Fairfax County is developing a murals program

Fairfax County planners are developing a murals program to bring excitement to the county’s redevelopment areas, such as Annandale and Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners.  

The goal is to use murals to support placemaking and enhance pedestrian passageways, Elizabeth Haag, head of the Community Revitalization Section in the Department of Planning and Development, told the Bailey’s Crossroads/7 Corners Revitalization Corporation June 29.  

The murals would “nurture the distinct qualities of a community or place,” said revitalization planner Jenée Padmore.

The murals could celebrate community members or local establishments, or highlight a community’s history or natural environment, creating buzz about a place.

They could be on publicly owned or privately owned buildings, Padmore says, but commercial messages won’t be allowed.

In determining locations for murals, the county will consider the walls of buildings, closed business windows, concrete barriers, construction barriers, fencing, and parking decks.

Other factors to be considered: visibility, the amount of foot traffic, nearby businesses, accessibility, security, placemaking potential, and whether the location is a gateway to the community.

The draft proposal will be presented to Board of Supervisors’ committee meetings. If board members support it, the Community Revitalization Section would seek county funding.

According to research conducted by county staff, murals across the country cost anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000 and up.

If the project goes forward, the county would issue a request for proposals from artists. The artists who respond would submit a resume and a portfolio of their work. The county would then pay three artists $1,500 each to submit a detailed proposal.

A community engagement process will guide the county’s decision making. The final decision would be made by a Site and Artist Selection Committee. The committee would include the murals program manager; the Community Revitalization Section director; the property owner; and representatives from ArtsFairfax, the supervisor’s office, the revitalization program manager for that district, and a revitalization partner.

Murals must remain up for at least five years. The county also encourages property owners to create their own murals, although they are prohibited from using a mural to advertise their business. 

Haag says the idea of painting underpasses to make them more welcoming and comfortable for pedestrians hit a snag. VDOT has stopped allowing underpasses to be painted as that would make it harder to find cracks in the concrete.