At the busy corner of Bridge and Green Street where the Peter’s Brook Greenway meets the heart of Somerville, a sidewalk mural came to life. What began as a vision to brighten a well-traveled path is now a vibrant mural created by artist Leon Rainbow and brought to life by more than fifty community volunteers. Supported by an AARP New Jersey grant, this project turned an ordinary intersection into a welcoming gateway for walkers, cyclists, families, and neighbors alike.
Designed by Rainbow, one of New Jersey’s most respected street artists, the mural blends graffiti-inspired energy with fine-art sensibility—a style he describes as a fusion of imagination and message. His design invites people of all ages to stop, look, and feel connected to the Greenway and to each other. “The image relates more to youth, the message to adults… it brings them to the middle ground to which they relate,” Rainbow shared when the project began.
That spirit of connection defined the experience. Volunteers from teens rolling on their first coat of paint to older adults adding finishing details worked side by side on a sunny May afternoon to bring the artwork to life. Their collective effort turned the mural into a shared accomplishment, a moment of pride, and a tangible symbol of Somerville’s creative heart.
AARP New Jersey’s support underscored the project’s deeper purpose. “We are incredibly excited to support Arts on Division as they foster walkability, connectivity, creativity, and community engagement through this intergenerational public art project,” said State Director Stephanie Hunsinger. Their goal mirrors ours: to help communities become great places for people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities.
The finished mural now serves as a colorful connector between neighborhoods and the Somerset County Greenway system.
For Somerville Arts NJ, the Greenway Mural is one more chapter in our mission to elevate the arts as a source of joy, vitality, and belonging for everyone who calls this community home.
Snap a photo or record a quick video while you’re here. Tag #SomervilleArtsNJ on Instagram (@artsondivision) or Facebook (@SomervilleArtsNJ) to share your moment with the community. Your tag gives Somerville Arts NJ permission to reshare it on our social accounts.
Arts on Division would like to thank our outstanding donors for contributing their products, services, talent and time to The Greenway Mural Project. Thank you all for your support!
