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Atlantic City’s Mural Scene Is on the Rise—Per Capita, Keeping Pace with Mural Capital Philadelphia
Michael Atkins, Executive Director | April 14, 2025
Atlantic City’s not-so-distant cousin Philadelphia was recently recognized by USA Today for the second time in three years as the “Mural Capital of the World” and the nation’s best city for street art. This is largely due to the stellar efforts of Mural Arts Philadelphia, which has overseen the installation of 4,000 murals since its inception in 1984. We tip our hats to the exceptional accomplishments and well-deserved recognition for Philadelphia’s public arts achievements (and cheer on the recent E-A-G-L-E-S mini mural in honor of their championship run).
But let’s look deeper into the numbers. Philadelphia boasts 4,000 murals for a citywide population of 1.5 million people; Atlantic City is proudly home to 102 murals and counting, for a population of approximately 40,000 full-time residents. This means that while Philadelphia is about 40x larger than Atlantic City, both cities maintain the same number of “murals per capita” given their population size. This is cause for civic pride and enthusiasm behind our local efforts at the Atlantic City Arts Foundation to foster opportunities for emerging and established artists to utilize our public spaces as canvases for their creativity.
Of course, full-time residents are only part of the story here in Atlantic City, where tourism tops a whopping 27 million visitors annually. Visit AC is renewing their efforts along with our local Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce to continue their part in attracting tourists and visitors to our city. While Atlantic City has unique gaming and convention attractions that bring people to our city, it is important to note that 80% of all tourism in the United States is driven by arts, cultural heritage, and history. We have a huge opportunity as a local arts community to continue to grow and become an increasingly appealing tourism destination through our community's embrace of the arts.
Recently, muralist Heather Deegan Hires installed ACAF’s 102nd mural, located at 2600 Pacific Avenue. The mural, titled “We are Blooming into a Beautiful Neighborhood,” was designed by local high school student Rai Chowdhury, and commissioned by Chelsea EDC to highlight their work with C.R.O.P.S. in establishing the Farmer’s Row food hub. We invite the public to join us at 4 pm on Friday, May 2, 2025 for an unveiling celebration to recognize the 102nd mural in Atlantic City and draw attention to the exciting work underway at Farmer’s Row.
This year, the Atlantic City Arts Foundation is overseeing three mural refurbishments (“Close Encounters,” “Mind Power,” and “A Little Bit of Everyone”), three mural re-installations (“Z is for Zebra,” “NJ Osprey Project,” and “Oystercatchers”) and two new mural commissions. These mural projects are supported by a generous grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and you can read more about its transformative effect on our organization and community in a separate blog. We will discuss and share the timeline for each of these projects at our upcoming Spring Arts Mixer on May 7 at Anchor Rock Club! Don’t miss this chance to learn more about public arts in Atlantic City while connecting with other artists and creatives who love it here.
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Big News: NJEDA Grant Fuels Exciting Public Art Projects in 2025!
Michael Atkins, Executive Director | March 3, 2025
We are beyond thrilled to share exciting news—the Atlantic City Arts Foundation has received long-awaited grant funding from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority! This significant investment in public art will enable us to bring even more creativity and vibrancy to our city, supporting two brand-new mural installations and six mural refurbishments throughout 2025.
Even more exciting, this funding has allowed us to hire a full-time program manager, ensuring that we can effectively coordinate and execute these projects while strengthening our long-term impact on the community. This grant represents a major boost for public arts in Atlantic City and is truly transformative for our organization.
For those unfamiliar, NJEDA launched the Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) Program in 2023, which established a “one-time grant opportunity to support economic recovery in urban areas with mass transit that have faced economic harms from the reduction of commuters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” The ART program directs public funding specifically to Atlantic City and Newark to aid in real estate rehabilitation and public space activation initiatives; Atlantic City Arts Foundation originally won a grant in Spring 2024 for public space activation by proposing rehabilitations and new installations and organizational support to administer these public art projects.
What’s Next?
With this incredible support, we’re now diving into the planning phase. Our next steps involve scheduling and strategizing with various project teams to develop a series of inspiring murals that showcase the talent of local and regional artists. Each project will be designed with public enjoyment in mind, enriching our shared spaces with bold, beautiful, and thought-provoking works of art. It is also our intention to celebrate each mural restoration and installation with a significant public event that invites the public to applaud and appreciate our artists, and for all of us to celebrate the positive impact arts are having on Atlantic City. We can’t wait to collaborate with artists and community members to bring these pieces to life!
Adapting to Challenges
As with any grant-funded initiative, there are certain restrictions and requirements we must adhere to. In order to meet state funding guidelines, we’ve had to reassess some aspects of the project scope. This means that, in some cases, we’ve needed to adjust mural sites or artist concepts to align with these regulations. We recognize that these changes may come as a disappointment to some, please know that our commitment to supporting public art and uplifting our creative community remains unwavering.
Since I took the role of executive director in September 2024, I have worked closely with our grant officers in state government and community partners to preserve as much of this project as possible, while moving our funding forward through the review and approval process. I want to extend a thank you to the half a dozen advocates within the NJ Economic Development Authority who worked as partners with the Atlantic City Arts Foundation to see to it that we could alter our scope to achieve the goal of funding art projects in Atlantic City. Over the past twenty weeks it has been a concerted effort to ensure this funding, which we view as allocated to the artists and community of Atlantic City as much as to our organization, can reach our community and support projects throughout the city.
At the core of this initiative is our dedication to empowering local and regional artists while fostering civic pride. Public art is a powerful tool for storytelling, engagement, and transformation, and we are eager to ensure that this funding is maximized to its fullest potential.
Stay Tuned
There’s so much more to come! In the weeks ahead, we’ll be sharing updates on artists, project locations, and ways the community can get involved. Be sure to follow along as we embark on this exciting journey to beautify Atlantic City with inspiring public art.
New, 167 S. Tennessee Ave. (Midtown)
Relocation, 1512 Pacific Ave. (Midtown)
Relocation, 23-25 S. Kentucky Ave. (Midtown)
Rehabilitation, 1512 Pacific Ave. (Midtown)
Rehabilitation, 7 So. Carolina Ave. (Midtown)
New, 416 Atlantic Ave. (Inlet)
Rehabilitation, 900 Mediterranean Ave. (Inlet)
Rehabilitation, 111 N. Sovereign Ave. (Chelsea)
PRESS RELEASE: 101st Mural “Beneath the Waves” unveiled by Atlantic City Arts Foundation at Hot Bagels
PRESS RELEASE: 101st Mural “Beneath the Waves” unveiled by Atlantic City Arts Foundation at Hot Bagels
Press Release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — The Atlantic City Arts Foundation is proud to announce the completion of its 101st mural in the city. “Beneath the Waves” by artist Susan Daly now adorns Hot Bagels and More at 212 Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City. A public mural unveiling was held at 11am on October 31, 2024.
Lead artist Susan Daly’s artistic journey is defined by a rich legacy of crafting bespoke artwork for diverse clientele, including casinos, restaurants, and private commissions. She was born in Trenton and holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in NYC for Illustration. Daly has transformed numerous walls with her masterpieces over the years; her extensive portfolio showcases a myriad of artistic expressions, revealing a deep passion for her craft. Her roots in South Jersey anchor her work, with prominent locations in Atlantic City, where she installed the blue skies in The Quarter at Tropicana and at Caesar’s. For the 101st mural, Daly’s design was selected by a review committee of the Atlantic City Arts Foundation and Inlet Community Development Corporation representatives in consultation with the Hot Bagels owners. Daly, who lives in nearby Northfield, was assisted in installing this mural by exceptional local artist Marcos Monteiro, who is himself an aquarium enthusiast.
“Beneath the Waves” illustrates the local fish we catch and consume, and the marine giants we protect and avoid. The mural’s electric style uses natural and unnatural colors in a loose painting style. This produces a fun, vibrant, eye-catching, whimsical illustration with blue swirls representing ocean currents and breezes that anchor the large elements together. Each image was outlined in deep red to complement the vibrant logo colors of the bagel shop logo. Included in the local marine life mural are fish (stripers, flounder, cod, and tog), blue claw crabs, oysters, clams, scallops, mussels, jellyfish, stingrays, a seal, a hammerhead shark and a humpback whale. The utility meter behind the building has been transformed into a bright octopus. Seagulls greet customers on the building facade, eager for a scrap of pork roll, egg, and cheese.
This project is a partnership between the Atlantic City Arts Foundation and the Inlet CDC to support small businesses and bring art to the vibrant Inlet neighborhood, situated at the north end of Absecon Island. Inlet CDC coordinated support for the business to beautify its facade, install new windows, and sponsor the artwork.
Susan Daly, lead artist, shared:
I paint for the people and design for the location. When I saw the call for proposal and visited Hot Bagels the first thing I saw was the electric utility meter as an octopus. From there I drew on my childhood love of crabbing, fishing, and the fresh fish we enjoy. I also wanted to include the dolphins and whales that swim in our waters and tragically wash up on our beaches. The best part of painting this mural was meeting such great people and experiencing the excitement of the community for my creation. Thank you to everyone who stopped to say hello and for allowing me to contribute my mural art to the Inlet neighborhood of Atlantic City.
Michael Atkins, Executive Director, commented:
I absolutely love the design and artistry Sue has brought to an iconic Atlantic City business. Her attention to the wonderful diversity of local marine life invites a mindfulness that we are one with the ocean even when we enjoy a breakfast sandwich. I am grateful that Sue lent her creative talents to the city at a location that I know will attract many admirers.
Atlantic City Art Foundation’s 101st Mural is made possible through the generous support of Inlet Community Development Corporation, with additional support from New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.
About the Atlantic City Arts Foundation
The Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s diverse programs and partnerships activate community pride and civic self-esteem through interaction with public art, including the city’s largest mural arts program. The Atlantic City Arts Foundation is dedicated to increasing public art access and fostering community art appreciation in Atlantic City, NJ. Programs include 48 Blocks Atlantic City, Chalk About AC and ARTeriors. The Atlantic City Arts Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Learn more at www.atlanticcityartsfoundation.org/.
Media Contact
Michael Atkins
michael@atlanticcityartsfoundation.org
(609) 217-5569