By Gabriella Bancheri
Street art is easily one of my favorite forms of artwork, mainly because its public display fosters a sense of accessibility, inclusion, and community. But also because it gives a visual representation of the place the art lives in. It gives a place its own distinct character.
And thanks to the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, Atlantic City’s character is only becoming more colorful and robust.
In June 2024, the AC Arts foundation will unveil its 100th commissioned mural, set to be painted by the Swiss muralist and “artivist” Mona Caron. The mural is currently slated to appear on The Atlantic and it will be a part of a larger series of murals entitled “Weeds”.
Paintings included in the series can be found in places from Portugal to Switzerland to the States and the series speaks mainly to community resilience through the depiction of resilient urban flora.
Executive Director of the Arts Foundation, Kate O’Malley shared that “the Weeds series celebrates autonomous, resilient creatures that are growing through the cracks, which I think really resonates with Atlantic City.”
Kate has also mentioned that Mona is doing extensive research on local wildlife located on the Jersey Shore to be sure the painting both fits the scale of the building and reflects the particular location.
As of right now, the mural is set to be unveiled in June, during the 48 Blocks festival, AC Arts Foundation’s flagship program. The festival is a citywide celebration dedicated to local art and culture across all of AC’s blocks.
Embracing the nature of its name, the event features 48+ projects and spans over 48 hours, giving local artist and residents a chance to share and celebrate the city’s people, art and culture. The event features concerts performed by local musicians and arts and writing initiatives.
It was from this initiative that the now robust mural program came to be. And in 2019, AC Mural Week was launched and the city’s first international artist, BKFoxx, who created the iconic “Not for Sale” mural. She was one of the first artists of her caliber to “take a chance on AC,” Kate explains.
Since then, the Foundation has created 96 murals to date—and they don’t intend to stop at the 100th.
Although, not without the help of local artists like Zach Katzen, owner of Create 48 and co-founder of Union Hall Arts, and Loryn Simonsen, previous communications manager and currently the graphic design consultant for the Arts Foundation.
Kate, who began at the Arts Foundation immediately after graduating college, is an AC local herself. Throughout her experience working with artists and communicating with other locals in the city, Kate shares that she’s “come to fall in love with the community and understand the need for this stuff.” Initiatives like this boost community morale, tourism, and economic development.
The AC Arts Foundation is also recent recipient of an NJEDA arts grant amounting to nearly $250,000, and because the Foundation is completely funded by grants and donations, this is huge news for its future.
The grant will help the organization pay for a variety of much needed luxuries they’ve been functioning without, including a van, computers, contractors, and additional supporting staff. The organization isn’t the only thing getting an upgrade, though. Mural Rewind Week, which will be hosted this June, will focus on the restoration of seven existing AC murals.
As for the city’s upcoming multistory spectacle, Kate says they’re planning to “knock it outta the park.” The initiative is great for the community, but it also puts AC on the map in the world of art. It is a signifier that the community “demands to be taken just as seriously” as other places.
It’s clear that organizations like the AC Arts Foundation have found the pulse of AC: not just in the city’s art, but in its ability to use art to promote a stronger sense of community.
Gabriella is a Ventnor City resident and graduate of the University of London with an MA in Creative Writing and Publishing. Her writing is featured in a variety of digital publications ranging from food and beverage to literature to ecotourism.
