Advocacy

Part of The NOLA Mural Project is advocating for reform of the outdated, unconstitutional ordinances that restrict what an artist can paint on her private property.   

The existing New Orleans City code requires an artist who wants to paint a mural on private property to pay a $500 mural permit fee and submit to a multi-month review process that involves multiple applications and numerous bureaucratic reviews by various boards, committees, and commissions. It is so bad the American Civil Liberties Union sued the City of New Orleans in March of 2018 stating, “Forcing artists and their patrons to get permission from the government, pay exorbitant fees, and navigate an obscure bureaucratic process before they can express themselves on their own property is a totally unnecessary trampling of their First Amendment rights.”  

Click here to sign the Change.org petition that calls on the Mayor and City Council to adopt a reasonable, constitutional process for issuing permits for murals on private property.

Mural Ordinance Reform means specific things…

For any non-commercial mural where the artist is the owner of the property or the owner has given permission to the artist…. 

·     Simple one-page mural permit application that does not require the applicant to submit a sketch of the proposed art.  (The City shouldn't be substituting its aesthetic judgment for the artist's.)

·     No denial of a mural permit based on a determination that there's already enough art in the neighborhood or that art doesn't belong there. 

·     The City of New Orleans sign ordinance shall not be used as an additional review or restriction on murals.

·     24 hour turn around for issuance or denial of permit.   

·     Art under 100 s/f shall not be considered a mural and shall not require a permit.

·     Murals shall be relegated to the side and rear elevations if on a rated building in a full-control local Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) District.  

·     $50 maximum application fee. (Currently it is a minimum of $500)