In October 2019, the Arts Council of Princeton announced that work would begin on a mural entitled Journey, located at John Street and Leigh Avenue. Lead artist, Marlon “7oveChild” Davila, who grew up in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood and was the ACP’s Fall 2019 Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence, brought his art to life on the exterior wall of La Lupita Groceries.
Marlon Davila is a first-generation Guatemalan who was born and raised in Princeton. Davila’s main goal is for his art is to open people’s eyes to other perspectives on life and the world that we all share. His artwork is influenced by nature, romanticism, surrealism, and the use of symbols as representation of an idea. His bold use of color is a direct link to his Mayan ancestry as is his knowledge of fashion, culture and above all, love.
