Hometown Hero: Zach Katzen

Hometown Hero: Zach Katzen

By Krystle J Bailey

Hometown hero, Zach Katzen is deeply rooted in the culture of Atlantic City. Serving as the Program Director for the AC Arts Foundation and VP of Skate AC, Zach is incredibly well known throughout Atlantic City. However, anyone who knows Zach knows that it isn’t his accolades that make him great, but how he makes people feel. The arts foundation and Skate AC have given Zach a platform to continue to what he’s been doing his entire life – serving as a constant, a pillar, and a friend to the community in Atlantic City.

Growing up, Katzen’s mom worked as a social worker in Atlantic City while his father worked as a Stockton professor and drug counselor in Pleasantville. Having attended work with his mother often as a child, Zach began planting roots in AC at an early age. Throughout his youth, he recalls countless memories of hanging out at Ocean One mall, Alexander’s shoe store, and Crown Records. Many of the local business owners became lifelong friends of Katzen. He became a fixture of sorts in local music stores and barber shops throughout Atlantic City as someone who spent his time and resources supporting the small businesses in his community – not just monetarily but as someone who genuinely cared about the success of local businesses. He spent countless hours fishing in front of Hackney’s with his step father and going out deep sea fishing on Captain Applegate’s boat. Later in life when Zach became a father to his now college aged daughter, he took her to at least two concerts per month in Atlantic City while attending every House of Blues show that came to the city.

Understanding Zach’s history makes it abundantly evident why Zach is now serving in the roles that he is.

“AC is embedded in my personal history so deep that it has always felt like home to me. I’ve made my best friends on these streets and I’ve lost some of those same friends out here as well.” says Katzen.

With a heart as big as Zach’s and such a love for the city, he began seeking opportunities to volunteer his time to enrich the city that he loves. As fate would have it, Zach randomly walked into an ARTeriors exhibit and found his home in the non-profit arena. He asked who organized the event and the rest was history. He jumped in feet first in what was a perfect fit for the lifelong lover of the arts in Atlantic City.

Zach works relentlessly organizing the various art events, mural installations, and the big yearly 48 Blocks Arts Celebration event along with the rest of the AC Arts Foundation team. Zach shares that one of the best parts about working for the foundation has been the friends he has made along the way and the community that has grown in the city that he loves. Being able to honor the talent right here in our backyard and create a space to cultivate art and community is Zach’s pride and joy.

“I hope to be able to continue to grow our arts community and to be able to help support the amazingly talented individuals within AC. I want to extend our reach deeper into the community so that we can increase awareness and bring together all the creatives within our city. There’s way too much thinking of “that’s not for us” when it comes to the arts here.I want the kids making rap videos to feel just as welcomed as a retiree painting flower pots. One of my greatest joys is when I see one of those retirees commenting and liking posts from a younger artist that they met a one of our events. In a small way, it does feel like art is the catalyst for breaking those barriers that have divided us for so long. I hope that our work continues to break those barriers and allow us to see how much common ground we share with our 48 Blocks.” – Zach Katzen.

Krystle J Bailey is a multimedia journalist, freelance writer, and self published author.