The paintings on the walls of the Van Buren County Courthouse will stay. After voting earlier this month to cover them up, the county commission yesterday changed its mind and voted instead to not take that action after public opinion clearly backed the historical paintings. The meeting was packed, with several speaking out on both sides of the issue.
Chief Judge Kathleen Brickley had pushed to have the paintings, which have been on the walls for more than 100 years, covered. She feels the violence depicted in them is inappropriate for a courthouse, along with the women in the paintings being topless. Brickley plans to keep up the fight to get rid of the murals.
