Kerry Dyke, a Perth Amboy artist and sophomore at Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts, gained the approvals from the Perth Amboy Arts Council and the Perth Amboy City Council to paint a 650ft mural along the waterfront walkway on the wall under the Raritan Yacht Club. The brightly colored mural of turquoises, blues and sea greens is titled Nautical Abstractions; Perth Amboy by the Sea. The artist said the abstract work is open to interpretation by viewers, but had intended that the four panels portray sea grass, sea creatures, rocks, and sailboats. The artist was required to create scale drawings of the mural idea, and used a computer program called Gimp to superimpose the drawings on pictures of the proposed wall so that the community could see what it would look like and provide feedback (see pictures below in order of the panels).
Perth Amboy Artworks, a new nonprofit in Perth Amboy working to revitalize the city using Arts & Culture, is the sponsor of the project, paying for the materials. Perth Amboy Artworks will give the artist internship hours from the work that count towards college credit. The mural is expected to take 100 hours of work.
The mural completes the beautification of the waterfront area rebuilt after Superstorm Sandy. The waterfront walkway is a favorite spot for residents and visitors to view the Raritan Bay, and enjoy strolls and jogs along the waterfront.