(BAYONNE, NJ) -- BCB Bank recently unveiled a colorful new mural on its newest branch in the Ironbound, painted by local artist Jo-El Lopez. The branch, opened in July, is located at 269 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ. BCB commissioned the mural as a gift to the neighboring community, according to Thomas Coughlin, BCB President and Chief Executive Officer. Lopez also will be decorating the branch’s interior with a mural.

Lopez is a well-known artist in the Newark Art Community. His work is in the permanent collection of The Newark Museum of Art and The Zimmerli Museum of Art and hung at Gallery Aferro in Newark.

Lopez is noted for his use of “the visual storytelling of traditional realism to comment on the intersection of faith and modernity, the strength of family and the multidimensional contemporary urban experience,” according to Gallery Aferro.

“Jo-El is the ideal choice to create a work of art on the side of BCB Bank here in Newark because he is an artist who is firmly embedded in the community,” Coughlin said. “BCB is a community bank proud to be serving the Ironbound, a close-knit community filled with hard-working small business owners as well as artists. Jo-El’s work brings additional beauty to the neighborhood. The mural reflects the vibrancy of the Small Business Community we are helping to support.”

Coughlin also noted that, while BCB Bank is a resource center for Small Business Owners, the Bank also caters to the banking needs of their families and the community.

“Our tagline is ‘Making An Impact’ and that’s exactly what we are accomplishing,” he said. “We are dedicated to supporting small businesses with our products and services and the wider community with our trademark grass roots community support, which includes financial support, volunteering and participation. We look forward to a long tradition of being an integral part of the Ironbound Business District.

“We invite you to stop by the branch and take pictures in front of this beautiful piece of art. Pose for the perfect selfie!”

Established in 2000 and headquartered in Bayonne, NJ, BCB Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary of BCB Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCBP). The bank has 31 branch offices in Bayonne, Carteret, Edison, Hoboken, Fairfield, Holmdel, Jersey City, Lyndhurst, Maplewood, Monroe Township, Newark, Parsippany, Plainsboro, River Edge, Rutherford, South Orange, Union and Woodbridge, New Jersey, and three branches in Hicksville and Staten Island, New York. The bank provides businesses and individuals a wide range of loans, deposit products, and retail and commercial banking services.  

PHOTO: Pictured are (front row, left to right) Pam Sclafane, Vice President Marketing BCB Bank; Tom Coughlin, President BCB Bank; and Vera Rodrigues, BCB Bank Newark Branch Manager; and (back row, left to right) Jeremy Johnson, Executive Director Newark Arts; Jo-El Lopez, Artist; and Seth Grossman, Executive Director Ironbound Business Improvement District.