Scrappy, in the best way!

Julia is a New Jersey-based reuse artist, muralist, and educator working under JVWcreates LLC. She transforms discarded and donated materials — plastic bottle caps, bread tags, single-use plastics — into large-scale public art installations and mixed-media artworks that highlight sustainability, collective action, and environmental stewardship.

Raised in a family of creatives — a jeweler, a potter, and various crafters — she grew up with the freedom to experiment. Her process often begins with community collaboration: friends, family, and neighbors help collect everyday items that are usually discarded. Through recycled art, she hopes to make visible the impact of single-use plastics and inspire others to reuse, repurpose, and see value in what might otherwise be thrown away.

Once a dancer, cruise line employee, and elementary school teacher, Julia now brings years of varied experience to her work as an artist and educator. With a Master of Education, she leads recycled art workshops and youth programs throughout the region. She also serves as Chair and Co-Founder of the Children’s Museum of Central Jersey (CMOCJ).

She lives happily in the Brainy Boro with her husband and two boys.