October 30, 2024, was an unforgettable day for New Brunswick native and artist Martryce Roach. Her long-awaited Our Space mural, a collaboration with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Middlesex County, and the Arts Institute of Middlesex County, was unveiled to an audience that included community organizations, hospital employees, local leaders, and members of the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners. Perhaps the most important face in the audience was the artist’s mother, Linda Roach, who beamed as she witnessed her daughter celebrate the unveiling and installation of this masterpiece.
The Our Space project started in 2023 with the idea of making the heavily traveled corridor at RWJ less daunting. The concept developed over time using input from the community, primarily students, resulting in an inspirational design to comfort, inspire, and welcome everyone who sees it.
“The hope is to create something for the space that will make people feel comforted.”
Matryce Roach
Middlesex County’s partnership with RWJBarnabas Health will continue to expand in new and engaging ways to enrich the lives of its residents and create opportunities to sustain a thriving community.
Watch a clip of Martryce’s interview with the County
A Participative Effort
Roach’s approach to the mural’s design heavily relied on input and participation from students and community members, which is the artist’s standard process. She consistently emphasizes the importance of community involvement in creating art that reflects cultural integration, unity, service, and compassion. The installation was seamless with the help of Philadelphia and New Jersey artist Jazlyne Sabree, Director of International Programs for the City of New Brunswick Michael Tublin, artist Steve Green, muralist/fine artist Suliman Onque, and artist Tenille Gilzene.
Gallery
Behind the Scenes
Read phases one and two of this historical collaboration or download a copy.
RWJ Barnabas Health and Middlesex County Collaboration Brings the Community Together Through Art
Local Artist and Students Leave their Artistic Mark During Community Art Day
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