Newton releases artist concept of Spring Street mural: Check it out

Bruce A. Scruton, New Jersey Herald
·2 min read

The artist concept drawing of a planned mural for the Moran Street side wall of 15 Spring St. in Newton has been made public by the town.

The mural will be converted from the concept drawing into the finished painted product during a weeklong community painting event in August and then installed on the wall, again with the help of citizens, at an as-yet undetermined date in October.

The concept painting is from Caren Olmsted of the Olmsted Mural Group as part of a larger Neighborhood Preservation Program, which includes alleyway improvements with signage and lighting as well as signage and façade improvements on some storefronts on Spring Street.

The concept of artist Caren Olmstead for the mural to be installed on the Moran Street wall of 15 Spring St., later this year.
The concept of artist Caren Olmstead for the mural to be installed on the Moran Street wall of 15 Spring St., later this year.

The town has just finished installation, with the help of Planet Networks, of an outside PA system on Spring Street which can play music for shoppers and is used for narration of events such as parades and the annual Taste of Newton. Last summer, the long-term project brought flower planters to the downtown shopping district.

The August event is tentatively planned for the basement area of the J. Caldwell and Associates building on Spring Stret where the participants will be creating the panels which will make up the finished mural. That process is expected to take place over the course of a week.

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The October event will also involve the public in taking the full-size mural − 14-by-60 feet − and installing it on the wall which faces Moran Street, but is easily visible from Spring Street. A public unveiling will also take place in October at a date to be determined.

This is the corner of Spring and Moran streets in Newton showing the building at 15 Spring St., where the town has commissioned a 14-by- 60 foot mural to be installed on the wall, below the eyebrow windows. Installation is expected to be completed in October.
This is the corner of Spring and Moran streets in Newton showing the building at 15 Spring St., where the town has commissioned a 14-by- 60 foot mural to be installed on the wall, below the eyebrow windows. Installation is expected to be completed in October.

Town Manager Thomas Russo said the cost of the mural project is just under $44,000.

Olmsted, a native of Morristown, has her studio in Basking Ridge, and founded the company after spending several years as a set and lighting designer and four years as an art educator. She holds a degree in theater design from Bates College, and has an art education degree from Appalachian State University.

During the August event, the public will help with the actual painting of the panels which make up the mural. Those panels will then be transferred to the wall in October.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Newton NJ Spring Street mural design unveiled: Check it out