Issue 8 | May 2021 |
It’s no secret that Jersey City is home to a bustling arts community—just look at the renowned and always-packed Jersey City Artist & Studio Tours (JCAST) events. But, while the city boasts everything from creative studios to maker festivals, some of its most popular arts attractions are its diverse and jaw-dropping murals.
You can admire these mesmerizing murals from Jersey City Heights to Greenville, and just about every neighborhood in between. In fact, the 21-square-mile city has over 100 unique murals, with more on the way. Many are part of the city’s expansive Jersey City Mural Arts Program, an initiative designed to spotlight emerging local, national, and international artists while transforming Jersey City into a true outdoor art gallery.
The Ultimate Guide to Jersey City Murals
Click here for the exact mural locations
Each and every mural is worth a visit if you have time, but to help you build that Jersey City mural bucket list, we’re highlighting some of the most famous ones. Here are 20 Jersey City murals you absolutely can’t miss!
Iconic Murals in Downtown Jersey City
- Jersey City Wave: Artist Shepard Fairey is the genius behind the popular mural Jersey City Wave, which has been described as the flagship project for the Jersey City public art program. This mural symbolizes the “renaissance and the cultural wave that Jersey City is riding, while also acknowledging its waterfront location and the beauty and power of Mother Nature,” Fairey told NJ.com. It’s located at Christopher Columbus Drive and Grove Street.
- Intuition: Over at 172 Newark Ave., a three-story building was transformed into a gorgeous and colorful cosmic mural, created by artist Marina Zumi. This creation is an ode to another famed Hudson County attraction: the Liberty Science Center.
- Untitled: Artist Nate Frizzell is responsible for an equally mind-blowing mural just steps away at 176 Newark Ave. This artwork, a portrait of a woman wearing a flower crown-and-antler head piece, is one of the creator’s many mural masterpieces.
- Black Sheep: From 141 to 143 Christopher Columbus Drive, Italian artist Pixel Pancho wows passersby with his “Black Sheep” mural that depicts himself as a young boy with a robot as his family. This is a nod to his own life, as he always felt like the “black sheep” as an artist.
- Jersey City Crown: The building at 266 Newark Avenue is adorned with artist Beau Stanton’s Jersey City Crown mural. This sky-high artwork weaves iconic Jersey City buildings like old city hall and the New Jersey Central Terminal together.
More Downtown Murals
- David Bowie: Brazilian self-taught artist Eduardo Kobra pays homage to David Bowie with a 180-foot mural on at 837 Jersey Ave. Kobra says Bowie’s creativity and vision had always motivated him, which is why he chose the musical icon for this project.
- Elefanka and Mousezilla: With artist Ron English’s Elefanka and Mousezilla mural, the intersection of Erie and 16th streets is anything but boring. This fun pop of color and whimsy depicts cartoon critters at an impressive height of 60 feet.
- Natural Springs: Artist Shepard Fairey brought another one of his works to life at 581 Monmouth Street. The Natural Springs mural is 147 feet wide, 47 feet tall, and took five days plus 200 cans of spray paint to complete!
- Untitled: Buff Monster’s graffiti-arts career spans two decades, which is why this artist was more than ready for his Jersey City debut near the Holland Tunnel. The psychedelic mural—which looks like a scene straight out of Nickelodeon!—required 18 gallons of house paint and 200 cans of spray paint.
- Wendy at the Window: Julien “Seth” Malland is the artist behind the mesmerizing “Wendy at the Window” mural, which depicts a young girl peeking over a ledge and out into the clouds. You can find this towering artwork between Grove Street and Marin Boulevard.
Hidden Mural Gems
- Waves: Renowned artist 1010 brought its signature “Waves” mural to the 483-unit Summit Plaza property. This pop of color in Jersey City’s Journal Square area is exactly what the 1010 team is known for.
- Green Villain: Another Journal Square favorite, the Green Villain by Zosen and Mina Hamada, illuminates the Gloria Esposito Walkway with a bright, colorful collage. This expansive piece took seven days to complete!
- Jaan Pehechaan Ho: Artist JMikal Davis of Hellbent Art created “Jaan Pehechaan Ho” to represent Indian block prints and textiles. You can find this astounding display at 10 Liberty Street.
- At the Center of it All: Existentialist artists and brothers How and Nosm collaborated with Mana Contemporary on a sky-high mural as part of the Urban Art Project. This “At the Center of it All” mural fuses their go-to Op Art and Japanese graphic styles, according to Brooklyn Street Art.
- Untitled: Artists Jessie and Katey can be thanked for the colorful walkway at the Van Wagenen Footbridge, which was completed in late 2019.
Explore Murals Beyond the Main Drag
- Maybe it’s Me: The corner of Bergen and Oak is decorated with leading local artist BKFOXX’s deep and thought-provoking “Maybe it’s Me” mural. This New York artist is known for photorealistic murals that use only spray paint, with no brushes, projectors, or stencils.
- Liquid Lights: Artist Dan Kitchener brought his 2008 painting, “Liquid Lights,” to life with a captivating mural at 88th Wallis Ave. in Jersey City. He unveiled this big-city scene in fall 2019.
- Sowing Seeds of Light: The pink-and-blue façade at 164 Hutton Street is from artist GERA Luz. The piece was “inspired by the act of planting seeds of consciousness and kindness in the universe,” the artist wrote on Facebook. “The mural is about being grateful and having courage to stand up and defend inequalities in order to free ourselves from oppressive powers.”
- To JC, with Love: Tonnelle Avenue in Jersey City Heights is home to the abstract, “To JC, with Love,” mural by artists John Crash Mathos and JM Rizzi. This piece combines color and characters, with a unique and playful vibe that lights up this Jersey City roadway.
- One Out of Many: Another famed How and Nosm mural, “One Out of Many,” was created as part of the global PAINT (RED) SAVE LIVES initiative. You can be dazzled by this dreamy mural at 74 Orient Ave.
To learn more about the Hudson County arts scene, check out our blend of inspiring and hands-on events and activations in Jersey City and beyond!
2021 Jersey City Mural Festival
in partnership with Mana Public Arts.