The Norman Arts Council and the Norman Public Art Committee announced the 2024 Mural Incentive Program on Thursday with the goal to enhance the cultural landscape of Norman.
According to a Norman Arts Council press release, this program will match funds of up to $10,000 to business owners who want to invest in a mural on the exterior of their space.
The idea came to Cody Giles, chair of the Norman Public Art committee, when he was driving around Downtown Norman. He took photos of the blank spaces on the walls and published them on Facebook with captions asking how great the walls would look with a mural on them.
Giles received several responses, including one from Ward 8 Councilmember Matt Peacock, who asked how the city could help make something happen.
“After a conversation, we had a plan, and that plan turned into this incentive program after a generous pilot program of funding from the city,” Giles said in the release.
According to the release, murals must be located in the city limits and highly visible to the general public. Submitters can apply for 1 to 1 matching funds of up to $10,000, making it possible for significant public murals to give new life to walls across the city.
Nonprofit organizations and entities are exempt from matching funds unless the project budget exceeds $10,000.
Submitters can choose the mural artist they want or look through the Pre-Qualified Mural Artist Pool, highlighting three dozen Oklahoma mural artists, or use the Norman Arts Council to manage a call for proposals for the intended mural site.
The funding requirements not only have a vested interest in the process but also guarantee that artists are properly paid and supported. This includes minimum of payment per square foot and design fees to artists.
“The spirit of the incentive program is to not just get murals up on blank walls, but to get more artists paid, and paid better,” Giles said in release. “The Public Arts Committee intentionally created the requirement that an artist must make at least $25 per square foot in order to be close to the national average for such projects.”
Applications for funding will be reviewed on a rolling basis with no set deadline. There is limited funding available, though, so interested applicants are encouraged to submit as soon as possible, the release said.
With a positive response from local business owners, artists and the community at large, the program will become a regular fixture and spur the creation of more murals across Norman, according to the release.
“I am really excited to see this be successful and have this pilot program be something that is re-upped each year,” Giles said in the release. “Public art is so important for a city’s identity as well as its artistic expression. The Public Arts Committee welcomes the public to join us in our efforts of creating more, future public art opportunities.”
This story was edited by Taylor Jones. Avery Avery copy edited this story.
