Public Art
Stroll around town to enjoy public art such as painted murals, bus stop art, and civic monuments.
Works by artists Key Detail, Porkchop, Emilio Florentine, DOT, and others can be found on the Art Map.
Scan the QR code by any public artwork to learn about the artist and details about the theme or concept.
La Florista
Artist: Jade Rivera
Location: 1576 Irving Street
Completion date: 2024
Peruvian artist Jade Rivera creates murals that evoke the folklore and mythology of his home through scenes of daily life blended with strongly symbolic imagery, including masks, animals, and other objects. Elements that represent Peruvian culture and heritage, including flora and fauna native to the Andes, are seen in the mural. The artwork depicts a young girl holding a bouquet of Peruvian lilies and wearing a bird shaped mask. In the upper right of the composition is an Andean Flamingo (parihuana).
The parihuana is symbolically important to Peruvian culture. One of Peru’s national heroes, General José de San Martin, is said to have designed the first state flag of Peru based on a flock of flamingos he saw on his arrival from Argentina. Hanging from the flamingo’s neck is a pendant necklace of a crescent moon. The moon subtly refers to the Incan goddess Mama Quilla, or “Mother Moon”. Mama Quilla, wife of the sun god, is the goddess of the moon and fertility, and a defender of women. This mural was funded in part by a grant through the Rahway Special Improvement District’s Façade Improvement Program.
Image credits: Francyne Alvarez Alarcón
Rahway Innovators Mural
Artist: DISTORT
Location: 2255 Elizabeth Ave
Completion date: 2024
The mural features three notable innovators with ties to Rahway, including astrophysicist Carl Sagan, inventor Nikola Tesla, and Merck biochemist Jeannette E. Brown. The design recognizes Rahway’s past and future as a place innovative thinkers can call home. The mural is visible to passengers on southbound trains between Linden Station and Rahway Station. This project was funded through a public-private partnership between the City of Rahway and the developer.
Native Perennials Mural
Artist: Emilio Florentine
Location: Rahway Arts District Park
Completion date: 2023
Flowering perennials native to Rahway are depicted in the artist’s signature style. The artist responded to the park and its closeness to the Union County Performing Arts Center by using a royal purple background for drama and to offset the vibrant colors of the flowers. The species of plants were selected with assistance from Michele Bakacs (Rutgers Cooperative Extension) and Rahway resident and master gardener Bob Markey.
River Goddess Mural
Artist: Key Detail
Location: 69 E. Cherry Street
Completion date: 2023
The theme of this mural relates to climate change resiliency and coastal flooding awareness. A river goddess is surrounded by native aquatic animals commonly found in the Rahway River Watershed. The animals featured include a diamondback terrapin, common snapping turtle, fiddler crab, and various species of fish.
This project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the New Jersey Coastal Management Program, Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Geometric Mural
Artist: DOT
Location: 84 Monroe Street
Completion date: 2023
The abstract geometric design features the artist’s signature patterning that creates visual distortion when the viewer is in motion. This 4,500 square foot mural is best seen by train between the Rahway train station and the Main Street bridge (north bound routes). The mural was funded through a public-private partnership between the City of Rahway and the Mint II.
MLK Park Sculpture
Artist: Drawn to Good
Location: MLK Park
Completion date: 2023
This monument was designed by Rachael Faillace (Drawn to Good) and fabricated by Central Sheet Metal Fabricators, Inc. The sculpture features three quotes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in mirror-finish stainless steel. The concept allows the viewer to literally see themselves in the ideals of Dr. King.
Mermaid Mural
Artist: Porkchop
Location: 1495 Main Street
Completion date: 2021
Completed as part of the Rahway RiverFest in 2021, this mural of a mermaid reflects the theme of mythical creatures and the connection between rivers and other bodies of water in history and mythology.
The mural was created as an initiative of the Rahway River Watershed Association with funding from the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and with support from the City of Rahway.
Abstract Mural
Artist: Joe Geis
Location: Brennan Field (E. Lake Ave)
Completion date: 2021
Joe Geis is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer with roots in the Rahway area. His lively, colorful mural of abstract shapes covers all four sides of this building at Brennan Field.
The Wings Mural
Artist: Lawrence Ciarallo
Location: 1501 Main Street
Completion date: 2018
This work of art encourages passersby to interact by photographing themselves in front of the mural. The artist’s objective in his work is to ‘create work that stimulates, informs, and engages the viewer”.
Metal Ballerina
Artist: Glenn Murgacz
Location: Hamilton Stage
Completion date: ~2013
This work of art was created by Woodbridge artist Glenn Murgacz. It is one of three pieces completed by the artist that can be found in Rahway.
Metal Sculpture
Artist: Glenn Murgacz
Location: UCPAC
Completion date: ~2013
This three-dimensional work of art was created by Woodbridge artist Glenn Murgacz. It is one of three sculptures completed by the artist that can be found in Rahway.
Broken Hearts Memorial
Artist: Jim McKeon
Location: Veterans Park
Completion date: 2009
The memorial is the work of artist Jim McKeon honoring soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq. The hearts, styled after classic tattoo imagery, recognize the families of the 4,425 American soldiers killed in Iraq. “It’s a monument to the families and their loss,”, said McKeon in a 2014 interview with NJ.com.
Never Forget Mural
Artist: Charles Sabba
Location: Maple Ave Fire Station (619 Maple Ave)
Completion date: Post 2001
The artist, Charles Sabba, who was then a Rahway police officer, completed this mural honoring the firefighters who lost their lives while saving others in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The mural features a bald eagle and the American flag in the fire department emblem.