Like Painting By Numbers? Toms River Mural Project Will Let Community Do Just That

In the coming weeks, Toms River residents will have the opportunity to participate in a giant paint-by-numbers project.

A pallette of red and orange and yellow will decorate a mural that will then be used to transform the blank side of a building of Nancy’s Cafe in Downtown Toms River into a lively scene.

The mural, by Elizabeth Paseler, was chosen as the winner of the 2015 Engage Toms River Community Mural Project. Sponsored by the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation with the close collaboration of the Toms River Business Improvement District and the Toms River Artist’s Community, the Engage Toms River Community Mural Project aims not only to showcase artists within Ocean County, but also to draw the community at large in.

The mural contest was open to all residents in Ocean County. The Ocean County artistic community was tasked to use their talents to create a mural showing the best of Toms River, and there were 42 entrants, Jeremy Grunin, executive director of the foundation, said in announcing the winner at the Toms River Township Council meeting.

A jury of 11 panelists, co-chaired by Danny Clinch, Brian Hanlon and Yvonne Yaar, judged the entries and selected the top three murals, which were then displayed at The River Market Restaurant, the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library, the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College and Community Medical Center. The community was invited to vote for their favorite mural on The Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation’s website www.jayandlindagruninfoundation.org.

Finalists Elizabeth Paseler’s mural received the most votes. Gregg Hinlicky and Carolyn Travisano were the other two finalists.

Yaar and Paseler are working to recreate her work of art into paint by numbers, and visitors should be able to begin painting the mural by the end of May. The finished work will be revealed at the Downtown Toms River Harvest Festival in October 2015.

To immortalize the great work of our community, we have employed The Production House to create a documentary and time lapse video of the work.

The community voted more than 5,000 times with less than 300 votes separating first and third places.

“I am looking forward to painting the mural myself at our library and seeing Toms River’s artistic talents unveiled at the Downtown Toms River Harvest Festival,” Councilman Al Manforti said.

Jay Grunin, Founder of the Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation said, “Linda and I are very happy with the community’s growing enthusiasm for our Engage Toms River programs. We look forward to building on each success and announcing the next Engage Toms River program at the mural’s unveiling during the Toms River Harvest Festival.”

Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher said, “I am optimistic that the Grunin Foundation’s attention and devotion to the arts will result in Toms River becoming a center for the arts in Ocean County.”

Visit www.jayandlindagruninfoundation.org for more information.

(Photos: Elizabeth Paseler’s winning entry. The wall of Nancy’s Café in Downtown Toms River. The 2014 Community Mural Project. Finalists Carolyn Travisano, Elizabeth Paseler and Gregg Hinlicky. Credits: Jay and Linda Grunin Foundation)