A controversy has stirred within Holyoke, and it may lead to a drastic shift in the feel of the community that we live in.

Holyoke’s city council has been debating a ban on public art in the city of Holyoke, and right now an “indefinite ban” on public art has been placed on the city of Holyoke.

The discussion started from a mural painted by artist David Flores. It was to be hung on 158 Suffolk St. on October 4th, as part of the Holyoke Alleyway Revitalization Project. However, the day of, the owner of the building where the mural was to be hung, Mimi Wielgosz, objected to the mural being hung, on the grounds that it did not accurately portray the diversity of Holyoke. The mural is a large Puerto Rican license plate, with the word “HOLYOKE” written where the identification numbers would usually be placed.

Quite a few people agree with Mimi’s opinion that the mural does not accurately represent Holyoke, such as Holyoke resident Glenn Sullivan, who tweeted, “Paint a couple of [expletive] shamrocks on the thing and shut the [expletive] up!” However, some people do not. They think that demanding that Flores add representations from other ethnicities ignores the fact that Puerto Ricans are already underrepresented in Holyoke. As one woman, Susan Van Pelt told Mass Live, “How many square feet of Holyoke are already painted with shamrocks, both on public ways and private property? How many square feet of Holyoke are under the City’s consideration to become a historic district dedicated specifically to Polish heritage?”

The Holyoke city council began a debate on allowing public art to be placed around Holyoke, and eventually decided on a ban of all public art for the time being. Mayor Alex Morse disagrees with the city council, feeling that “the [public art] debate is unnecessary.” He criticizes the city council for even making this an issue, and he feels that the council “has more pressing issues they should be focusing on. Furthermore, the order approved by the Council was self serving, as it was in response to a particular piece of artwork installed near a City Councilor’s home.” In response to the banning of the piece of art that started the whole debate (the “HOLYOKE” Puerto Rican flag), Mayor Morse allowed the mural to be displayed outside of city hall.

Eric Pasternak, a Holyoke High school senior, agrees with Mayor Morse, stating, “Most of Holyoke’s culture and history can be shown through art; by taking it down you’re taking away a piece of Holyoke.”

While the mural still hangs outside city hall, the debate rages on.