WESTFIELD ARTS COMMUNITY DRAWS CROWD, CUPS

After years of cultural decline, Westfield's downtown is showing the first signs of an artistic future.

Displays of locally sourced art are now available for viewing at several locations downtown, including the City Cafe, Mina's Spirits, and the former Westfield Boys & Girls Library. Word of the new art installations has brought a flurry of onlookers to town.

"We used to think Northampton when we wanted to do something artsy," said Lyndsay Hewitt of Williamsburg, "but this is way better".

"I liked how they spread it out across town. One painting at the library and then a coat-hanger sculpture on the town green. It's really quite marvelous." - Garrett Schein of Otis.

The burgeoning arts community of Westfield is just one way city officials have planned to combat the toxic impressions of the so-called "arm chair quarterbacks" who have incessantly complained about the lack of downtown culture.

"Just the other day I saw a guy toss a coffee cup onto the sidewalk. Today, we're gathered around this very cup and discussing the meaning behind it's placement, orientation and flow.  People in this town used to think this was trash. Can you believe this?" - Sally Leurich of Hadley.

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