The Butterfly Effect

Depicts exterior of local boutique, Stella e Luna in the downtown area of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey.

POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The corner of Arnold and Bay avenues became home in 2021 to a work of art consisting of painted butterflies and metal sculptures of butterfly silhouettes, placed throughout the exterior walls of the Stella e Luna and Jim Inzero Gallery. The mural, called "The Butterfly Effect," was the product of a partnership between the Point Pleasant Beach Cultural Arts Committee and the Fisher Family Fund, which hoped to bring more art to the borough and its buildings. "The arts committee is excited about the program and murals," said Mr. Inzero. "Murals bring a lot into the community. It can express the history of our town, or it can plant the seed of a young budding artist or just put a smile on someone's day."

Pratt student Isabella Carannante designed the mural, which was painted by Jill Hawthorne of Jill Da Brush, with Metal Elementz creating the sculptures. The butterfly theme connected to an incoming butterfly garden planned for the area in front of the billboards next to Jim Inzero Gallery, according to a press release from the Cultural Arts Committee. "This garden is meant to attract monarchs and other pollinators along the Monarch Migration," the release stated. "This is a migratory path, in which the state of New Jersey is a part of, that monarchs take twice a year, in order to travel south to warmer weather during the winter, as well as to return north when the temperature rises again in the spring."

The Schwebel Family Trust and Stella e Luna were acknowledged for enabling and permitting the display, and the mural received a lot of positive feedback from the community, according to Mr. Inzero. The Fisher Family Fund provided matching funds for the project. "The Fisher Family are so generous in matching the funds to get it completed," said Mr. Inzero. "Not only that, but [they are] great to work with."

The group postponed additional planned murals because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though they hoped to get other artists involved to create new works as well as restore older existing ones. "Any business or property owners wishing to create a mural/sculpture project are encouraged to contact Jim Inzero, of Jim Inzero Gallery, the subcommittee chair for the commission," the group announced.

Steve and Sue Fisher had launched the Fisher Family Fund for Point Pleasant Beach in early January 2021. The $2 million endowment provided financial support for 501(c)(3) non-profits, schools and government organizations to support and create a vibrant future in Point Pleasant Beach while honoring its historical past. The fund supported two types of grants — community grants (up to $5,000) and major grants (from $5,000 to $25,000) — according to a press release, and was expected to donate up to $100,000 each year. The fund had already completed over 10 projects in Point Pleasant Beach, donating in all facets of the community.