Bright. Bold. Beautiful. These three words only begin to describe “Metuchen Magic,” the downtown mural by artist Ricardo Roig. Commissioned by the Metuchen Downtown Alliance, “Metuchen Magic” transformed an ordinary brick wall into an engaging work of art that depicts the Lunar New Year Celebration, the Metuchen Winter Festival and Parade, the Middlesex County Jazz Festival, and PorchFest.
Roig’s job was to “highlight the energy happening in downtown Metuchen,” said Dawn Mackey, executive director of the Metuchen Downtown Alliance, which was founded in 2016.
On one part of the mural are two musicians — an accordion player and a tuba player — seemingly dressed up for a festival. The deep blue background behind them indicates it’s evening and the flowers and trees suggest it’s spring. Confetti is scattered across portions of the piece, like an explosion of joy.
“The explosion of joy represents the inspired ideas that need to be moved into action,” said Roig. “One inspired action leads to another and the confetti flies throughout the mural to show this [idea].”
What was Roig trying to conjure with the mural? “In my research, during site visits and mixing it up in the town, you can just feel a special energy … a certain magic,” said Roig, of the town’s atmosphere.
The alleyway where he created the mural provided an intriguing palette. “You approach it through this portal underneath the bridge, and it opens up onto a gorgeous main street. The incorporated nature provides a nice balance, allowing the muse of nature to interplay with the architecture,” Roig explained.
From musicians to a Lunar New Year lion dance figure that looks like a dragon, this spirited mural draws in the observer. Each illustration engages passersby and ignites curiosity. “So, in my mind the magic starts with a spark: an idea turned into an action — the musician blows through the tuba or pushes the air through the accordion,” said Roig. “I want you to hear this music — tap into a sensorial experience while you see this piece and let that energy move from the music throughout the dancers, the dragon, the lights on the marquee and the fireworks! I’m inviting the viewer to access their imagination and follow their own muse.”
A self-described multidisciplinary artist, Roig said that although he works in varied mediums, he is “fundamentally” a printmaker who creates his own hand-cut paper stencils.
Taking an introductory screenprinting class in college was a revelation for Roig. “I immediately fell in love with the initial hand-cutting stencil process, which my teacher saw I had a natural connection with,” he said. He went on to sell his hand-cut prints at pop-ups, street festivals, and frame shops while attending Kean University where he earned his B.A. in fine arts. (He was later selected as artist in residence there in 2023–24, created a family scholarship at the university, and is now a special advisor for its galleries.)
“I’ve been making art this way for 20 years, and it took off successfully right away because it has a unique look, a one-of-a-kind process, and it’s charged with vivid energy,” Roig mused. He has made more than 18 murals in New Jersey and is currently working on murals in Hoboken, Fanwood, and Manhattan’s East Village. In 2015, he and his wife opened their own art gallery in Hoboken. They now have three additional locations: in Montclair, Westfield, and Chatham. They live in Scotch Plains with their two sons.
“Metuchen Magic” is in line with Roig’s early work. “With this mural most of everything you see has been cut from stencils and the paint is sprayed through them onto the wall,” he said. “I didn’t use a brush — just spray paint, a knife and boards/paper to cut the shapes in. Building upon shapes you create your image and the layering process is such a thrill.”
Choosing what images to include in a mural is an intuitive process for Roig. “I source imagery that symbolizes the town in a way that aligns with my creative vision and then compose it accordingly,” he said, adding that he then prints out a large image and attaches it to the wall in sections. “I then use an x-acto knife to cut shapes and spray paint those shapes, layer after layer, color after color. I don’t really think too hard about it – [I] just go with the flow and have fun,” he said.
Part of the fun of working on the mural included Metuchenites providing coffee, water and lunches, in addition to encouragement, Roig added.
“There were many posts on social media when the mural was ongoing,” Mackey said. “Lots of pics with Ricardo. He is very energetic and engaging, and he had some visitors contribute to the mural by spraying a portion of the confetti which was a nod to our Great American Main Street Award win in 2023. So, in a small way, it was a community project,” Mackey said.
Jonathan Busch, the mayor of Metuchen, is also pleased with Roig’s work. “Ricardo Roig has an incredible ability to create work that feels both vibrant and deeply connected to the community around it,” he said, via email. “His murals are not just visually striking; they tell a story and create a sense of place. We’re proud to have his work in Metuchen, and I think the mural reflects the creativity, diversity, and sense of optimism that people feel when they spend time in our downtown.”
As for the title of the mural, it has a surprising source. It turns out that David Copperfield, one of the most famous magicians in modern times, was born in Metuchen.
