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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.
Support public art in Atlantic City: Make a Contribution Today!
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: AC Arts Foundation and Chelsea EDC to Host Dedication of “Community in Bloom” Mural April 28th
Lead Artist De’von Downes with their completed mural, “Community in Bloom”, Photo by Nastassia Davis, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 14, 2023
Atlantic City, N.J. – On Friday, April 28 at 5 pm, the Atlantic City Arts Foundation and Chelsea EDC will host a dedication of “Community in Bloom” by De’von Downes and Chanelle René, located at 3119 Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City.
Located in Chelsea, the mural’s theme was driven by community input. The neighborhood, described as “a community in bloom,” is home to diverse cultures residing in harmony and celebrating their varied traditions. Residents sought a mural incorporating the music, food, flags, and flowers of their home countries. They also wanted to incorporate the neighborhood’s vibrant home gardens and their beloved cat colonies.
“Community in Bloom” Detail, Photo by Nastassia Davis, 2023
Lead artist De’von Downes was inspired by the community’s gardens, which foster cross-generational relationships and respect for your home and nature. They incorporated several countries' symbols into the motif - national fruits, flowers, and birds - creating a striking, colorful mural celebrating Chelsea’s diversity. The mural centers on two figures, an elderly Latinx woman and a young boy, planting a seedling below Thurgood Marshall’s words: “In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” Downes shared, “‘Community in Bloom’ honors our connection to nature and the importance of carrying our traditions and culture with us wherever we go. I hope it inspires all generations to honor where they’re from and the communities they live in now.”
Join us to dedicate “Community in Bloom”:
Friday, April 28, 2023 at 5 pm
3119 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Refreshments will be provided by Chelsea EDC. Street parking is available.
De’von at work, Photo by Nastassia Davis, 2023
Chanelle & De’von, Photo by Nastassia Davis, 2023
Finishing touches, Photo by Nastassia Davis, 2023
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The Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s diverse programs & partnerships activate community pride & civic self-esteem through interaction with public art, including the city’s largest mural arts program. ACAF 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. ACAF is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Learn more: atlanticcityartsfoundation.org | IG: @acartsfoundation | facebook.com/acartsfoundation
“Community in Bloom” was sponsored by Chelsea EDC. Chelsea EDC, an independent nonprofit organization, partners with residents, businesses, and community organizations to expand economic opportunity and to improve the quality of life in the Chelsea neighborhood. The EDC’s focus area is a 0.75 square mile area from Annapolis Avenue to Texas Avenue and from the Beach to the Bay, and includes Stockton University, South Jersey Gas Headquarters, and the Tropicana, as well as 10,000 residents and 150 small businesses. Chelsea’s greatest assets are its diversity of people and amenities, as well as its pristine beach, expansive bay access, and beautiful green spaces.
For more information, visit www.ChelseaEDC.org
Artist housing was provided by ACBNB. acbnb.com