'Selfie' Butterfly, Poem Painted On Front Of Pharmacy By Arts Council In Bergen County

GLEN ROCK, NJ — After exploring ideas to combine visual arts with poetry in an effort to beautify downtown, the Glen Rock Arts Council was inspired by a poem to paint a "selfie" butterfly in the open space at 199 Rock Road next to Rock Ridge Pharmacy.

The poem, by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, reads:

"'Just living is not enough,'

Said the butterfly.

'One must have sunshine, freedom,

And a little flower.'"

The poem’s lettering and an accompanying 10-by-12-foot butterfly and caterpillar, all created by arts council members, complement existing designs on the pharmacy’s front windows, the council said.

"The butterfly provides a unique photo op," Stacey Gilmartin, of the arts council, said. "Not only can Glen Rock shoppers stop by to enjoy the poem and the art, they’ll also be able to take it with them in a selfie.

Poems on six storefronts along Rock Road came earlier this year, in late April, accompanied by spring-themed art, and this project started in June.

“The goal of this art installation is for passersby to see different elements each time they view it,” Gilmartin said.

With the approval of the pharmacy owners, arts council members primed and painted the wall — a temporary installation, due to the pharmacy's plans to renovate the building exterior.