In recent years there has been an increase in the number of murals found across San Angelo. Many murals are commissioned publicly and privately,  however due to the increase of murals many organizations and businesses still have a ways to go when understanding and implementing a mural project. The responsibility ultimately falls on the artist or team that will help plan and execute the mural as well as the organization or business who commissions them. In order for both parties to be satisfied with the conclusion of the mural project here are a few things to keep in mind when planning and executing a mural. 

The responsibility ultimately falls on the artist or team that will help plan and execute the mural as well as the organization or business who commissions them.

Number one, contract. One of the most common mistakes organizations, businesses, and artists make is failing to outline the details of a contract that will guide the performance of the artist from design to fully completed mural. To keep it simple there are a few basic things that should be included in the mural contract: the first is design parameters, second is budget and the third is time frame. Of course this is just for starters every project is unique and will need specific requirements to be outllined in detail in the contract.

To keep it simple there are a few basic things that should be included in the mural contract: the first is design parameters, second is budget and the third is time frame.

Number two, scope and scale. In my experience most organizations or businesses that have not had much experience with contracting a mural artist often misunderstand the scope and scale of a mural painting. This can lead to confusion about realistic time frames as well as expenses needed for the project. Several details need to be considered, some of which include indoor or outdoor projects, condition and texture of the interior or exterior wall, accessibility, obstructions, and in some cases hours of operation.

In large cities there presumably would be an abundance of artists to choose from with varying degrees of experience and styles.

Number three, artist experience/portfolio. In large cities there presumably would be an abundance of artists to choose from with varying degrees of experience and styles. However, in smaller cities experience and resources can be limited. In these cases, organizations and businesses must do more research than normally needed to find the right artist for the project. In any case, an artist that is being considered for a mural project should provide the following: an organized portfolio of past projects with details such as scope and scale, budget, and plenty of documented photos and or video. The estimate provided by the artist should reflect the most recent mural completed by the artist/team with a transparent explanation for how the estimate is calculated. Finally the organization or business should ask for a W-9 IRS form to accurately report income for the artist and document expenses for the organization/business.

In summary organizations and businesses must do their due diligence in finding the right artist with relevant experience to match the expectations of the project, however in cases where artists in the local area have limited mural experience, artists from other areas may need to be considered. In most cases artists with substantial experience should be relatively easy to find through a web or social media search in the area. If in the case where an artist cannot be easily found through a web search, then calling your local Chamber of Commerce, local downtown association, or local art club may be necessary.