Signage Vs. Art Part 2

Back in June of 2012, I created a blog post called Signage Vs. Art, exploring the boundaries and conflicts between fine art murals and signage. Here is the original post:

http://mainstreetarts.blogspot.com/2012/06/signage-vs-art.html

I am on the Ashland Main Street Design Committee in Ashland, Virginia, and we are in the midst of establishing a public art policy. To that end, I will be exploring this "art vs sign" issue in more depth.

Here is a great example of a small town, Charlottesville, VA that faced precisely this issue in 2010

http://www.readthehook.com/67661/sign-or-art-city-cites-camera-shop-new-mural

A group of students created a mural depicting cameras on the side of a camera shop. The city threatened a fine of $5000 if Richmond Camera did not take the mural down.


While community response has been positive, says Martin, the city was less than pleased with the unexpected artistic addition. According to city spokesperson Ric Barrick, that's because the store already had four signs– two more than is allowed on an entrance corridor– and did not seek permission from the planning commission before painting the mural.

So... the fine was threatened because the mural was interpreted as a sign.


It seems that the city reversed its decision:

http://www.nbc29.com/global/story.asp?s=12476819

What I find curious is the reason the decision was reversed. From the NBC29 story:

Today the city says when they made that first decision, they didn't realize that the camera mural was an art project.  Charlottesville spokesperson Ric Barrick stated they weren't aware it was an art project until they saw the reports on TV.

So... they reversed their decision because they found out it was a school art project? Does the fact that it was done by students, rather than a hired professional, change the fact that is is a depiction of cameras on the side of a camera shop?

Sign or Mural?