The Jersey City Mural Arts Youth Summer Program (JCMAP), made up of young artists ages 14-24, has completed a 100-foot-long mural that can be seen across the city. The mural can be found at Ferris High School, located on Christopher Columbus Drive between Merseles & Brunswick Streets in Jersey City. However, the mural can be seen from the turnpike when passing the school and from downtown depending on where you’re standing.
(Photo credit: @mona.caron)
This year’s mural theme is Jersey City’s Sister Cities, “to couple the creative process with the research of our 22 sister cities, which was then incorporated into the mural,” the press release explained.
Read More: Hoboken + Jersey City Murals: The Stories Behind Them
There were a series of virtual conversations with representatives from these cities around the world as part of the design process. The young artists were then led by professional mural artists where they were given step-by-step instruction on public art techniques.
If you’re wondering what kind of flower is depicted in the mural, the main artist behind it leading the way, Mona Caron, explained “Shauquethqueat’s Eutrochium. A so-called Joe Pye weed, not a weed but a native wildflower here, rises with the sun, facing off the skyline across the Hudson. A vision of Nature winning, of plants being the ones towering over us for a change, putting us back in our place. May we learn. May they come back.”
This mural is completed just two months after the first annual Jersey City Mural Festival that debuted hundreds of original work from local artists, from small, unassuming installations to brightly colored depictions on the sides of the city’s largest buildings. The event drew in large numbers of attendees and continues to gain new fans now that the work has been completed.
See More: Art Supply Shops + Experiences in Essex County
“Jersey City has utilized our expansive mural program as an evidence-based approach to fund the creative economy and reduce illegal graffiti while bringing history, character, and global art to enliven previously ignored spaces. The JCMAP Youth Program strengthens their skills and enhances the professionalism and employability of Jersey City’s emerging young artists,” states Mayor Fulop in the press release.
