Norwalk committee approves Ely Avenue mural contract after heated public comments over selection process and AI concerns

The Norwalk Economic & Community Development Committee on Oct. 9 authorized Mayor Harry W. Rilling to execute a contract with artist Jermaine (Jermaine) West to create a mural on fencing at Ely Avenue for an amount not to exceed $70,000, funded from the MLK grant account, after more than an hour of public comment and discussion about the Arts & Cultural Commission’s selection process.

Why it matters: the Ely Avenue mural is part of a funded MLK Corridor initiative intended to support public art in South Norwalk. Several speakers said the site and artist selection should prioritize residents and reflect the neighborhood’s history. Others urged transparency about how finalists were vetted and how an allegation that an applicant used AI to produce work was handled by the commission.

Public comment and community concerns: more than a dozen commenters spoke during the public participation period. Anna Tabashnik of Fort Gilbert Street urged release of selection records, saying “I recommend that unless the commission can produce a record of the selection committee minutes, scoring comments, the AI screening processes used for all applications and their outcomes, the full public survey results with demographics and all of that… it should be redone.” Several speakers identified themselves as supporters of Jermaine West (also referenced as “Germaine” in public remarks). Aris Dazabal, Melody Reagan (“Sweets”) and Erica DePalma described West’s long-standing local ties and history of community engagement; Erica DePalma said, “He didn’t need AI back then, and he doesn’t need AI now.”

Representatives of the South Norwalk community pressed for local representation. Romney Donald said, “It’s one thing to say the process was unfair, but it’s another to speak over the very community whose voices should matter most in this decision,” and noted Ely Avenue’s status as a historically Black neighborhood. Fourteen-year-old artist Mia Calhoun described how seeing a local artist’s work “would mean a lot” to young people in the area.

Staff response and explanation of process: Sabrina Gudeski, staff to the Arts & Cultural Commission, explained the commission’s selection steps and the timeline. “We had about 25 responses. Of those responses, we picked out only the people who have identified a connection to Norwalk… Of that, we had 4 individuals who were asked to submit a full proposal,” she said. Gudeski said those finalists produced full proposals and that the commission ran submissions through AI-detection tools as part of its review. She told the committee the public engagement survey drew roughly 1,300 responses and that the city retained records of addresses and business locations for applicants when provided.

Gudeski also described the $70,000 budget cap for each mural contract: roughly $20,000 is earmarked for materials and the balance covers the artist stipend and planned community engagement activities. She said the commission asked artists to submit designs only after they advanced from an initial RFQ stage, a practice intended to avoid requesting full, unpaid renderings from numerous applicants.

The AI question and commission decision: the Arts & Cultural Commission considered three full proposals from applicants who had claimed Norwalk connections: West (the artist selected), Oksana Tanezov (the finalist who won the public poll) and a third artist referred to by commenters as “5 Fingers.” Commission members ran submitted materials through multiple AI-detection tools and, according to staff, concluded that the third artist’s submission showed indications that warranted further scrutiny. Staff said the artist was asked for additional evidence to demonstrate original process work; the commission found the subsequent material insufficient to satisfy its concerns before making its recommendation.

Council debate and final action: Committee members spoke at length about two overlapping issues: process integrity and the importance of community representation. Council President Barbara Smith said she had “concerns about the discussion around the AI” and about the optics for a neighborhood that has historically felt excluded. Council member Jalen Seed and Council member Dwan (Duwan) Wiggins urged the committee to prioritize local representation and not to “punish” community artists for a process issue. Council member Heather Dunn and others emphasized the project’s planned community engagement and the opportunity for more local art going forward. After discussion the committee voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to execute the contract with Jermaine West for the Ely Avenue fencing mural, not to exceed $70,000.

What the vote does — and does not — resolve: the committee’s vote authorizes execution of the contract with West under the funds cited in the meeting memo. It does not change or adjudicate past commission minutes; several speakers and council members asked the Arts & Cultural Commission and city staff to produce fuller public records of selection committee notes, scoring, AI-screening outputs and the survey demographic roll-up. Staff said some of those materials were part of the backup for commission meetings and could be shared as appropriate.

Next steps: committee members said they will press the Arts & Cultural Commission and staff for clearer guidance on AI in future RFQs/RFPs and for stronger community outreach in neighborhoods with historically low engagement. Several council members said they expect the commission to refine its written selection procedures and its public reporting on scores and deliberations.

Background: the Arts & Cultural Commission ran a two-stage solicitation (RFQ then request for full proposals) that prioritized applicants who identified a connection to Norwalk or Fairfield County. Staff said the final RFP-phase proposals were reviewed by the commission in public meetings in August and September; the public survey ran for roughly three to four weeks and returned about 1,300 responses.

Ending: supporters of both artists told the committee they want further opportunities for local creators; several council members urged civility in public comment. Committee members directed staff and the Arts & Cultural Commission to produce clearer public documentation of the selection process and to return with any recommended policy changes to address AI and community engagement in future calls for public art.