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originally published: 05/04/2022

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) recently unveiled a new community mural in Downtown Princeton titled Superbloom. Designed and painted by artist Fiona Chinkan, this bright, playful public art piece can be found on the side of Village Silver on Spring Street.

Of the design, Princeton-raised Chinkan says, “I wanted to create a colorful mural that represents Spring. The idea of a flower field came to mind and was the jumping off point for this project. In my drawings, paintings, and ceramics, I try to explore joy in the creation process and how my finalized art may evoke feelings of happiness in the viewer. I hope this mural brightens up your day as much as it did for me to work on. Please take photos of your smiling faces in front of the mural and tag me - I would love to see it. Stay well and stay inspired, Princeton!”

Chinkan is a New Jersey based artist who grew up in Princeton. She began her signature style of drawings in 2001, as a way to accompany graffiti lettering she was exploring at the time. Over the years, Fiona has developed the lines and forms as a means to express herself and interpret the world around her. She graduated cum laude in 2007 from the University of Hartford Art School with a BFA concentration in Visual Communication Design, minors in Photography and Art History. She moved to New York City post graduation to pursue a career in graphic design and worked as a digital art director in the fashion industry for 10 years before deciding to pursue art full-time. Fiona creates out of her home studio. View more of her work at @fionac.nyc or www.fionac.nyc.

This is the ACP’s sixth rotating mural on Spring Street. In July of 2020, when most of town was shut down due to COVID-19 regulations, the Arts Council team painted their first mural in this location, Stronger Together, as a message of support and solidarity. Since then, the rotating approach has allowed the ACP to showcase local artists, making Spring Street a new destination to enjoy colorful public art. 

“It has been such a pleasure to be able to support Fiona and her work”, says ACP Artistic Director Maria Evans. “She spent many hours volunteering her time working with the ACP crew on a few earlier mural projects and we knew she was ready to ‘fly’ using her own design and executing her own mural. We couldn’t be happier with this big, bold, beautiful wall and all the happiness it will bring to Princeton over the next several months.”

 

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Superbloom is the latest of the Arts Council’s growing public art presence around Princeton. Also on view are Continuum by Illia Barger at Terra Momo Bread Company, Journey by Marlon 7oveChild Davila on the corner of John Street and Leigh Avenue, and the Bring on the Joy and LOVE murals at Princeton Shopping Center. The Arts Council regularly coordinates installations in Dohm Alley and the beloved Princeton Parklet, a “street seat” designed for community gathering. 

The Superbloom mural was made possible by Bumble. Of their support, Bumble states, “At Bumble, our mission has always been to create a safer, kinder, and more accountable space where women are empowered to make the first move across all aspects of their lives. With this mission in mind, we are ecstatic to support artist Fiona Chinkan in her work on this season’s Spring Street Mural. This sponsorship was developed in partnership with students at Princeton University through the Bumble Honey Ambassador Program - a program that forms connections between Bumble and college communities. 

The Arts Council of Princeton, a non-profit organization founded in 1967, fulfills its mission of building community through the arts by presenting a wide range of programs including public art projects, exhibitions, performances, free community cultural events, and studio-based classes and workshops. Arts Council of Princeton programs are designed to be high-quality, engaging, affordable and accessible for the diverse population in the greater Princeton region.

PHOTO: The Arts Council of Princeton adds to their public art presence in Princeton with a new community mural on the corner of Spring and Witherspoon Streets. Designed and painted by artist Fiona Chinkan, Superbloom is a colorful, abstract piece celebrating spring.