By Adam Hodges, Fayette County Extension Agent 

Look around the next time you walk down your town’s Main Street, and see if you can spot any murals on buildings and walls. You may find more than you realize once you really begin searching. While we often pass by murals without giving them a second thought, they generally hold great meaning and value for the people in the town, and creating them is a rewarding and challenging process (Lampe and Grinberg, 2013). 

A mural can be a great first project for community beautification. It is a bold, visible reminder to the community that good things are happening, and people care about their community. This kind of fun project can also be a great way to get additional volunteers engaged in your ongoing efforts. While the process may seem complicated to the uninitiated, success is well within reach.

First, begin by trying to see your community with a fresh set of eyes. Look closely, and imagine what someone seeing your town for the first time might see. Carefully consider what that first impression might be. Generally, for your first mural it is best to focus on the entrances or “gateways” to your community. If at all possible, consider choosing a building within this zone.

Once an appropriate gateway location has been identified, there are a number of things to consider. Is the building wall in a condition that would lend itself to the application of a mural? Generally, brick or block walls are best, and stucco surfaces could also be used. Buildings with lap siding, whether metal or wood, can pose difficulty and limit the options for types of murals because of the dimensional nature of the surface. The condition of the wall is very important, since walls with damage must be repaired, and loose paint or stucco could cause future wear and damage to your finished mural. Selecting a wall in relatively good condition will lessen the cost of the mural, so pick wisely. Scraping off old paint, wire brushing or power washing may be necessarily to thoroughly clean the wall (Williams, n.d.)

If there are no buildings that seem to be appropriate, due to location or condition, do not lose hope. Wood panels, sized 4x8, can be attached to building walls or mounted on posts in open spaces, and murals can be applied to these surfaces. Location is important since you want to create a positive first impression in your community.

Once you have identified a highly visible wall or space in your gateway area that is in relatively good condition, you will need to approach the property owner with the concept of having a mural installed. An uncooperative building owner may force you to look for other options, but thankfully this kind of dramatic improvement in the community will be a benefit to that property owner, and most owners will be receptive to the idea. Once a property owner is willing to proceed with planning a mural, it is best to work together to produce an agreement, which could take the form of an easement, to assure that the mural will remain on the building as long as possible. 

Now that you have a location and the permission of the property owner, you can begin to design the mural itself. From the start, it is best to work with a professional artist. Whether a member of the community or someone contracted from outside the area, a professional artist will ensure that your mural is visually pleasing and designed in a way that can be accomplished by the community. It is important in such a grand statement as a public mural that the design is consistent and follows good design principles, and that it is “doable” by local volunteers. Especially if this is the group’s first mural, an attainable project that has a professional look is of paramount importance.

Under the artist’s advisement, consider things such as a monochromatic palate, not blending individual colors with one another but letting each color stand alone as a separate “shape.” These things will allow for numerous volunteers to work on the project while creating a consistency overall. As far as subject matter goes, if the mural is to be a community project, then it should be reflective of the community. One way to accomplish that is to find an old or historic photograph from the community that can be enlarged and simplified into a few separate tones or colors.

The most important part of any public arts project is location, and it could not be truer than with the public mural. If you choose carefully, you will make a great first impression on and give the community a source of pride and starting point for more successful community projects to come.

References
Lampe, T. & Grinberg, E. (2013). CNN Instagram challenge: The stories behind public murals. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/living/cnn-instagram-mural-stories/.
Williams, B. (n.d.). Techniques of community murals. Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.cpag.net/guide/2/2_pages/2_1.htm.