Stone Soup Community Mural
Herkimer, NY
The Art Thing Collaborative, Inc. is teaming up with Lead Artist Justin Como and other local community Artists to create a brand new community mural at Stone Soup on Main Street in Herkimer, NY.
About the Mural:
The Herkimer Stone Soup Mural (aka: Art Thing #5) takes its name from the restaurant it lives behind, but puts a local spin on the Stone Soup children’s book story, turning it into a Herkimer-style soup of local culture, identity, and place. Every ingredient in the mural, from Sam the mule, the Erie Canal, Lock 18, farmland, veggies, Herkimer Diamonds, rolling hills, the Mohawk river and even a figure in a magic bunny suit, all represent something real and rooted here in the Herkimer story.
The wall is being painted by local artists 100% volunteering their time, talent, and heart. Lead by Herkimer College Art Professor Justin Como, the team includes Dan Marrone, a Herkimer-based teacher and part of the original devising team alongside Justin and Art Thing co-founders Carly Proulx and Nick Stag, Roland Randal, long time local and talented painter. Maria Vallese, cucumber muralist extraordinaire. And many more.
But like any good pot of stone soup, this mural isn’t ever finished without YOU!
“It’s meant to feel open, alive, and incomplete until the community surrounds it. The silhouetted figures, and other relatable elements are things that allow you to sort of pop yourself into the story. A lone diner faces out toward the patio, inviting you to sit down, share what you’ve got, and be part of something made for all of us, together.”
This isn’t just a painting on a wall. It’s an Art Thing, and that means it’s built from shared vision and meaning, with room for everyone at the table.
Painting popped off at a live painting and Mohawk Valley Gives community fundraising event on September 15, 2025, and it’s set to wrap up in November.
Meet the Lead Artist: Justin Como
Justin Como is an incredible visual artist and the Assistant Professor of Studio Art at Herkimer College, bringing serious talent (and serious heart) to this project and the Mohawk Valley. Originally from Greenwood, Mississippi, Justin holds a BFA from SUNY Oswego and an MFA from Ohio University, and has taught art at the college level for years, most recently at Mississippi Valley State.
Now based in Herkimer, Justin is big in the local arts scene, most recently as the Lead Artist behind the new Stone Soup Mural. His creative style blends deep technical skill with an eye for the story, symbolism, and ability to capture that community connection. From sculpture and painting to photography and design, Justin brings the whole visual art toolbox, and a belief that art belongs to everyone.
This mural isn’t just a wall project, it’s a community thing. And Justin’s at the heart of it, volunteering an immense amount of his time and skill and talent to help make the shared soup of the Herkimer story visible for all to see.