Toms River's Downtown Visitors Stopping Residents In Their Tracks

When you see the police officer standing by the entrance to the parking deck behind the Ocean County Library and municipal building in Toms River, don’t be alarmed: he’s not there waiting to write you a ticket.

The bronze sculpture is one of 20 drawing attention in the downtown area. The sculptures -- of people engaged in every-day activites -- are on loan from the Seward Johnson Atelier through early September. They are from the Johnson series “Celebrating the Familiar,” and the exhibit was fully funded through donations.

It is part of the Toms River Business Development Corporation’s efforts to increase outdoor art as part of its efforts to revitalize the downtown area.

“Outdoor art is an instrument for public enrichment and is an important part of any vibrant community,” the organization says on its website. ”Last year we completed our first commissioned piece through the Community Mural Art Project. More than 400 people of all ages not only participated in the design of the mural, they actually painted it. This permanent mural now greets visitors at the western entrance to Downtown and is displayed of the wall of Simply Skin, 313 W. Water Street.”

On a recent spring evening, Gigi Pucci flopped down on the grass next to a girl reading a book for a few moments, mimicking the statue’s pose while her mother took photos. Then the 11-year-old from Toms River hopped on her skateboard and went to check out a couple of other sculptures before sitting down with the woman who was holding a rabbit on her lap for her son to pet.

“These are really beautiful,” said Louise O’Brien, as she and two friends looked at the sculpture of a painter titled “Monet, Our Visiting Artist,” who is set up with a view of Town Hall -- complete with a painting of the building on his easel.

The business development group says it is planning activities related to the exhibition, such as photo contests, art and video projects and more.

A map of the sculptures is attached to this article, and the list below gives the titles of the sculptures. The map also is available on the Downtown Toms River website, here.

1. Nice to See You
2. Weekend Painter
3. Bunnies Don’t Bite
4. There, Now You Can Grow
5. Courtside Strategies
6. Summer Thinking
7. Monet, Our Visiting Artist
8. Out of Sight
9. Cloud Watching
10. Time’s Up
11. Second Hand News
12. Crossing Paths
13. My World
14. Holier Than Thou
15. Stormy Weather
16. Point of View
17. Yuck, Go Fetch
18. No Mommy, That One
19. Gotcha!
20. Far Out

(Photos: Karen Wall)