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Douglas County planning panel approves mural for Carson Valley Community Arts Center
Summary
The Douglas County Planning Commission unanimously approved a special-use permit July 14 for a large public mural at the Carson Valley Community Arts Center (formerly Carson Valley Cinemas). The project is paid for by a Visit Carson City grant and will be featured in a PBS documentary; staff recommended approval and commissioners raised design details such as painting the building’s pillars.
The Douglas County Planning Commission unanimously approved a special-use permit July 14 to allow a large-scale mural on the exterior of the Douglas County Community Arts Center at 1760 North Highway 395 in Minden.
Brooke Gady, Douglas County community services director, told the commission the Walls Mural Project will bring an internationally recognized artist, Rafael Blanco, to paint the exterior of the former Carson Valley Cinemas. Visit Carson City provided $68,000 to pay the artist, Gady said, and the project will be included in a PBS documentary series. Gady said the mural will be visible from the highway, is expected to take about two weeks to paint, and uses a UV-protectant coat that should minimize county maintenance costs.
The mural’s bold, site-specific imagery will reflect the performing-arts uses planned for the facility, Gady said. She described prior outreach to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Board of County Commissioners and the town of Minden, and said the design team met with the Carson Valley Arts Council for input. “We are getting an extremely high value, exposure, mural, working with an international artist for no cost to the county,” Gady said.
During commissioners’ questions, Gady said the artist has agreed to be available for consultation if the building’s roof is replaced in the future. Commissioners also discussed whether the decorative pillars at the building front should be painted to ‘ground’ the mural; opinions varied, but several commissioners favored including the pillars or extending color down the sides to provide visual balance.
Planning staff recommended approval based on the staff report and the project’s ability to meet required findings. Vice Chair moved to approve application 2026-DPSUP-0003 “subject to the conditions in the staff report,” and the motion passed unanimously.
The permit approval allows the county to move forward with the mural under the conditions listed in the staff report; project partners will coordinate logistics such as temporary parking closures while the artist works. The Planning Commission did not place additional maintenance obligations on the county beyond those described in staff materials.
The mural project is scheduled for on-site work this summer; staff said the project will include community events while the artist is in town. The county will monitor implementation as required by the conditions of approval.
