Hilliard, Ohio a community that seems to pride itself on being a top notch neighborhood full of pride and moral stability seems to fail aimlessly when it comes to cultural growth and well just being up to date. The Old Hilliard Design Code which is still currently in place does not allow public art or for even that matter certain color schemes to be displayed in a public setting. This is a guideline that a few years back was enforced in what I would consider one of the biggest city council faux pas I have ever heard of in respect to the arts. A local artist Kelley Daniels who had taken countless hours and her own materials to paint a sunflower on the garage of the house that she own’s became victim to this code. Daniel’s had a neighbor complain about the mural which by any standards was a beautifully executed mural of a sunflower. The city responded to the neighbors complaints and sighted Daniels and her husband for violating the code and not so kindly asked them to take down the mural. Daniels did not in fact paint over the mural, but she decided to hang vinyl siding over the mural in hopes that she could one day reveal it after the city woke the fuck up and realized how ridiculous they look. This story received national attention when it first hit the press in 2010 and now in 2012 the city of Hilliard is still dragging their feet and saying some of the most ignorant things about b\public art behind closed doors in a debate over their city codes. 

In this article following the story some of the statements from city officials truly make them sound like rambling idiots that have never seen a city with over 2000 people. Every major city has a stellar public art program that allows not only the local artists a public venue, but also enhances the community with rich works of art and the ability to engage with these artworks in ways that you don’t have access to in a museum or art gallery. It’s like some of these city officials have litterally been living under a rock.  Hilliards Mayor was quoted as saying: “I was opposed to any kind of program that resulted in increased costs for public projects,” Mayor Don Schonhardt told ThisWeek, “not specifically just public art, but any kind of a program that simply added additional costs or burden on the taxpayers to cover the cost of public improvements.”

In other words we will fight to keep our old city code and old city values, but in no way will we support the growth and development of our city if it will cost a dollar. The Mayor made this statement after a proposal came forth to create a volunteer run commitee that could oversee a new public art policy. Along with this new policy it was proposed that 1% of the annual capital improvement budget be used on public art or public art funding. So again Mayor Don Schonhardt would rather keep his city decade behind the rest of the world before he will offer 1% of his budget to the arts. I’m begining to wonder who in Hilliard voted this guy into office. I certianly wouldn’t choose to live in a closed minded community with a failing leader in office that is seemingly fighting to stay behind the curve. As stated in the above mentioned article if any change was to be implemented any future artworks must live up to the following guidelines:

 “the high character of community development and would not be a detriment to the stability of value and the welfare of surrounding property, structures and residents and to the general welfare and happiness of the community.

In my eyes the current codes violate this whole sentiment and mostly the last portion about happiness in the community. 

Luckily for artist Kelley Daniel’s her story was heard so far and wide that she has received numerous offers to paint public murals in far better cities than Hilliard and was even commissioned to paint a replica of her sunflower in a far more accepting and culturally driven community in central Ohio. The other lucky side of this article and situation if you read a little further it appears that some lower members of the City are speaking out to the benefits of public art in the community and how in the future it can be used to promote the city of Hilliard and even draw people and revenue into the city. As the city of Hilliard moves forward with branding and identity agenda’s that opened a contest up for a new city logo and low and behold 3 of 3 designs in the final round of approval all bear the very same icon, A SUNFLOWER! to me this is a bitter sweet victory for Daniels and other local artists and a calling to the pathetic city of Hilliard Ohio to change their ways and wake up to the fact that it’s 2012 and people enjoy art.