The proposed Ely Avenue Mural, backed by the City of Norwalk Arts and Cultural Commission, appears to be tainted by faulty practices that must not be overlooked. It is clear that the selection process and approval procedures were not as all-inclusive and impartial as they should be, which has undermined public trust.

This petition is to urge the City of Norwalk, CT Common Council, and the Economic and Community Development Committee, to halt this project’s approval until a transparent and fair process can be assured, with real community collaboration and participation. 

Transparency and equity should be front and center in such cultural projects, ensuring that all artist voices can be heard and considered fairly. Furthermore, community input is crucial in shaping spaces that reflect the diversity and values of Norwalk residents. 

Ely Avenue Mural: When Good Intentions Are Not Enough

The Ely Avenue project began with good intentions: to erect a mural or other type of public art, along the chain link fence of Ely Avenue, to beautify the street, while blocking the industrial-look of the Metro North tracks beyond the fence. 

“This mural will serve as a dynamic expression of Norwalk’s creativity and culture. By sharing their input, residents have the opportunity to play a direct role in shaping the look and feel of this new public artwork, “ said Brian Kaspr, Chairperson for Arts and Cultural Commission

So far this project has completely failed to live up to these words. 

The project began with pre-selection of three artists by the Arts and Cultural Commission. This was already troubling from an equity standpoint, as other local artists were excluded from consideration: 

    These three artists were: 

Jahmane West 
5iveFingaz 
Oksana Tanasiv
After reviewing designs by these three artists, the Arts and Cultural Commission voted on which ones to share with the public. A public survey would then result in the final project being chosen by a popular vote. 

About the Public Survey:

The public survey that was shared on social media asked residents to choose between the three artist designs. A survey response only required sharing an email address, and checking a Yes/No as to being a Norwalk resident.

About the responses, what guarantee do we have that votes of only Norwalk residents were tallied in the final result? 
Could they not have asked for addresses to assure only Norwalk votes?
Beyond the survey, what efforts were truly made to survey the residents and merchants of Ely Avenue and the local community for what they might like to see in their own neighborhood?
5iveFingaz: Unproven Allegations

As the public did learn, based on the Arts and Cultural Commission vote on August 5, 2025, only Jahmane West and Oksana Tanasiv’s proposals were presented to the public. 5iveFingaz was excluded. 

This was based on an unproven and very serious allegation by the Commission that 5iveFingaz used AI (Artificial Intelligence) to create his work. 

A review was done using some type of AI-detection software, which supposedly flagged the work. It has been noted by industry experts that AI-detection software is considered very inaccurate, with as much as a 20-30% margin of error, and a high rate of false positives. 

Based on the assertion, 5iveFingaz was asked for his original drawings, and computer sketch files which he did fully comply with. 

This was apparently not enough to satisfy the Commission; members noted that the style of the work was not close to the style of “street art” he is known for.

5iveFingaz continued to cooperate; he went so far as to submit a second design closer to their expectations. Yet they were still not satisfied, and they did ultimately vote to disqualify him, again without proof of their allegation. 

But the WORST part of this, is that after all he had done to comply with their demands, they voted to disqualify him WITHOUT giving him a chance to appear before the Commission to defend his work --a disturbing lack of transparency. 

About 5iveFingaz  

5iveFingaz is a native of South Norwalk, CT, who worked for years in the advertising industry, before establishing two successful arts-based businesses in Norwalk, Art Monster Studios on Chestnut Street, and 5AM Studio on Wall Street. He is a published author who has written a children’s book called “Love More Than Ever.” He is a highly creative artist with a diverse style, with proven strength in sketching, portraiture, and conceptual art. 

As an art teacher at Art Monster, he teaches children to draw with only pencil and paper, to learn the essential art of sketching without the use of technology. This flies completely in the face of the allegation that we would use AI to create his own work. 

We maintain that with respect to 5iveFingaz prominence in our local community, and with respect to the weight, and potential damage, that such an allegation would cause to the professional reputation of any artist in such a position, that for the Commission to vote on disqualification without giving the Artist a chance to appear in person, to address their concerns, is beyond troubling and irresponsible.

Reasons to Sign This Petition:

Public Art projects have the potential to beautify and enrich our communities, and to draw people together with a sense of neighborhood pride. But when “The Public” is overlooked in the process by which that art is created, what does the term “Public Art” even mean? 

We believe more work was needed to involve the Ely Avenue community in the project, which would have made far more meaningful as a result. 

So this petition is a clear message to the Arts and Cultural Commission that they need to do better! 

Signing this petition is also standing up for 5iveFingaz asking the City of Norwalk to give him a chance to publicly defend and repair his professional reputation. If you ask 5iveFingaz, this is far more important to him than whether or not he is chosen for any mural project. 

When asked by a friend, would he (5iveFingaz) ever submit to another Public Art project in the city of Norwalk?

“No,” he said. 

When asked, would he ever recommend another local artist submitting to a Norwalk Public Art project? 

 “I wouldn’t,” he said. 

This is the erosion of public trust in the Norwalk Arts and Cultural Commission that must be addressed. Not only for what happens on Ely Avenue, but for future Public Art projects in the city of Norwalk. 

We can do better. 

Natalia Aristizabal