Spark Newton—the local nonprofit formerly known as Newton Community Pride—is making the Albemarle Field and new Gath Pool area a little more beautiful.

The organization has gifted a new mural for the Gath Pool bathhouse, titled “Waterways.”

Spark Newton commissioned the four-piece mural, and a committee of representatives from Spark, Friends of Albemarle and the Boys & Girls Club, as well as local artists and business owners picked multimedia artist Amanda Hill to create it.

“Hill is a talented multimedia artist and muralist who is known for her dedication to public art and its power to bring joy and build community,” Blair Lesser Sullivan, executive director, said in announcing the mural. “Her work often elevates the ordinary and celebrates shared human experiences, making her a perfect fit for this highly visible public space.”

In her artist’s statement, Hill explains her inspiration for the mural:

“The inspiration behind this piece stems from the local wildlife and fish native to the Newton area. As if underwater, the piece uses color and slight abstraction to emphasize the feeling of movement, waves and weightlessness. The bright aquas, blues and greens were used strategically to pair well with the surrounding brick…The waterways that inspired this piece are teeming with life and diversity—paralleling Newton’s own vibrancy and uniqueness.”

The selection committee was chaired by Spark Newton Board member Dinny Starr and included: Linda de Valpine, Margo Ezekiel, Jacqueline Freeman, Gloria Gavris, Grey Held, Meryl Kessler, Vickie Leggett, Emily O’Neil, Janet Porcaro, Cedar Pruitt, Victoria Riccardi and David Sellers. Hill was selected from a group of finalists that also included Jamie Chan, Ruby Rose and Sophy Tuttle.

“We were in the amazing position of having four terrific design submissions from the finalists,” Starr said. “It was a hard choice, but Amanda Hill’s murals will be a perfect bold, dynamic and beautiful addition to the Gath Pool building and surrounding area.”

There will be a dedication ceremony on Sept. 30.