Commission approves removable Seeds of Health mural after artist agrees to waive rights

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness for a removable mural proposed for the south wall of 918 N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue, authorizing installation on removable Polytab panels and asking the applicants to use breathable adhesives and document removal procedures.

Staff presented photos and test‑panel documentation showing that three small Polytab test strips were installed, varnished and later removed with minimal visible brick penetration. Staff said two contractors — Houlton Brothers and State Painting Company — provided memos stating the removal did not damage the masonry, and recommended approval with conditions to seek a breathable adhesive if feasible.

Artist Tia Richardson told the commission she planned to prime and paint Polytab panels off‑site with students, then adhere them to the wall so young people could participate in hands‑on painting. "I am willing to give up my artist rights," Richardson said, explaining she did not want a legal barrier to future removal and framed the work as a community project that boosts student and family engagement.

Richardson described materials and durability measures, including varnish and a gel adhesive. She noted a supplier‑recommended product that she said has a metric permeability rating of about 37 (which staff and an architect converted in discussion to roughly 56 U.S. perms, comparable to Tyvek), and named Golden as a paint/varnish manufacturer used by other large mural programs. A contractor who handled the test panels described using a citrus‑based remover and sponge washing, not pressure washing, to clean remaining residue.

Commissioners pressed on two points: long‑term ownership and masonry risk. Jody Weber, CEO of Seeds of Health, said Seeds of Health owns the building and has invested in restoration and school programming and "is not interested in selling it off for condos." The commission’s architect‑advisor and the artist said, however, that as the property owner the client ultimately controls the mural and could choose to remove or paint over it in the future; the artist and architect said they could document removal contingencies in writing if the commission wanted additional assurances.

Several commissioners urged caution because the removable Polytab method is relatively new for historic masonry façades, even as they noted staff’s documentation showed minimal immediate damage. The commission’s conditions emphasized use of a breathable adhesive where possible, documented removal procedures, and monitoring of the wall after installation.

A motion to approve the certificate of appropriateness, with the discussed conditions, passed by voice vote. Commissioners and applicants said they expect installation over the summer and a school‑year grand opening event in October, after student programming and final touches are complete.