At the Jan. 31 study session North Augusta City Council members learned the city has received its first application to install a mural downtown.
The city had modified its code related to signage and the new language allows murals in the downtown area a couple of years ago.
“Because this is our first application, we’re having you all as council review the application,” said Assistant City Administrator Rachelle Moody. “It also includes a rendering of what the mural will look like. This is here for you all to say yay or nay.”
The first application came from Mel Lambert, owner of The Beveled Edge, 526 Georgia Ave.
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If approved at the Feb. 7 regular council meeting, the mural will be painted on the Spring Grove Avenue side of the building that faces Grace United Methodist Church.
“Has the church seen this?” asked Councilwoman Pat Carpenter. “It almost looks like to me peace brother. I guess it goes back to the 70s day, you know with their peace signs and to me when I first see that that’s a peace brother.”
City Attorney Kelly Zier said, “With any mural you’re dealing with art, you’re dealing with First Amendment, freedom of speech, and you’re dealing with censorship. And that’s why I would suggest to council, the sooner you can get this to a committee to decide on.”
Council will also be asked to approve a resolution appointing a five-member Mural Design Review Board.
“It also outlines the application process the review criteria that the design board will utilize and then the process for approving it also does outline certain things that are not allowable, for example, explicit language or images, that sort of thing,” said Moody.
Murals have long been an attraction in downtown Augusta. The website for the Greater Augusta Arts Council lists 24 murals in the city. It also includes an “honorary mention” for a 25th mural, one located on the Sno-Cap Drive In on West Avenue in North Augusta.
“We worked hard to help everyone in the area to understand that public art is an asset, both for community engagement and economic development,” said Pax Bobrow, project manager of the arts council. “We have not done a survey of downtown business owners about murals, but the owner of Laziza’s, Nader Khatib, sent us an email stating, ‘The mural has brought more customers and foot traffic’ in regard to the James Brown tribute mural across from his restaurant. Of course, the owner of the building where the James Brown mural enthusiastically embraced the creation of the mural on his building, as a way to raise the public esteem for his property.”
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The Greater Augusta Arts Council has a seven-member public art advisory panel providing guidance on any decision before the application is recommended to the city for art on public property or using public money.
The Augusta arts council has a webpage with information on the guidelines for public art. https://augustaarts.com/creating-public-art/ The page includes a downloadable guide to assist people through the process.
Also during the North Augusta council meeting, Mayor Briton Williams anticipates providing an update on the river event proposed for later this year.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
