BCB Bank recently unveiled a colorful new mural on its newest branch in the Ironbound, painted by local artist Jo-El Lopez. The branch, opened in July, is located at 269 Ferry Street. BCB commissioned the mural as a gift to the neighboring community, according to Thomas Coughlin, BCB President and Chief Executive Officer. Lopez also will be decorating the branch’s interior with a mural.
Lopez is a well-known artist in the Newark Art Community. His work is in the permanent collection of The Newark Museum of Art and The Zimmerli Museum of Art and hung at Gallery Aferro in Newark.
Lopez is noted for his use of “the visual storytelling of traditional realism to comment on the intersection of faith and modernity, the strength of family and the multidimensional contemporary urban experience,” according to Gallery Aferro.
“Jo-El is the ideal choice to create a work of art on the side of BCB Bank here in Newark because he is an artist who is firmly embedded in the community,” Coughlin said. “BCB is a community bank proud to be serving the Ironbound, a close-knit community filled with hard-working small business owners as well as artists. Jo-El’s work brings additional beauty to the neighborhood. The mural reflects the vibrancy of the Small Business Community we are helping to support.”
Coughlin also noted that, while BCB Bank is a resource center for Small Business Owners, the Bank also caters to the banking needs of their families and the community.
“Our tagline is ‘Making An Impact’ and that’s exactly what we are accomplishing,” he said. “We are dedicated to supporting small businesses with our products and services and the wider community with our trademark grassroots community support, which includes financial support, volunteering, and participation. We look forward to a long tradition of being an integral part of the Ironbound Business District.
