Russell and Walsh were so enraged about the contents of the exhibition that they sponsored two city ordinances affecting Evers' show and future gallery exhibits.

In an October 17 ordinance, Walsh proposed that Healy advise the city council on how to include Cantabrigians on the arts juries that select Arts Council shows.

Future art panels should include "representation from the neighborhoods in the city and a representative of the clergy," Walsh's proposal suggested.

The second ordinance, authored by Russell and co-sponsored by Walsh, called for a public hearing "to explain how an exhibit such as the aforementioned one comes to be chosen to be displayed in city owned property."

The ordinance also proposed the cancellation of all future exhibits at Gallery 57 until that hearing is held.

But at last week's city council meeting, the councillors passed an amended version of the ordinance which strikes out discussion of using taxpayer money to fund shows from the hearing. Russell also removed the clause barring further exhibitions in Gallery 57.

The hearing on Gallery 57 has not yet been scheduled, Russell said yesterday.

'Art Is Not Propaganda'

At the opposite end of the debate is the local art community, whose members say a growing movement to restrict artistic expression is at hand.

"The work asks questions and raises issues," said Julie T. Garfield, an assistant to Barbara Krakow, one of three jurors who chose Evers' work.

"People can take these questions on their own and think about them without the government making that decision for them," she said.

In an impassioned letter to the city council, Robert B. Chatelle, political-issues chair of the New York-based National Writers Union (NWU), implored the city council to leave its hands off the show.

"The City of Cambridge is under no obligation to support the arts," Chatelle wrote. "But having chosen to do so, you cannot now impose content restrictions upon the Arts Council. You are, in fact, prohibited from so doing by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."

Chatelle yesterday blamed Walsh for starting the controversy and supported Evers' criminal complaint against the councillor.

"Bill Walsh vandalized his piece," Chatelle said. "If I were to walk into the Museum of Fine Arts, vandalize a painting on the walls, I think a complaint would be leveled against me."