Committee recommends $150,000 for downtown asphalt art; staff to use commission-led selection

At a special meeting April 28, 2026, the Community Services, Public Safety, Housing and Economic Development Committee voted 3-0 to recommend that the City Council authorize the Cultural Arts Commission to administer a public call for artists and to appropriate $150,000 from the Public Art Fund to the Downtown Arts Hub Murals Program for asphalt art in Oxnard’s central business district.

The proposal, presented by Julia Strada, culture arts manager for the City of Oxnard, would fund design and professional installation of asphalt art (also called crosswalk, intersection or midblock murals) as part of the Fourth Street Mobility Project and the city’s downtown vision. "The item before you tonight is for an innovative project here in the City of Oxnard," Strada said, and described a two-step approach: a national call for design qualifications to identify qualified artists, followed by a separate procurement for firms or artists experienced in installing art on traffic surfaces.

Staff said the two-step model is intended to allow local artists to compete for design work while ensuring that installations are executed by contractors familiar with traffic-surface materials and California highway and traffic safety regulations. "We will contract a professional company to come in and do the installation ... to ensure all safety components are complied for traffic surfaces," Strada said.

A committee member raised safety concerns about motorcycle traction on painted surfaces, warning that stunt riders or motorcyclists could lose grip on a painted area. Staff responded that limiting design detail and selecting experienced installers — plus using appropriate paint and materials — are measures to address those risks.

Strada also outlined artist compensation and selection steps: an initial call for qualifications to vet experience, an invited design phase with limited revision windows, compensation for artists who submit renderings, and City ownership of the selected design. The procurement will include a local small-business preference mechanism, described by staff as a scoring bonus that gives local artists a competitive advantage while maintaining a competitive national call and compliance with purchasing rules.

Staff recommended that the Cultural Arts Commission make final design selections to streamline the process; council would receive informational updates. The presentation also clarified that the Public Art Fund is a development impact fee restricted to physical public art (mosaics, sculptures, murals), and that the requested $150,000 is intended to cover design fees, artist compensation, and professional installation.

A motion to adopt the staff recommendation was moved and seconded; with no public speakers on the item, the committee carried the motion three to zero. The committee’s action was a recommendation to the City Council, which will consider final authorization and appropriation.

Next steps: the commission will run the calls for qualifications and for installation, staff will return updates to the committee and council as the selection process advances, and the item will proceed to City Council for final action.