Los Angeles' Legacy of Murals is Disappearing

The legacy of Los Angeles murals has all but left the city, buried under sign ordinances, billboard policy and tagging. Tanner Blackman in the Dept. of City Planning Code Studies Section is working to free up the knot of regulation.

1 minute read

July 7, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

Ed Fuentes writes the first in a series of blogs examining how Los Angeles changed from a "Camelot for large-scale outdoor art" to a tangle of sign regulations and anti-graffiti policy.

Fuentes explains what happened:

"At first, painted murals flourished, and often funded on private property throughout the city. In the Department of Cultural Affairs database alone, it is cited that 400 City-sponsored murals were produced between 1971 and 1999.

Many of you know the story from here. Companies, seeking to put up billboards and supergraphics, challenged city's mural exemptions by claiming First Amendment protection, and in the Los Angeles, murals became prohibited."

Back in February of this year, the city took on the task of reviewing current policy to try to restore the ability for muralists to do their work. Fuentes talks with Tanner Blackman, the planner tasked with the job.

Thanks to Ed Fuentes

FULL STORY: Before Paint Comes Paperwork: Murals As Seen By Code Breakers

Tuesday, July 5, 2011 in KCET

History / Preservation California Public Policy Art Public Art Los Angeles Murals City of Los Angeles View More

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