About the Artist: Frenemy, aka Kris Kotcher, creates vibrant and playful illustrations inspired by street art, children’s books, cartoons, and graffiti. Originally from Austin, TX, he currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His work has been displayed across the U.S. and Asia, including designs for products such as Converse Shoes, breweries, skateboards, clothing lines, homegoods, and more. Frenemy has led international workshops and lectures on street art and illustration for students from elementary to high school levels.

Born to Explore: Frenemy’s large-scale mural covers two walls of a building sitting at the corner of Haven and Exchange Streets in Fair Haven. Located at the intersection of residential and industrial use, and across from John S. Martinez Elementary School, this corner has been neglected and used as an unofficial trash dump. Now connected to the Mill River Trail, the site is undergoing an important transformation. It has attracted the attention of groups like Save the Sound, who have spent several years converting this space into a “green space” that not only creates a beautiful park for residents to enjoy, but restores native plant and animal life while filtering water runoff into the Mill River. 

To support these efforts, Site Projects commissioned Frenemy to design his mural to reflect the native plants and animals of the Mill River. Viewers are encouraged to make connections between the characters in the mural and the wildlife around them: Fair Haven’s famous osprey and horned owls, newts and ladybugs, rainbow trout and bullfrogs.   

Site Projects|New Haven invites you to walk the Mill River Trail and enjoy this new green park and mural in Fair Haven!