The Arts Council of Princeton unveiled a new Spring Street mural by Sofia Schreiber in collaboration with LiLLiPiES.

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) unveiled a new community mural this week in Downtown Princeton titled NJ Fresh. Designed and painted by artist Sofia Schreiber, this “sweet”, illustration-style public art piece can be found on the side of Village Silver.

For her Spring Street mural, Sofia was inspired by the vibrancy and variety of fresh fruit abundant in New Jersey in the summertime. She was also thinking about Wayne Thiebaud’s delicious looking paintings and Eric Carle’s equally scrumptious illustrations in one of her favorite children’s books, The Hungry Caterpillar.

Sofia grew up in Princeton and is an aspiring illustrator and writer studying at Rhode Island School of Design. Her work often documents the natural world through a whimsical and imaginative lens. Last summer, she collaborated with Jen Carson of LiLLiPiES Bakery to illustrate her first children’s book Pie for My Birthday, which is available for purchase at LiLLiPiES and Labyrinth Books.

“We’ve known Sofia for ages as an amazing talent, and many community members would recognize her from behind the counter at LiLLiPiES”, shares Maria Evans, ACP Artistic Director. “So when we approached Sofia for a mural and her idea was ‘pie’, we said ‘yes!’”

To support this endeavor, LiLLiPiES will contribute proceeds from sales of their Pie of the Month to ACP community programs.

NJ Fresh is the Arts Council’s thirteenth Spring Street mural and the latest of ACP's growing public art presence in and 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, asphalt murals at the ACP and Lawrenceville Elementary School, and the Bring on the Joy, LOVE, and Kindness murals at Princeton Shopping Center.

Schreiber’s work will be on view on Spring Street until Fall 2024, when a new mural will take its place. Interested artists can propose a mural concept on the Arts Council’s website.

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.