Gun Debate Meets Art In Montclair: Battle Of The Murals Begins

MONTCLAIR, NJ — For more than two decades, paint on a well-known public mural on Chestnut Street in Montclair has steadily been chipping away, leaving the artwork a little more faded with each passing year.

Created in the 1990s after a shooting at the former Watchung Plaza post office, the mural depicts a group of diverse, smiling people united in an effort to stop gun violence. It’s a message still relevant today, especially in Montclair, where the 2nd Amendment debate has bubbled to the top of the local political zeitgeist.

But recently – after a group of local high school students volunteered to breathe new life into the aging artwork – the mural has again become a focal point for the town’s evolving debate on guns.

Students at Montclair High School have been trying to repaint and revitalize the Chestnut Street mural for years. Their efforts gained new traction after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Last year, a student coalition calling themselves Art To Action started a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $1,600 to restore the mural. The teens wrote:

“As students growing up in a time period where school shootings are far too commonplace along with the rise of the Never Again Movement, we would like to restore the mural's message by repainting it with a new design. Our project was inspired by the Never Again Movement and the students of Parkland. In the past school year, a few students affected by recent gun-related violence visited our school, promoting awareness and action. Since Montclair is a hub for art, we decided to fuse our voice with visual arts.”

The students pointed out that the mural project would hinge on approval from NJ Transit, which owns the overpass. But after successful discussions with authorities – including approval from the Montclair Board of Education – the effort finally came together.

Their new mural – which features the words “Never Again” – is now in the final stages of completion.

Many Montclair community members who have seen the refurbished mural have complimented its artistic flair as well as its message.

One resident, Joi Murphy, offered some positive comments on the mural as she looked at it with her son, Shane.

“To me, it just says stop the violence,” she told Pix 11 News. “When I was a child, we didn't face gun violence. But now, we're so used to it, I think it [the message] should target everyone.”

However, other community members – including members of a local Facebook group – have criticized the art and its proximity to a local park, Pix 11 News reported.

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MONTCLAIR REPUBLICANS: WE WANT A MURAL, TOO

The Montclair Republican Club, which has been a vocal supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, offered high praise for the mural as political speech.

“Our club feels that the opportunity for the public to view pieces of artwork addressing a key issue from different viewpoints will edify the community at large in significant ways,” President John Van Wagner said.

“Moreover, Montclair which prides itself on a diversity of opinions, is an ideal venue to host these competing views,” Van Wagner said.

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Van Wagner said NJ Transit’s embracing of the project “promotes critical political viewpoints” and encourages debate and discussion about gun-related issues. It’s especially important in the modern political environment, when so many people hesitate to tackle important issues in a public square setting, he said.

But with political debate comes a responsibility to provide fair comment, Van Wagner added.

He said the club’s members plan to commission a mural of “equal scope and significance,” highlighting the importance of the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution to republican government.

“Not only has the 2nd Amendment been indispensable to the peace and prosperity of America for over 230 years, but the larger principle of the individual's right to be armed has been essential to every freedom movement the world-over for centuries,” Van Wagner declared. “It is our expectation that the artist or artists we commission to deliver this message will capture the spirit of freedom that yearns in every human heart.”

The clubs’ members were quick to point out that NJ Transit – which is supported by taxpayer dollars – should grant them the same rights the agency offered the students from Montclair High School.

Van Wagner said the club’s attorneys have begun drafting the appropriate requests to NJ Transit.

“We look forward to working with NJ Transit and other key stakeholders in developing this project in the weeks and months ahead,” he said.

As of Tuesday, the club has not heard back from the agency, he said.

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