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Ojai City Arts Commission approves seven-member mural jury for Pixies General Store proposal
Summary
The Ojai City Arts Commission voted 3–2 to approve a seven-member mural jury to review a mural application for a wall at 110 East Matillaha and authorized the chair to substitute alternate jurors if needed. The jury includes a planning commissioner, arts professionals, the artist and a community member.
The Ojai City Arts Commission voted 3–2 to accept a seven-member jury to review a proposed mural application for Pixies General Store and Forage Ojai, and authorized the chair to name alternates for unavoidable absences.
Commissioner Steiner introduced the application and described the jury process under the mural ordinance, saying the panel will include a planning commissioner or historic preservation commissioner, two arts professionals, an artist, a representative of the owner and a community member. "These are the 7 proposed members that we would like your vote on," Steiner said while reading the panel composition.
The commission recorded the proposed jurors as: Jonathan Chesley (planning commissioner and architect); an owner representative (Whitney Hartman or an owner-designated representative); Barbara Hirsch (former arts commissioner and arts/healthcare involvement); Commissioner Steinhardt (arts professional); Linda Taylor (artist and president of OSA); and Michael Graves (community member and business owner). Commissioner Steiner moved to accept the panel and to authorize the chair to make substitutions when unavoidable; the motion was seconded and later approved 3–2.
Commissioners discussed the mural’s location and logistics before the vote. Staff clarified the address listed on the application is 110 East Matillaha and that the exterior wall faces south at the Signal and Matillaha corner; the jurors plan to hold a single public jury meeting, likely on or near the premises. Commissioners and staff emphasized that, because the work is a private commission on private property, the building owner is responsible for maintenance and that subsequent murals would require separate approvals.
The commission also confirmed the ordinance does not require jurors or the artist to be local residents and outlined meeting logistics: jurors will receive criteria in advance, elect a chair for the jury meeting, and may request changes to proposed work where the criteria warrant it. The jury review and any requested revisions will be conducted in a public meeting under the mural ordinance.
Next steps: staff will coordinate scheduling and a jury meeting on or near the site, notify the applicant, and implement any procedural follow-ups required by the mural ordinance.
