Ward Place Mural Artist Selected
Kathryne Hall Selected as Artist for Community Mural Project in Seton Village on Ward Place.
Mural will be installed on June 4, 2022 as part of ArtBender.
South Orange, NJ – Seton Village Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) and South Orange Village are pleased to announce that artist Kathryne Hall has been selected to design and lead a public art mural on Ward Place in the Seton Village NPP district. Hall is a resident of Maplewood and is a fine artist and Visuals Director for national contemporary magazines. The mural will be painted with the assistance of community members as part of ArtBender, an all-day arts festival happening in and around Seton Village on June 4, 2022. Community members are invited to help paint the mural, located on the corner of Ward Place and Irvington Avenue in South Orange, between 10 AM – 2 PM.
“We are thrilled that this project will feature Kathryne Hall,” said Sally Unsworth, Seton Village NPP Coordinator. “Kathryne is an accomplished artist whose past work has included many public art projects in New York City. To be able to showcase Kathryne’s work in Seton Village is very exciting, not only for the neighbors who live there, but for the entire SOMA community. Her work will serve as a placemaking beacon for all to enjoy.”
The selection panel, led by Seton Village NPP, was comprised of arts professionals, South Orange township leaders, and local residents. South Orange Deputy Administrator Julie Doran served as one of the panelists.
“South Orange is an immensely creative community and we know how important it is to enliven our public spaces and partner with local artists whenever possible,” said Doran. “We look forward to seeing Kathryne’s vision realized on Ward Place.”
Danni Michaeli, another mural panelist and one of the architects of ArtBender said, “We already know that Ward Place comes alive when public art is installed. Past mural projects have been a source of joy and pride for our neighborhood and we look forward to inviting the community in again to help paint with Kathryne on June 4th. The Ward Place mural will serve as the anchor for our programming that day with community members invited to participate between 10 – 2 PM.”
About Kathryne Hall
Since 2007, Kathryne Hall has created public art designed to animate static architecture and evoke feelings of joy and surprise in the viewer. Moving from surreal temporary sculptures to graphic murals in 2012, her current work is focused on her interest in sensory perception through the use of visual rhythm and color theory. Kathryne views murals as an opportunity to subvert architectural function from a utilitarian purpose to an uplifting, emotional experience.
For more information about Kathryne Hall, go to www.kathrynehall.com.
Artist Narrative about Ward Place Mural Project, entitled “Twining Too”
In “Twining Too”, the shapes seem to move endlessly, creating the impression of passerbyers on a busy street. Using simple and bright colors brings out both a sense of pop art and of childhood, while the strong blue throughout formalizes the pattern and anchors the visual rhythm. The Seton Village community is referenced in the visuals through the abstracted images of moving people multiplying and moving seamlessly from one shape into another.
The unexpected element of the forms continuing onto the sidewalk allows the viewer to interact with the work. I imagine children (and adults) hopping from circle to circle in an impromptu hopscotch.
Designed to inspire joy and surprise in the viewer, “Twining Too'' is a vibrant, dynamic mural, based on my 2013 “Twining” pattern. It was designed while I was pregnant with identical twins and thinking about the splitting and replicating of people.
About ArtBender
ArtBender is a celebration of creativity and self-expression, happening in and around South Orange, NJ on June 4, 2022 (rain date June 5). Community members are encouraged to gather at “creativity hubs” by starting communal projects in neighborhoods throughout the town. Local businesses are also encouraged to host an arts event. Past ArtBender events have included painting, chalk street art, poetry writing, and music and dance performances.
ArtBender was founded in 2016 as a 24-hour arts marathon and fundraiser for Arts Unbound, a non-profit arts organization in Orange, NJ that was dedicated to the artistic achievement of people living with disabilities and seniors. Unfortunately, Arts Unbound closed its doors in 2019. This year ArtBender returns after a two-year hiatus and will include over thirty creative programs and performances.
About Seton Village NPP
Seton Village together with South Orange Village was awarded a five-year Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) grant to invest in the Seton Village neighborhood and Irvington Avenue business corridor. This grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs comes with renewable funding of $125,000 per year, for a total investment of $625,000.
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