Response to a mural painted on the side of a North Augusta business could be the start of art popping up in more places than the downtown area.
North Augusta councilmembers voted June 20 in favor of a revision to the city’s sign ordinance. It will allow approved murals in public areas. It previously restricted murals to the downtown area defined as from Georgia Avenue at Spring Grove Avenue down to Riverside Village.
“So, this particular amendment is to specifically define what murals are, public art is, and to allow in “P” zoning, public zoning, whereas it currently is downtown. So, it expands the number of locations where public art and murals can be placed,” said Assistant City Administrator Rachelle Moody.
Proposals would first have to be submitted for review by the five members of the Mural Design Review Board.
The board was created, and members named during the Feb. 7 council meeting, which is also when the first mural was approved.
Coordinator for the board is La’Stacia Reese of the city’s Planning and Development Department, which must also approve any design and location. The members are Jennifer Elliot, a member of the Downtown Merchant’s Alliance Design Committee; Garland Gooden, board member of the Arts and Heritage Center, Jeannine Steinkuhl of the Crowne Plaza and Avery Spears-Mahoney, executive director of North Augusta Forward.
“I think that’s helpful to have, people from different facets of the community come together to determine the direction I guess of what that should look like and feel like within the community,” she said, adding the broad cross-section of the community is especially beneficial. “That’s what I think is most important, including folks and then people from the arts community that have a different perspective that they bring to the table that is definitely necessary for when you’re planning what this should look like long term.”
The first mural approved followed a request from Mel Lambert, owner of The Beveled Edge, asking permission to have a mural painted on the side of the building at 526 Georgia Ave. Painted by artist known as billy s, the mural is on the Spring Grove Avenue side of the building.
Mayor Briton Williams said the decision to expand the areas approved for murals and public art came out of a recent Public Power Hour, prior to a council meeting.
“A gentleman came to us and shared his idea; It was something we hadn’t thought about. Because of that, we were able to take the idea, look at it and work at it through the planning commission and now we’re able to do some change for the better,” he said.
Spears-Mahoney said she thinks this expansion of approved areas for murals and public art was inevitable.
“I think that public art is, you know, people want to see that throughout the community, not just in one general area. So, I think that as it’s appropriate in different spaces, that’s a very positive way to display art in your community and tell the story of the community through art.
She also believes public art can help draw tourists to North Augusta.
“When you’re talking about preserving downtown or revitalizing downtown or redeveloping downtown, whatever way you want to look at that, it all boils down to providing experiences for people and making them feel that sense of place when they come to downtown and make memories in downtown,” she said. So, the art is a part of that, for sure. I do think it’s important for the art to have purpose and help tell the story.”
Mural applications must first be submitted to the planning and development department by mail, email or in person and include a color sketch of the proposed mural along with the proposed location. If Reese approves the application at the department level, it then goes to the review board.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
