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<\/a><\/p>\n\n This mural by Sacramento artist Valeriy Kagounkin covers the west
\n side of the 17 Central apartment building at 1026 17th Street in
\n Midtown Sacramento. (Photo by Sonora Slater)\n<\/p>\n
The
\n reason contractors have to acquire a C-33 license is for the
\n purpose of education and safety \u2014 but the process of the
\n certification is tailored to their work, not the work of
\n muralists. It requires passing a business exam, which focuses on
\n contracting rules and employment law, as well as a trade exam
\n that focuses on technical details including lead safety, rollers
\n and masking, in addition to completing four years of full-time
\n work under a licensed contractor and paying upfront and ongoing
\n administrative costs.\n<\/p>\n
\n But Gensler and others argued
\n that mentorship tends to happen in a more organic manner when it
\n comes to artists and that annual licensing fees are an undue
\n burden for muralists who might only paint one mural a
\n year.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe idea that they would have to
\n pay to have a commercial painter\u2019s license just to do that one
\n project is unreasonable and really creates a chilling effect for
\n the art form,\u201d Gensler says.\n<\/p>\n
\n Gensler and Baker approached
\n District 8 state Sen. Angelique Ashby, asking her to champion a
\n bill creating the exemption. They also recruited King to provide
\n testimony representing muralists. Both Ashby and King
\n agreed.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cDonald called me, and I remember
\n pacing up and down in my living room,\u201d King says. \u201cHe said, \u2018This
\n is what\u2019s happening, this is what we\u2019re planning on doing, and
\n this is what it is going to look like\u2019 \u2014 you know, testimony and
\n people in suits and big government buildings. And I\u2019m like, I\u2019m
\n 100 percent all in. I\u2019m ready to do this to make sure that we can
\n keep painting murals.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n \n A mural decorates a wall outside Social Nightclub in downtown \n Over the next year, they met with \n \u201cWith each committee it was a \n There was initially some \n The bill ultimately passed with \n \u201cEvery single person who voted on \n As King put it, the new law \n \u201cI hope that this was something \n Funding has officially reopened \n \u201cGreat cities and great cultures \n In the meantime, if you want to \n \u2013\n<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\n Sacramento. (Shutterstock photo)\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n committees and councils, and waited for the bill, now named SB
\n 456 or \u201cThe Mural Bill,\u201d to move through the lengthy legislative
\n process. They also heard from people about how much murals meant
\n to them.\n<\/p>\n
\n trip, because there was no opposition from any of the lawmakers,\u201d
\n King says. \u201cWhenever they would comment, it was positive, and
\n they would share about the public art in their cities and how
\n important it is to have public art and to have artists do their
\n thing, and how that uplifts their communities.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n opposition to the bill from non-legislative entities, including
\n the CSLB and the International Union of Painters and Allied
\n Trades, mainly centered around safety and insurance concerns for
\n muralists. However, the licensing board never filed a formal
\n letter of opposition, and a point of agreement was eventually
\n reached. Part of what quashed safety concerns is that muralists
\n working on a project over $1,000 in value have to follow Cal\/OSHA
\n safety requirements, and anyone using a scissor lift for a mural
\n is also required to obtain that safety certification.\n<\/p>\n
\n unanimous, bipartisan support and went into effect Jan. 1,
\n 2026.\n<\/p>\n
\n this voted for it,\u201d King says. \u201cThat was how much support this
\n bill had. It just showed how important murals are to our
\n communities. The unanimous win in this political climate felt
\n very special.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n didn\u2019t eliminate licensure, and there are likely still some
\n muralists for whom getting a C-33 license could be useful for
\n their business model. But they don\u2019t have to, and they are
\n distinguished from other wall painters with a clear definition.
\n King says going on this journey helped her feel empowered to
\n engage in the legislative process going forward.\n<\/p>\n
\n where artists could see that they can help to shape the systems
\n that they work in,\u201d King says.\n<\/p>\n
\n for mural projects, and it\u2019s safe to say that artists in
\n Sacramento are getting back in the swing of things. Gensler says
\n plans to continue the community murals project are officially
\n back in action, currently set for 2027. And King said that she\u2019s
\n seen a significant increase in art calls throughout the state. As
\n Gensler put it, the support behind this legislation was
\n Sacramentans and Californians at large saying that public art is
\n a priority and something they want funded.\n<\/p>\n
\n throughout history have always had a collection of art, have
\n found value in art and have put money towards it,\u201d Gensler says.
\n His hope is that Sacramento will continue to do the same.\n<\/p>\n
\n explore the murals that currently decorate the city\u2019s walls,
\n there are several online maps<\/a> and tools<\/a> to help you learn more about the stories
\n behind the art, including the recently announced Midtown Mural
\n Trail<\/a>, a self-guided
\n mural and public art walk through Midtown with information about
\n each mural along the way. Otherwise, you can just start walking
\n and keep your eyes peeled \u2014 there could be a work of art just
\n around the corner.\n<\/p>\n