In an effort to bring 48 Blocks Atlantic City to the community in the summer of 2020, members of the South Jersey Poets Collective penned writing prompts for the Atlantic City Arts Foundation Murals. These writing prompts are inspired by the mural they accompany, and we hope they inspire you to write something of your own, in a notebook or on your cellphone.
Care to share your creation? Post on social media and tag @acartsfoundation #MuralWritingAC.
Writing Prompts:
“Recycled Reef” by Robert Rossiello
Atlantic Cape Community College – Worthington Campus
Spend some time looking at the many creatures in Robert Rossiello's “Recycled Reef.” Observe how seamlessly Rossiello has integrated the discarded material, how plastic, metal, glass, and other elements give shape to the sea life. Now, think about the various materials and products that shape your existence and environment. Write about how these things reflect the rich diversity of your own life and how they connect you to others.
“Gà” by Mark Chu
Com Gà Ninh Kieu, 1124 Atlantic Avenue
Gà is Vietnamese for chicken, which Mark Chu learned when he translated the name of the restaurant’s wall he painted. Chickens often get a bad rap: when someone is afraid, others might call them “chicken;” messy handwriting is dubbed “chicken scratch;” and “to lay an egg” is to perform poorly. However, chickens are incredibly social and cooperative creatures, and they take care of their own. Write a poem or story in praise of the “chickens” in your life. Who makes sure everyone else is fed? Who tends the flock?
“Find Your Way” by Bernie McCabe
14 S. Tennessee Ave.
Bernie McCabe’s mural “Find Your Way” reminds us that “life is a maze.” Think about your own starting point. Think about how many times you’ve been turned around or when the way revealed itself to you. Write a poem or story that details the maze(s) of your life, and if you’re up for a challenge, write it as a series of instructions. For example: Begin in the hospital on Pacific Avenue, the one that shares a parking lot with Caesars. Follow the sidewalk to Grandma’s kitchen and the stuffed bear you named Benjamin….
“Bright Skies” by Manuela Guillén
Sovereign & Arctic Aves
What brightens your sky? Positive affirmations bloom in the vibrant landscape of Manuela Guillén’s “Bright Skies.” Spend some time with the images and text in the mural. Which speak to you? Write a poem or story that uses one of the affirmations as a springboard into your piece.
“Rincón Garden” by Amor Bautista
El Rincón Del Sabor, 2501 Pacific Ave
Amor Bautista’s “Rincón Garden” features sunflowers and butterflies. In various traditions and lore, the former often symbolize longevity and loyalty, while the latter represent transformation. As you have grown and changed, to what have you remained loyal? Write about your own journey from caterpillar to gorgeous winged thing and what has been a constant for you.
“Greetings from Bungalow Park” by Glenn Taylor
Kay-Vil Construction, 342 N. New Jersey Ave
Glenn Taylor’s “Greetings from Bungalow Park” riffs off iconic postcards from the 1930s-50s, which often depicted an optimistic view of the featured town or landmark. Spend some time with the images here. Does one of them speak to you? If so, write a poem or story that features this place. If not, what images of Bungalow Park are missing from these cards? Write a poem or story that features a place not typically printed on postcards.
“Memory” by Kelley Prevard
Atlantic Cape Community College – Worthington Campus
Spend some time looking at all four panels of Kelley Prevard’s “Memory.” Consider the movement of the one woman’s hand, burdened with colorful traditional bracelets, as if the depth of history approaches the present in her red-lipped mouth. Observe the couple holding each other with tenderness and intimacy, hands gently intertwined. Then, look at the girl’s expression contrasted with the bright orange around her. Each of these images are the “everyday people” referenced in the fourth panel. Who do you carry in your memory? Write about a fleeting moment, an awakening, or a memory of deep love.
“Dissent is Patriotic” by Sarah Painter & Cosby Hayes
164 St. James Place
Sarah Painter and Cosby Hayes’ mural “Dissent is Patriotic” encourages passersby to look and think beyond what is presented on the surface. The woman, wrapped in the flag of the United States, wears a pensive expression and a creased brow. The oversized conch in her hand cradles an image of Atlantic City. Who is this woman and what has she been through? What does she symbolize to you? How does this image reflect both “dissent” and “patriotism?”
“Not For Sale” by BK Foxx
Bullshots Bar, 2303 Pacific Ave
Look at the confident and defiant expression on the woman featured in BK Foxx’s mural “Not for Sale.” Despite being offered a blank check, she is unwilling to sell whatever has been requested. What in your life is non-negotiable or worth more than any sum of money? Is it family? Faith? Honesty? Brainstorm your own list of what is “not for sale” and write about one or more of these personal treasures.
“Elephants” by Edwin Rivera
Sunset & Texas Aves
Female elephants spend their lives in close-knit communities, led by a matriarch, who is usually the oldest female. Edwin Rivera’s mural “Elephants” features a family of elephants. Think about your own family dynamics. Is there one or more important matriarch-figures? Who is she? How has she guided your family? Write a poem or story that celebrates the strong women in your family.
“Pacific Garden” by Shari Tobias
2518 Pacific Avenue
Shari Tobias’s mural “Pacific Garden” features one corner of the Monopoly board. How do the boardgame’s landmarks reflect the Atlantic City you know? Pacific is also the name of an important ocean on the other side of the USA. Consider writing a poem or story of opposites, perhaps comparing and contrasting Atlantic City with its West Coast counterpart. Also, “pacific” can be an adjective meaning peaceful. What is peaceful about this mural? How does Pacific Ave. live up to this definition?
“New Second Line” by Christian Correa & Leah Morgan
Bourré, 201 S. New York Ave
Christian Correa and Leah Morgan’s mural “New Second Line” memorizes the infamous brass band and Atlantic City’s active jazz scene. Whether Dixieland, swing, bebop, ethno, funky or free form, jazz lets musicians express themselves in many dimensions. Write a poem or story about any subject that shows how you can connect in many dimensions and styles, too. For example, a hip-hop haiku or a ballad poem in the form of a song. How about “The Ballad of the Jersey Devil” or a blues poem about Chicken Bone Beach?
“Close Encounters” by Charles Barbin
7 S. South Carolina Ave
Charles Barbin’s mural “Close Encounters” reminds viewers that jellyfish are so beautiful and delicate looking, though their sting is painful. Barbin notes they’re “pretty dangerous things.” Write a poem, a fairy tale, or a short story about an encounter you have experienced with something that was pretty but turned out to be harmful. That “thing” or “things” can be animate (like an animal, insect or bird) or an inanimate object. Perhaps you can use humor and create a cartoon strip from that unforgettable experience.
“Jazzed” by Casey B
Kelsey’s, 1545 Pacific Ave
Casey B’s mural “Jazzed” uses only simple lines and 3 colors: black, white and two shades of blue. Yet, doesn’t the image get you into a particular groove? Or mood? Come on, dig further in. Listen. What can you hear? What is it telling you, making you feel? Write a poem or compose a song that has repetition. The challenge: use simple words, colors, sounds, images, details that ‘play’ again and again. With variations. Improvisation. Rhythm. Soul. In other words: get JAZZED.
“Culprit City” by 4sakn with The Culprits
Gem Liquor Store, 1737 Atlantic Ave
In the land of the pursuers and unwanted, we see that this vivid canvas “Culprit City” by 4sakn with The Culprits emphasizes the difference between being seen, being wanted or being overlooked. Even hanging in the background, we become hidden behind the shadows of others. Write about moments where you have felt the shadows of other people, places, or things that have hidden your shine.
“Study in Interconnectivity” by Luv One
125 S. Texas Avenue
Write a poem or story about what you see when you look “into” Luv One’s “Study in Interconnectivity.” Do the shapes look like they represent more than one thing? Can a dolphin be a shark? Can a hand be a fork? Can a farmer be a soldier? Is that a horn or a bike rim? Both, neither? Are the forms disparate or interconnected? Does the painting tell a story? What are your favorite colors? What are your least favorite? Do the shapes remind you of humans, animals, or objects? What emotions do you feel when you look at the painting? Does it spark any memories? Does it make you look to the past or to the future? Do you see chaos or tranquility? Do you see singing, dancing, flying, swimming, strength, hope?
“Oystercatchers” by Felipe Ortiz
Rodeway Inn Oceanview, Sovereign Ave
Felipe Ortiz’s “Oystercatchers” is a big, bright, colorful mural. It’s full of energy and drama. Write a poem or an adventure story with these oystercatchers as characters. Give them names and personalities. Create an action-filled story, either starting or ending with this scene.
