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Artist and commissioner Dan seeks city funds for Lucky U Motel mural on South Broadway
Summary
Dan, who identified himself as an artist and teacher and who appears on the meeting roll call as Dan Levenson, asked the Englewood Cultural Arts Commission for roughly $5,450 to paint a portrait-style mural at the Lucky U Motel on South Broadway, citing anti-graffiti benefits and owner collaboration.
Dan, who identified himself as an artist and teacher and who appears on the commission roll as Dan Levenson, asked the Englewood Cultural Arts Commission to fund a mural on the Lucky U Motel, a visible wall at South Broadway and Tufts. He said the proposal, titled “Lucky Mural,” would replace a frequently tagged surface with a large, hyperreal portrait and abstract mark-making that would incorporate Korean characters at the owners’ request.
The artist gave a site and schedule estimate: about one week of on-site painting plus a half‑day of prep, an estimated 25–30 hours of labor, scissor‑lift rental and roughly five gallons of exterior paint (per color as needed). He said he would seek discounted materials from Sherwin‑Williams and ask United Rentals for equipment discounts; the motel owners told him they would contribute some paint and materials, but he asked the commission to cover the bulk of the cost.
“It's kind of putting art in a place that wasn't there,” Dan said, describing the site as a high‑visibility stretch of South Broadway with frequent tagging. He told commissioners the mural would represent an imagined, ethnically diverse person rather than a real individual and that Korean characters would be incorporated only after the owners review and approve them.
Commissioners pressed for details before a funding decision. They asked the presenter to provide images of past work, a mockup of the proposed design created in his own style (not a direct copy of another artist’s work), a maintenance plan and clarification of ownership and upkeep responsibilities. Dan said he would include an anti‑graffiti coating (one or two coats) and could return to touch up the work or provide instructions for future repairs.
The commission did not make a final funding commitment during the meeting. Members suggested staff schedule the artist to return with references and a final concept; staff offered an August 5 meeting slot for follow‑up. The request amount discussed in the presentation was approximately $5,450; exact allocation and any cost‑sharing by the city were not decided.
Next steps: the commission asked the artist to submit photos of past murals, a refined mockup and a maintenance/ownership plan ahead of the next meeting so members can evaluate a funding request and any use of FIG (Flexible Improvement Grant) or other city resources.
