PHOTO PROVIDED. Pictured is part of the new mural in Grove Park, Flemington.
FLEMINGTON – Grove Community Park in Flemington has another mural thanks to continued community involvement.
Recently, Art Post Awareness and Paul Clark completed a new mural on the park’s restrooms that, like the others, offers a glimpse into Flemington’s past.
Clark, the son of the late Edythe Clark, had previously helped repair his late mother’s mural, painted in 2002. Twenty years later, he and his sister Linda Clark-Hanley breathed new life into their mother’s mural – which is located on one side of the restrooms in 2022.
Edythe’s mural depicts a calming riverside farm with geese landing on the water and a bear strolling nearby.
A year later, in 2023, the community – with the help of Clark and George Stefanski and his art class in the Upper School Center – installed a mural on the opposite side of the building depicting the Hanna Tidlow Canoe Livery on the canal in Flemington.
This summer, Clark and Stefanski worked together again to complete a third mural on the building with support from Flemington Borough Council.
Wayne Allison, chairman of the county’s recreation committee and council member, said Stefanski and Clark are interested in another mural.
“(George’s) painting class is always looking for places to paint,” “Allison explained.” “I told Paul they can use the other part of the toilet if they want.”
The volunteer artists decided to once again depict a canal scene, a central element of the district’s history.
“They painted a canal scene in Flemington when the canal was a living part of the landscape… several people worked on it,” he said.
The mural was completed in late July, meaning the restroom area is almost entirely covered with local artwork.
“It’s like a Norman Rockwell painting,” Said Allison. “The longer you look at it, the more details you see.”
Allison noted that the artists showed a lot of creativity in creating the mural, pointing out small details that may not be noticed by many.
“There are two things I find quite interesting. The horse (in the mural) is named Mabel and there is a woman with him… it is right where the ladies’ room is.” he said. “At the other end is the men’s room and they painted a men’s camp – there was nothing like that in Flemington as far as I know.”
Allison noted that the community donated money to cover the cost of paint and other materials for the process. He thanked Clark and Stefanski for their initiative.
“There is a lot of creativity in this group. When they come together, they inspire each other. It was great, the district benefited enormously from it and probably also the seniors who were able to participate in the original design,” Said Allison. “It was a win-win situation for everyone.”
