March 03, 2024
Provided Image/Dustin Fosnot
Atlantic City will debut its largest mural, spanning 19 stories on the side of an apartment building, in June. The artwork will incorporate flora native to the shore and will be created by artist Mona Caron (above).
A Jersey Shore town is planning to unveil some monumental new artwork just in time for the summer season.
In June, Atlantic City will debut its largest mural, spanning 19 stories on The Atlantic apartment building at 300 Atlantic Avenue. The piece, which will incorporate flora native to the shore, will also be the 100th mural completed through the Atlantic City Arts Foundation nonprofit organization.
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The new mural will be created by renowned Swiss-American artist Mona Caron. Caron is known for a series of multi-story murals celebrating the "rebellious resilience" of weeds. Larger-than-life pieces in her "WEEDS" series can be seen sprouting on buildings across the world, from New York City to Switzerland and Taiwan.
“My WEEDS project is a tribute to resilience against all odds," Caron said in a release. "I paint spontaneously occurring wild plants, native or non-native, and paint them big, at a scale inversely proportional to the attention and regard they get. It’s a metaphoric salute to the struggle of authentic grassroots communities, and it’s a reminder that we need to shift Nature’s ranking in our priorities."
Installation of the mural is scheduled to begin next month and take place over a six-week period. Caron will work in collaboration with a team of assistant muralists that includes Charles Barbin and Randi Meekins-Barbin, co-owners of Dunes Art Gallery in Brigantine.
The mural is scheduled to be unveiled in June at the 48 Blocks Atlantic City festival. 48 Blocks — which references the number of blocks that Atlantic City spans — is the flagship program of the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, and includes the shore town's mural arts initiative that launched in 2017 and has since transformed Atlantic City into an outdoor gallery. A map of the city's murals can be accessed online.
“We’ve seen firsthand that murals not only beautify our city, but also boost community pride, drive economic development, and attract tourism," Kate O’Malley, executive director of the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, said in a release. "Mona Caron’s mural will further highlight Atlantic City as a destination for arts and culture.”
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