Thanks to a program from the mayor's office, gorgeous artist-created murals are popping up in Jersey City faster than a person can keep track of. Luckily, there's an app to help. Available for iOS, free app Canvs (www.canvsart.com) helps users discover and track impressive street art from coast to coast--but it got its start here in Jersey.

The app began as a passion project for Ralph Andre, an advertising creative director. While he loved the murals in his hometown of Jersey City, he found he often didn't know who created them or the story behind them. That curiosity led him to flesh out an app and connect with an iOS developer friend. Canvs launched in the fall of 2016. While the app originally focused on Jersey City, it expanded to other cities last spring.

With Canvs, public art fans can locate and interact with murals all over the city.

They can learn who the artists are and read the stories behind some murals.

Users can also mark which ones they've seen and bookmark favorites. One novel feature called Mural Hunt alerts users when they're within 150 feet of a mural.

"Our goal is to activate communities and encourage users to explore, learn about the artists, and support art culture," Andre says.

Soon after Canvs launched, Andre got an email from Mayor Steven Fulop praising the app and offering his support. That encouragement motivated Andre to keep going, and today the app is growing fast, adding new murals every week.

Andre has plans to do even more with Canvs. An Android version will launch in a few weeks. An augmented reality feature is in the works, but he won't say much about that just yet. Wait and see what develops.

While he's reluctant to name a favorite local mural, Andre says the work by Distort near the Holland Tunnel is a must-see.

"Jersey City has some unbelievable murals and some of the dopest local talent," Andre says. "I hope they continue to push their mural program."

Follow TROY DREIER at http://twitter.com/TDreier or e-mail him at loggedon@mac.com.