know this question is a tough one but here in Charleston we are facing a lot of issues with new mural commissions.  Private business owners are commissioning artists to paint murals on their buildings.  Some of the design concepts have included commercial message.  Our sign ordinance as it stands does not allow murals to include commercial message and when they do they must conform to size requirements applied to a sign.
 
I am curious how other city governments handle this issue and what your experience has been.
 
Thanks
Jeff 
 
 
 
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Jeff Pierson  | Director of Public Art
915 Quarrier Street, Suite 2
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304-541-9284
Fax: 304-348-8157
 
 

 

 
 

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