Controversial Mural in Boston Covered Up Twice

A controversial mural in Boston’s Allston neighborhood has been covered up twice. 

The building at 334 Cambridge St. is owned by City Realty Group. 

The company started City Pop, an initiative that covers its properties with artwork until they are rebuilt. 

They've painted murals on properties in Jamaica Plain and in East Boston. 

"This seemed like a great chance for us to do another mural," said Clifford Kensington, the director of acquisitions for City Realty Group. "We reached out to the guys at Avenue of Arts that we worked with on other places and we also reached out to the West End House." 

Kids from the West End House Boys and Girls Club painted the word "Allston." 

Avenue of Arts artists created another portion of the mural in Allston that showed a woman with a cat sitting between her legs, which drew criticism. 

"Many started to complain it was more sexually suggestive than they wanted in the public space," said Kensington. 

After hearing about those complaints City Realty Group had the artists cover it with a different image. 

"I hadn't noticed that part of the mural even though I walk by here every day," said Linda Kush, who has lived in Allston for 18 years. 

On Tuesday, a mural of a gorilla was done to cover the woman and the cat. 

Shortly after, the city's graffiti busters covered the artwork with gray paint. 

"Murals add something to the neighborhood," said Kush. "This is a young vibrant artistic neighborhood and I love to see evidence of that in my daily life." 

"You have young people that don't often have opportunities to express themselves in an open forum and have their art on display,” said Paul Edwards, who walks through Allston. “This is really meaningful." 

City Realty Group has plans to create another mural on the building but will work to make sure the city is aware.