A Statement from the Festival Organizer

Good afternoon, Kernersville friends and supporters,

As we reflect on the growth of the Kernersville Mural Festival, I wanted to share the story of a challenge that ultimately led to a positive and lasting change for our community.

When planning the inaugural festival, we discovered an unexpected regulatory issue. At the time, Kernersville had no formal public art ordinance or public art commission, so murals were regulated under the town's existing sign ordinance. As a result, the festival murals were treated the same as commercial signs, and the ordinance prohibited business sponsorship recognition on murals because it was considered off-premise advertising.

This created a significant challenge for the festival. The business sponsorship recognition we had planned and promoted, such as “Sponsored by” acknowledgments on murals, could not be implemented under the existing regulations. We communicated this issue to our sponsors and gave them the option to continue supporting the festival or withdraw their sponsorships. While some funding was lost as a result, many supporters remained committed to investing in public art and community beautification.

The immediate impact was substantial. Several planned murals could not move forward, and adjustments had to be made to both the inaugural festival and future phases of the project. However, the situation also sparked important conversations about how public art should be recognized and supported within Kernersville.

In the months that followed, festival organizers worked alongside town staff, elected officials, local businesses, and community advocates to explore solutions. Those efforts ultimately resulted in a successful amendment to Kernersville's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

The adopted amendment accomplished two important goals. First, it formally allowed public art projects to recognize business sponsors through approved sponsorship acknowledgments, creating a pathway for private investment in public art. Second, it preserved the town's longstanding protections against off-premise commercial signage, ensuring that Kernersville's historic character and sign regulations remained intact.

This balanced approach recognized that sponsorship acknowledgments for public art serve a fundamentally different purpose than traditional advertising. It provided a framework for supporting murals and community beautification projects while maintaining the integrity of the town's sign ordinance.

What began as an unexpected obstacle ultimately became an opportunity to improve how public art is supported in Kernersville. The ordinance change created greater clarity for artists, property owners, sponsors, and future public art initiatives, helping ensure that murals can continue to enhance our community while recognizing the businesses and organizations that make these projects possible.

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this effort—from sponsors and artists to town leaders and community members who engaged thoughtfully in the process. Their collaboration helped create a lasting solution that supports both public art and the preservation of Kernersville's unique character.

Thank you for believing in the power of art to strengthen community. The progress made through this process has helped establish a stronger foundation for future public art projects, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate creativity, collaboration, and community pride in downtown Kernersville.