ART IN THE ARCHES MURAL PROJECT
Following the resounding success of last year's inaugural mural commissions, we are proud to announce the return of Art in the Arches for 2025. This ambitious public art project will continue to transform Jersey's iconic Elizabeth Marina with 14 vibrant new murals, created through a collaboration between established local artists, school children and community groups.
In 2024 ArtHouse Jersey and Jersey Water worked with artists Will Bertram, Robert Allen, Lucy Oates, Zara Le Cornu and Oli Nightingale to produce murals across 15 arches at the Marina on the theme of ‘Water, water, everywhere’.
The idea for the project originated with local resident Mary Venturini who sees mural art along the Elizabeth Marina as a way of bringing community art and a new cultural identity to the Island. Curated by artist and educator Jacqueline Rutter, this year's project explores the theme ‘Out of the Blue’ - deliberately open-ended to inspire diverse interpretations around identity, sense of place, landfall, and surprise. The murals will be bold and visually engaging, designed to captivate visitors to the marina, both from a distance and up close while complementing the waterfront's natural aesthetic.
Art in the Arches showcases ArtHouse Jersey's commitment to inclusive arts programming, bringing together voices from across the Island's diverse community. Five accomplished local artists - Rian Hotton, Ben Robertson, Layla May Arthur, Aimée Cast, and Abi Overland - will each create individual murals. Rian Hotton's "Beaufort" draws inspiration from the Beaufort wind scale, featuring a central circle symbolizing calm surrounded by keys representing hurricane force, set against a backdrop of a boat breaching waves—a powerful metaphor for our turbulent times. Ben Robertson's "From the Sky - A Brief History of Aviation in Jersey" presents a compelling three-part narrative divided into Air Race, Airfield, and Air Pageant sections, utilizing collaged archival imagery to chronicle Jersey's early 20th century aviation history. Layla May Arthur's "Sunshine" captures the daily celestial journey, interpreting the theme through the sun's emergence from and return to the blue sea each dawn and dusk. Aimée Cast's "What's Beyond?" spotlights the overlooked Grosnez Castle, symbolically rebuilding this ruin as the centerpiece of an imaginative new world, serving as a metaphor for those who don't always fit conventional expectations. Finally, Abi Overland's "Overnight Success" challenges perceptions of sudden achievement, revealing how apparent spontaneous success typically masks years of hidden practice, failure, and persistence beneath the surface. Together, these works offer thought-provoking perspectives on unexpected moments, hidden histories, and the complex narratives that emerge from seemingly ordinary circumstances.
Creativity with community at its heart
Four local schools are central to the project: Hautlieu School, Jersey College for Girls, Springfield Primary, and Rouge Bouillon Primary. Both primary schools serve high percentages of second-language speakers and neurodiverse pupils, making their participation particularly meaningful for community representation.
Innovative educational programme
The educational component represents a continued investment in arts education for Jersey's young people, with each school developing unique responses to the ‘Out of the Blue’ theme. Rouge Bouillon Primary will create ‘Message to My Future Self’, where Year 6 pupils paint messages in bottles as they transition to secondary school, with a digital collection accessible via QR code at the opening. Springfield Primary joins the global ‘Blue Marble Project’, creating space-themed artwork while pledging to become guardians of our planet. ‘Jersey College for Girls’ collaborates with poet Danielle Myers on 'One Woman for One Woman’, celebrating female strength and voice through illustrated poetry. Each school programme has been carefully designed to align with curriculum needs while teaching artistic techniques including perspective, colour theory, proportion, and composition. And finally Hautlieu students have been looking at themes and concepts that are closely linked to Jersey's connection to the sea; fishing, trade and leisure. Ocean Culture Life and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) have partnered to deliver ‘Blue Heart Adventure’, working with five families to create art inspired by L'Etacq's coastal landscape.
The murals will be celebrated at a special event on Thursday 18 September 2025 and will be officially welcomed to the parish by St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft.
Supporting partners
ArtHouse Jersey acknowledges the kind permission of Ports of Jersey in making this ambitious project happen, along with the dedication of participating schools, Ocean Culture Life, CAMHS, and the talented artists and curator who bring creative vision to life. They would also like to thank Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Jersey Development Company, Normans and AA Langois for their donations of space and materials, all of which have helped make this project possible.
The Art in the Arches project builds on ArtHouse Jersey's established track record of delivering high-quality public art that engages communities, supports local talent, and enhances Jersey's cultural landscape for residents and visitors alike.
