Chapter 17.51
MURALS
Sections:
17.51.010 Project description—History.
17.51.030 Application requirements.
17.51.010 Project description—History.
A. The works of one of the city’s most famous citizens—photographer Darius Kinsey—was the original inspiration for the Sedro-Woolley mural project. The first few murals painted on the exterior walls of buildings were replicas of actual photos taken by Darius Kinsey. The original photos are typically printed in sepia-tone colors or black and white. It was found that using the subtle sepia colors in the replicas resulted in very lifelike pictures that are eye-catching from a distance and intriguing to study at close range. Soon other merchants in the city became enthused about the murals and desired murals on their buildings. Thus a project was born.
B. The guidelines adopted within this chapter were developed in cooperation with the city design review committee, planning commission, and interested citizens, and are intended to provide a framework to insure an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive project that will be a source of community pride for years to come. This requires that minimum standards addressing basic issues, such as size, colors, content, advertising allowance, and professionalism be established. While these standards may exclude some proposed projects in favors of others, there is no intent to discriminate in favor or against any particular artist, or exclude authentic representations of historical events, people, or community life that are part of the history of Sedro Woolley.
C. A number of building walls have been identified as possible mural locations. It is anticipated that the content of these murals will be derived from either Kinsey photos, or photos taken during the same era (1890-1930). When several murals are completed, a brochure of the project will be developed to include a map showing where the murals are located, an explanation of each mural, and additional information about the history of the area, the historic buildings in the city, and other points of interest. This brochure will be updated periodically as the project matures. It is intended that this brochure will be used as a promotional tool for the city. (Ord. 1072 § 2 (Exh. A § 3.11.01), 1989)
17.51.020 Purpose.
The “Pictures from the Past” mural project is undertaken as a joint effort by the citizens of Sedro-Woolley, the chamber of commerce, and the city’s planning commission and council, and is intended to serve the following purposes:
A. Acknowledge and celebrate the history of the city and the surrounding area in a visually appealing manner;
B. Provide support for the historic theme adopted for the downtown business area;
C. Provide information and enjoyment to visitors and residents of the community;
D. Provide a sense of community identity through recognition of the diverse elements of community life, history, industry, and folk lore that contribute to the unique character of Sedro-Woolley and Skagit County;
E. Encourage participation of various businesses in a cohesive and tangible project that will have lasting value to the city; and
F. Promote and encourage out-of-town visitor interest in the city as a tourist destination. (Ord. 1072 § 2 (Exh. A § 3.11.02), 1989)
17.51.030 Application requirements.
An application for a wall mural shall include the following information:
A. Name and address of the person or business paying for the mural;
B. Name and address of the artist;
C. Location of the proposed mural, including address of building, and the location and size of the wall of the building to be painted;
D. Photo to be replicated, and date and location of photo, or rendering of the proposed mural adequate to accurately depict the content of the mural. If a rendering is provided, historical documentation of the authenticity of the scene shall be required.
E. Written description of the proposal addressing the standards of this ordinance. (Ord. 1072 § 2 (Exh. A § 3.11.03), 1989)
17.51.040 Procedures.
An application for a wall mural shall be reviewed per Chapter 15.44, Design Review, and incorporate the standards in this chapter. (Ord. 2032-22 § 15, 2023; Ord. 1072 § 2 (Exh. A § 3.11.04), 1989)
17.51.050 Standards.
A mural proposal shall be reviewed and approved or denied based on the following standards:
A. Subject Matter—Photo Replicas. Murals shall be replicas of photographs taken between 1890 and 1930. A suggested source is the Darius Kinsey collection. The subject of murals should relate to one or more of the following themes:
1. Logging industry in and around Sedro-Woolley;
2. Railroad shipping or passenger operations in Skagit County;
3. River shipping or passenger operations in Skagit County;
4. Early community life of the city;
5. Significant events which took place during the era;
6. Other subject matter related to the era and Skagit County area, as approved by the planning commission;
B. Subject Matter Alternative. As an alternative to replicating a photo, the following is also acceptable:
1. Recreation of an authentic historic event using available documents and written accounts as sources. Such events should be those which occurred between 1890 and 1930.
2. A collage of pictures following a theme, such as the evolution of logging methods, or illustrating the fashions of the era, or other similar themes associated with the history of the area.
3. Mural maps of the city, or of early railroad and/or logging operations, or similar geographical information.
C. Subject Matter—Unacceptable. To protect the integrity of the project, the general welfare of the city and citizens therein, the following may not be considered acceptable subject matter for a mural:
1. Pictures not related to the 1890-1930 era;
2. Pictures not related to the city or county area;
3. Pictures depicting completely fictional events with no documentation of authenticity;
4. Pictures depicting recognizable people from the past out of true context. (This does not exclude depicting people from the present in pictures of the era, if done with the consent of the person represented.)
5. Pictures or representations which violate any state law.
D. Colors. Murals shall be painted in sepia-toned colors. This coloration is consistent with the color of photos taken during the era, and gives a realistic touch to the work. Sepia also works well with the brick surfaces and color tones of the city, provides a strong cohesive design element to the project as a whole, and creates an historical mood. Use of sepia colors will be less likely to create a cluttered or “billboard” effect, and will insure that the mural project does not detract from the historical character and theme of the downtown business district. Use of sepia tones will reduce the overall cost of maintaining the murals. Limiting the project to sepia tones also eliminates the difficulty of determining authenticity of colors and eliminates a potential subjective decision that must be made by the review committee and planning commission.
E. Color. Exceptions. The planning commission may grant exceptions allowing the use of other colors under the following circumstances:
1. Paint samples of the true colors to be used are provided with the application, plus supporting evidence that the proposed colors are authentic and/or appropriate for the subject matter. Preference will be given to colors which are subtle in tone;
2. The use of colors will not detract from any historic structure, or group of structures; and
3. Either:
a. The mural is to be located outside of the central business district; or,
b. Only a portion of the mural is to be painted in other colors, as an accent against the sepia background, to highlight some element of the picture for advertising or other purposes, subject to the requirements of subsection G of this section below; or
c. The mural is to be placed on a nonhistoric building as a major design feature.
F. Scale. The photo or rendering shall be reproduced at a scale large enough to cover the wall on which it is to be placed. As much as possible, larger than life-size scale should be attained.
G. Acknowledgements—Advertising. All murals shall be signed by the artist. In addition, up to one percent of the mural area may be used to acknowledge the person, organization, or business commissioning the mural. If a specific business identification for the business occupying the building is incorporated into the mural, the portion of the mural dedicated to such identification shall be applied toward the maximum square footage allowance for signs for that business under Chapter 17.40.
H. Credentials. The design review committee may request a portfolio and other credentials of the artist to insure that all murals will be of a professional quality. (Ord. 1072 § 2 (Exh. A § 2 (Exh. A § 3.11.05), 1989)