My mural is based on a real life jaunty mini-tree growing on 12th Street. In the work, a myriad of birds perch on entangled branches, enjoying a complicated but harmonious sanctuary. Birds from China, Italy, India, Ireland, Senegal, Puerto Rico, Germany and Poland represent Hoboken’s deliciously rich and diverse ethic composition. The birds sing in different languages, but in chorus.
This painted work, a gift to my Hoboken community, was really a gift to me. In a time of isolation due to the pandemic, to paint outside and socialize was a comfort, the corner became a meeting place: “Let’s meet outside at the Tree". I asked neighbors and passersby to collaborate, each helping paint a bird from their country of origin, telling me their history. Some came down having seen progress from a nearby window, stopped while walking a puppy or while taking their child to school. Others participating were very, very treasured Hoboken friends. “The Hoboken Tree” was most certainly created by the loving community that surrounds it.
