Oviedo approves Justin Herman mural for Oviedo on the Park

Oviedo City Council approved a new mural design for the back wall of the boathouse at Center Lake Park on a 3-2 vote, choosing an entry by Oviedo-based artist Justin Herman after a months-long selection process was thrown off by questions about artificial intelligence.

Mayor Megan Sladek and Councilmember Alan Ott voted against the selection at the June 15 meeting, while the rest of the council backed the design. The debate centered on whether the mural matched Oviedo’s identity and whether the composition should be adjusted before installation, including questions about a pineapple palm, a central figure and other imagery intended to reflect the city’s past, present and future.

The project began with an October 2025 call for artists approved by the Oviedo Community Redevelopment Agency governing board. The city set aside up to $7,000 for the centennial mural, and the artist chosen through the process was to receive a $3,000 stipend. The design was meant for Center Lake Park in Oviedo on the Park, which the city describes as the crown jewel of the development area.

The first round drew 15 submissions, and the Oviedo Public Arts Board narrowed them to four finalists. But city officials said several of the entries appeared to have been generated with artificial intelligence, including one featuring a bird-headed turtle. The original call did not specifically ban AI-created art, and the city later reopened the competition with a rule that entries had to be human-made. Some applicants also emailed the city to question the use of AI in an artistic competition.

The Public Arts Board, which advises the City Council on public art for city facilities and says its mission is to develop a distinctive sense of place, met again on June 17, two days after the council vote. The follow-up meeting showed the mural process was still moving toward installation and refinement even after the selection had been made.

The dispute gave the city an unusual test for a civic art program built around public money and public space: who gets to decide what counts as acceptable work, and how far Oviedo wants to go in drawing a line between digital assistance and a mural the city can call its own. The issue came as Oviedo continued marking its 100th anniversary, which it celebrated on April 26, 2025 with a Walk Through Time, live music, food and cocktails through the decades, and a 1970s-style carnival.