The City of Santa Ana is considering using murals as a graffiti prevention tool, both to cover up existing graffiti and to give artists a creative and legal source of expression.
The idea was initially introduced by Santa Ana City Councilman Ryan Hernandez in a Dec. 21 council meeting as city officials were discussing increased graffiti removal costs.
“It’s absolutely important to have graffiti removal, but I see that the future annual costs increased … which indicates a recurring problem,” Hernandez said during the meeting. “This could ultimately just continue to be a waste of taxpayer money if we don’t divert this graffiti. There’s clearly a need; for one reason or another, there’s people that are painting on walls.”
Santa Ana planned to spend $1.71 million on graffiti removal services in fiscal year 2021-22, and increase that amount to $2.06 million for the next annual contract.
“If we don’t create an alternative, divert these behaviors, and give kids a safe place to do it, they‘ll continue to write on train tracks, they’ll continue to ride on our walls, and that doesn’t help anybody,” he said. “We can develop a really, really great program for community members if we get creative with some of these funds here.”
According to a staff report, the pilot program could cost around $50,000, though staff has not yet given a presentation to the council yet on the subject, which will happen at a later date.
The murals, painted by community artists, could be used to both paint over existing graffiti, and on walls that do not have any graffiti on them but could use a touch-up.
“They don’t have to be professional artists, they can be students and residents who are hobbyists and really promote that kind of work throughout the city,” Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan said in December. “But having these blank, sad, pinkish-beige walls have murals and art on them, I think really helps prevent this type of graffiti, especially when we can get those artists from our local community.”
Santa Ana had a similar program in the past where electrical boxes could be painted to make them more lively. They are also considering a different graffiti art program in combination with Santa Ana Unified School District to help prevent graffiti within parking structures.
City Spokesman Paul Eakins told The Epoch Times that the community enjoys murals and often will work together on upkeep for them.
“There’s no guarantee, but hopefully it will discourage graffiti. People, even graffiti artists will see the value of the community murals, and when you have these community murals, the community takes ownership of them and takes care of them and that makes it more of a positive piece of public artwork that everyone can support,” Eakins said.
If the program is approved at a later date, the city will let the community and local artists know about it prior to any murals being painted, Eakins said.
“We want the community to be involved,” he said.
