worldFLATS Ridgewood Sponsors Earth Day Mural Transforming the Ordinary into Extraordinary

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, worldFLATS Ridgewood, a local purveyor of fast-casual plant-based cuisine inspired by traditions around the world, sponsored a stunning mural on display at the corner of East Ridgewood Avenue and North Walnut Street in Ridgewood, NJ. In honor of Earth Day, the artwork aims to help draw attention to the importance of storm drains and their far-reaching impact on the ecosystem of our community and beyond.

“What do you see when you think of a storm drain? The concrete of the street, perhaps a metal grate? People too often don’t think of what it truly is – a pathway to our local rivers, lakes, or the Atlantic Ocean,” said Nvair Beylerian, founder/owner of worldFLATS. “We wanted this beautiful painting to help illustrate the critical connection between our town infrastructure and our local waters. We hope it prompts questions, educates people, and inspires behavior change. Stenciling storm drains is an effective way to inform people about the importance of keeping our storm drains free of debris to keep our waterways clean. Anything that goes down the drain ends up in our lakes, rivers, and the ocean, harming our waters and wildlife.”

The mural is the result of months of collaboration between worldFLATS founder Nvair Beylerian, local branch co-owner Jeanne Johnson, Matthew Rossi from Rossi’s of Ridgewood, and Athena Maxwell, the mural artist and AP Art teacher at Ridgewood High School. The concept of storm drain murals is gaining popularity throughout the country, and this is the first storm drain mural in the Village.

After reviewing designs from other areas, and working with Beylerian and Johnson, Maxwell created the design, which features NJ state symbols such as the eastern goldfinch, brook trout, red oak, northern highbush blueberry, the honeybee, and more. Maxwell describes herself as a community-based [artist] “who believes in the power of the collective to increase our voices.”

In addition to Maxwell, the project was made possible by many individuals and organizations in the community. Matthew Rossi from Rossi’s of Ridgewood, Ridgewood’s only Benjamin Moore paint distributor, is a longtime supporter of local public art installations, including this storm drain mural. Councilwoman Pamela Perron, Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Bigos, Village of Ridgewood Manager Heather Mailander, and Ridgewood Water Director Rich Calby were also integral in the project.

The mural will be on display near Van Neste Memorial Park for the next 30 days.