Commissioned by Hunterdon Art Museum  •  acrylic, polytab on alumalite, 2023

The newest acquisition to the museum’s collection, Wild Ride was inspired by the South Branch of the Raritan River, which flows directly behind the museum’s retaining wall. The mural presents a river that cascades gently and follows a natural pathway downstream, linking us to a time before the mills and before the manmade dam. It recalls how humankind’s ingenuity has changed our surroundings, our environment and our lives. It also reminds us of our responsibilities as we alter and adapt to these changes. Water is a source of energy.  It encourages reflection and serves as a symbol of healing, rebirth, power and life.  These ideas can also be synonymous with how we approach viewing or creating art. In the mural, a fleet of origami boats floats downstream. Serving as symbols of creativity, curiosity, and wonder, they recall the Museum’s mission to educate, challenge, and inspire community through the arts. The color of the boats relates to the spectrum of the rainbow.  Violet, the innermost color, is closest to the Museum and red, the color of the outer arch, is furthest away, representing the radiating outward of the Museum’s activities into the community.