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City of Rahway, NJ — Public Art Program
Municipal Public Art Portfolio, 2023–2026 — Administered by Rachael Faillace
Over three years, I led the City of Rahway’s public art program essentially from the ground up — selecting artists, reviewing contracts, managing fabrication and installation, and working with funding across different mechanisms including: public-private development partnerships, state and federal grant programs, and the Special Improvement District’s façade improvement fund.
The Challenge: Rahway wanted to build its public art identity but needed to establish a process for selecting artists, managing contracts and insurance, and coordinating funding across multiple sources and stakeholders.
The Approach: I built the program’s process from scratch — artist vetting, finalizing contract templates, and standardizing insurance requirements — while working within a funding strategy set by the city’s business administrator that combined grants, private development partnerships, and municipal programs. I then ran point on every project through completion, working closely with artists, city departments, and community partners at each stage and executing within each funding mechanism.
The Result: Nine completed public art installations across the city, each fully funded, insured, and delivered on schedule — with a tenth nearing completion.
This mural by the artist Glossblack welcomes residents and visitors in the heart of downtown Rahway. The project was completed in 2025.
Location: Rahway, NJ
A ceramic tile mosaic celebrating the cultural diversity of Rahway’s Latin American community, being installed on the base of a fountain in Rahway Arts District Park.
A vintage postcard-style welcome mural honoring Rahway’s connection to innovator Nikola Tesla and the city’s history as “The Carriage City of the World.”
Rahway's Madden basketball courts were transformed in partnership with Project Backboard, a nonprofit organization dedicated to renovating public outdoor basketball courts and integrating large-scale artwork to foster community engagement, improve park safety, and inspire multi-generational play.
A mural honoring Peruvian folklore and heritage, funded in part through the Rahway SID’s Façade Improvement Program.
A large-scale mural honoring Carl Sagan, Nikola Tesla, and Merck biochemist Jeannette E. Brown, funded through a public-private partnership with a local developer.
A mural at Rahway Arts District Park depicting native flowering species, developed in consultation with Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
A mural addressing climate resiliency and coastal flooding awareness, funded by NOAA and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection in partnership with the NJ State Council on the Arts.
A 4,500-square-foot abstract mural at 84 Monroe Street, funded through a public-private partnership with a local developer.
A mirror-finish stainless steel monument featuring three quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fabricated by Central Sheet Metal Fabricators, Inc. — a rare project where I served as both designing artist and project administrator.
The Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ — February–June 2025
Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, chronicling the achievements of African American aviators and astronauts from Bessie Coleman to Mae Jemison. I designed the installation of the exhibition at The Gallery Space in Rahway — bringing a nationally touring Smithsonian exhibition into a local gallery space and translating it for the community.
City Hall Plaza, Rahway, NJ — February 2024
“The Beacon of Hope,” a bronze monument of Harriet Tubman by sculptor Wesley Wofford, tours the country as part of a national “Freedom Tour”. I brought the monument to Rahway as the tour’s third stop, coordinating directly with Wofford Sculpture Studio and handling the installation logistics, alongside a month of Black History Month programming around its visit.
Union County Performing Arts Center, Rahway, NJ — October 2025
I coordinated with UK-based artist Luke Jerram’s studio to bring Museum of the Moon — a 23-foot illuminated lunar model — to Rahway, suspended above the orchestra section inside UCPAC’s historic theater. I conceptualized the surrounding festival concept, a series of performances and presentations staged beneath the installation, with UCPAC ultimately programming the specific events. The festival ran October 4–20, 2025, presented in partnership by the City of Rahway, the Rahway Special Improvement District, and UCPAC.
Rahway, NJ —
October 4, 2025
I organized and executed Moonlit Market, an open-air night market of local artists and makers. The market was timed with the opening night of the Festival of the Moon and the rising evening moon. The lantern-lit market featured art, small batch, and artisan-made goods.
The Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ — September–December 2025
I curated Astronomia, a group exhibition of fine art and astrophotography inspired by the night sky, timed to run alongside the Festival of the Moon. The exhibition featured six artists — Gianluca Bianchino, Jacki Dickert, Michelle Farro, Karen Fitzgerald, Heather Palecek, and Sophia Sobers — shown alongside images of nebulae and stars by local astrophotographer Michael Presley.
The Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ —
April–June 2026
I curated Face(t)s of America, a group exhibition reflecting the diversity of stories, family histories, cultural traditions, and personal and community identities that make up the American experience. The exhibition featured visual artists Rodríguez Calero, Dong Kyu Kim, Carlos Mateu, Roxanna Meléndez, Diane Phares, and Duquann Sweeney, with an artists’ reception featuring special performances by the New Jeru Poetry Slam Team.
Public Art presents a unique opportunity for placemaking and community identity. Involvement in the public art process instills a sense of civic pride and ownership within a community. It helps bring together people with diverse perspectives and improves the quality of life for all.