Q&A: Muralist and Bernardsville native Caren Frost Olmsted
From left to right: Agnes Golen, Patrick Healy, Caren Frost Olmsted
Atop a tucked-away second-story garage studio we recently caught up with muralist and Bernardsville native, Caren Frost Olmsted, as she worked with volunteers to put finishing touches on the recently unveiled Mt. Airy bridge mural. Among an assortment of paint, brushes, and hung mural cloth there was more than color being applied to the canvas. There was deep care and genuine excitement.
Olmsted shared with us the journey to conceptualizing and completing the Bernardsville mural, which began back in 2019 as a community brainstorm. And while the vibrant, inclusive mural that now welcomes visitors and residents alike into Olcott Square is her latest completed work, it’s also a testament to more than two decades of professional mural arts dedication. Beyond her passion for painting, Olmsted has a passion for sharing her gift with others - and in this case, the people in the place where she grew up.
Caren has been the owner and principal of CFO Design for nearly two decades. Her projects range from large and small scale murals, corporate, educational, project management, and art direction. The variety and diversity of her work is something she embraces each and every day.
Read more about what Caren loved about growing up in Bernardsville, what sparked her interest in the arts, and more below.
VB: What were some of your best memories from growing up in Bernardsville?
CFO: Marching in the Memorial Day parade with the Girl Scouts; watching the Olympic torch get run past our little street off 202; taking every kids art class at Somerset Art Association (now CCA- Center for Contemporary Art) and then painting classes with Lee Hughes; painting the sets for the High School plays (Godspell, Barnum, and more!).
VB: What inspired you to start painting and pursuing art?
CFO: I always loved drawing and painting. When I was little my parents began taking me to art classes at Somerset Art Association (now CCA), which was above the Far Hills Police Station. I took every class that they could fit me in! As I got to high school, at that time, there were not any programs geared for teens, so my mom begged and pleaded to get me into an adult painting class where I was fortunate enough to get to paint with Lee Hughes—a wonderful artist who was an inspiring teacher. We did studio/easel work in the winter and plein-air outdoor painting in the spring and summer. I loved every minute of it. If you have a chance, check out his work—you may see a reflection of his work in mine.
CFO: What does it mean to you to be sharing your gift with your hometown in this way?
Bernardsville is a very special town and I am very grateful that I get to celebrate the history and the people of my hometown!
VB: Do you have a favorite area of this mural or an aspect of it that you're particularly proud of?
CFO: I love the actual process of making art with people of all ages and abilities, watching the pride and ownership that develops when people see their ideas and the areas that they painted up on the wall is priceless. After a year of social separation and isolation, seeing the joy that volunteer painters had in mingling and making brought tears to my eyes multiple times. But since you are probably asking more about the actual art itself, I have to say that I am mighty pleased with the cup of coffee and everything bagel. Makes me want to tuck into a cozy cup of joe.
VB: When walkers, runners, bikes, and drivers pass by the mural each day, what do you hope they see?
CFO: I hope that they see images that reflect them and their friends and families and experiences and some of their favorite things about Bernardsville. I also hope that they will see something new each time and are continually surprised by all the aspects that reflect the community, people, history, and landscape of our gorgeous little town.
