A new mural is proudly displayed at Borough Hall
By: Jamie Simpson
JAMESBURG Splashed on the wall of Borough Hall are vibrant colors and images, all portraying the rich history of Jamesburg.
Four months of research and eight months of painting led Monroe Township resident and artist Bobby Duncan to his finished masterpiece, a mural, which is now proudly on display at the Borough Hall.
The mural details the history of Jamesburg, beginning with the American Indians and ending with the present day. It was unveiled at Borough Hall on Jan. 22.
"I can’t take my eyes off of it," Mr. Duncan said. "The town also seems crazy about it."
Mr. Duncan, 55, is a professional artist who has been painting and sculpting all of his adult life. He received a master’s degree in sculpting and printmaking from Washington University in St. Louis. He said he began drawing at the age of 3.
Mr. Duncan was approached by Jamesburg’s Mayor Tony LaMantia and Anna Ashkenez, the head of the Middlesex Cultural and Heritage Commission, to work on the mural. While on a tour of the Statehouse in Trenton, Mayor LaMantia spotted a mural of the history of the city.
"I thought it would be a nice thing for the borough to have and came up with the grant and the artist to work on it," Mayor LaMantia said.
The project was launched over a year ago and Mr. Duncan had painstakingly devoted a large amount of time and energy to complete the mural. The moral portrays various landscapes throughout Jamesburg such as the railroad, Jamesburg High School and the Buckelew House.
"I had no pictures of Jamesburg’s early history," Mr. Duncan said. "I had to imagine what everything looked like."
Mr. Duncan said the mural was one of his most difficult projects so far. The buildings and portraits are painted with exquisite detail and care.
"I built my own wooden panels just so I could fit the painting into my house. Each part of the painting is in pieces then we put them together for the finished mural," Mr. Duncan said. "Murals are really something because they are quite big and I’m a bit of a showoff."
There has been positive feedback from Jamesburg residents. Mr. Duncan said he gets a phone call praising him for the mural every day.
Funding for the mural came from a state grant and a grant from the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission. However, future grant money may not be distributed due to the recent cultural grant cutback that Gov. James McGreevey has proposed.
"Artists suffer in a poor economy," Mr. Duncan said. "A few of my other projects have been canceled due to cutbacks and the economy."
To view some of Mr. Duncan’s artwork his Web site address is: www.valweb.org/duncan2.html. He can be reached at [email protected].

