Asbury Park, Boys and Girls Club - Chill Zone Mural

In collaboration with Monmouth Arts, I had the opportunity to paint a mural in Asbury Park’s, Boys and Girls Club’s, Chill Zone. The subject for the mural came from the children attending the Creative Expressions classes. This program is an arts and wellness initiative that addresses the rise in mental health issues of Monmouth County youth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Working alongside a mental health professional, we helped the students create art that gave them a sense of calm. 

During two of the classes, students created mood boards and original drawings based on imagery cut from magazines, instructed drawing demonstrations, and their imagination. Some of the consistent themes and ideas were scenes of nature, rainbows, and references to the beach. While creating their artwork, the children kept in mind that the resulting pieces would inspire the final mural.

Combining their ideas I created an image that wrapped the room's interior and highlighted the themes and imagery in their work. The final piece, though detailed, doesn’t crowd the space with an abundance of imagery. Instead, rolling dunes mesh with the carpet and outline the space to give the occupants of the room a step into nature. The Sky streams from a sunrise in the center of the piece and fades to dusk, moving behind a muted rainbow and ending in the corner entrance of the room. The acoustic tile ceiling was hand-painted dark blue to bring a cooling sensation to the space. It acts as a weighted blanket holding the colors in place. 

Painting took 4 days to complete. I replaced ceiling tiles, taped the corners of the carpet, primed and pounced the walls, and worked with the accommodating staff at the Club to bring the mural to life. Squeezing this production into the week between sessions I worked quickly to finish the hand-painted mural before the start of summer camp. 

Teaching the children to process their emotions through art during Creative Expressions and creating the resulting mural was a fun endeavor. It was a pleasure being part of this process and working with Monmouth Arts and the Boys and Girls Club to bring this piece to life!

4am Somewhere Murals and Signs