Shared-Wall Murals Show Need for Written Art Terms

Sacramento businesses that split mural costs should document approval rights and cost shares before work begins.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Shared-Wall Murals Show Need for Written Art Terms

Live Poll

Should property owners be able to remove community murals they no longer want?

Artist Rachel Kerns began painting a new mural on an exterior wall at The Kitchen Table, 3175 Riverside Blvd., after the previous 2021 mural by Maren Conrad was painted over last week. The work is expected to take about two weeks and matters for Sacramento businesses that commission public art on storefronts.

Why it matters

The whitewashing of a shared-cost mural shows how exterior art on commercial walls can change hands quickly when property or business interests shift. For operators, the episode underscores the value of documenting approvals and artist agreements before committing funds to a visible façade project.

The 2021 mural project cost $40,000 and was funded in part by neighboring businesses, while the replacement work is expected to take about two weeks. Caniglia's five years at Planet Gymnastics and the 1947 construction of the shopping center across from Vic's Ice Cream frame the local commercial history of the block.

The players

Rachel Kerns

Sacramento artist who is painting the new mural at The Kitchen Table.

Maren Conrad

Sacramento artist who painted the 2021 mural that was painted over last week.

Vic's Ice Cream

Long-running Sacramento ice cream business whose storefront area hosts the mural work, now owned by Samantha Grifone and Carlo Grifone.

Planet Gymnastics

Sacramento gymnastics business where Megan Caniglia has worked for five years.

The details

Kerns was working from a lift outside Vic's Ice Cream on Thursday when the new work was underway. Conrad, who painted the original mural and neighboring murals in 2021, said she had not been consulted about the whitewashing. Kerns said the previous mural was misconstrued, which is the stated reason behind the new design. Because the wall is shared by several businesses, any future change to exterior art typically depends on agreement among the parties who paid for it.

2021: Maren Conrad painted the original mural and neighboring murals.
1947: The shopping center across from Vic's Ice Cream was built.
2024: Craig Rutledge died, and Samantha Grifone and Carlo Grifone later bought Vic's Ice Cream.
September 2024: Randy Peralta opened Fitness (X)change.
Last week: The previous mural was painted over.

Market Landscape

The 2021 mural project on the Riverside Boulevard block was a $40,000 effort funded partly by neighboring businesses, making it a shared-cost commercial art investment. The current whitewashing and repainting shows how such projects can be altered without the original artist's involvement.

Business owners with shared exterior walls should confirm in writing who approves artwork and who bears its cost before a project begins. Operators commissioning murals should also define what happens if a future owner or neighbor wants the art changed.

The takeaway

Before commissioning exterior art, get shared-wall agreements and approval rights documented in writing with every party who contributes to the cost. Track the project's completion date so the timeline is confirmed before the work begins.