The City of Conover issued a statement yesterday concerning the ongoing dispute with Justin Barringer owner of Evexia wellness center and the mural that covers the side of their downtown location.
PRESS RELEASE: City of Conover, July 8th, 2025
Over the past week, we’ve heard from a lot of you on both sides of the mural issue. These conversations reflect the passion our community has for Conover, and we see that interest as a strength.
The City is not pursuing further enforcement action against the mural located at 105 1st Ave S, and is focusing our efforts on updating regulations to better align with our goals and values.
We would like to clarify a few things: First, the business owner and muralist knew the City would view the mural as a code violation months before they started painting, that part isn’t in dispute. Second, we also agree the code needs improvement, which is why we’ve been working for months on rewriting our code from the ground up, including how we handle murals and public art. Although it will be impossible to retroactively apply whatever process we adopt for murals moving forward, we anticipate the existing mural will be broadly in line with whatever future policy is adopted. Somewhere along the way, the narrative turned into “the City vs. Small Business” and that simply wasn’t true. We want to see everyone in our business community succeed, even if we have disagreements.
Last, the City of Conover fully supports the arts, and we’d like to be clear, neither the City, nor City Council seeks to become the “art police”. In fact, creating unique and vibrant public spaces, often through art, has been a goal in our Strategic Plan for years. That’s why we’ve been working diligently to update our zoning code to provide a clearer framework for murals and public art. We know the rewrite process takes time, and that’s by design. We’re taking a collaborative approach, listening to community feedback, and incorporating input from Conover residents, business owners, artists, and experts. Good policy takes time, and we’re committed to getting it right.
In addition to updating our zoning code, the City of Conover continues to invest in public art across the community. Current projects underway include new artistic installations at Conover Station and the Conover Branch Library, designed to celebrate local creativity. The City also provides annual support to Arts Culture Catawba, reinforcing our commitment to regional artistic initiatives.
Creativity and innovation have always been part of Conover’s identity, and we remain committed to engaging in meaningful, constructive ways. The City of Conover is staying focused on the future; updating outdated policies, investing in public spaces, and focusing on the issues that matter.