Ocean City Art Show Highlights Beauty of Shore

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Artist Michele Foster Lucas proudly displays her favorite work, "Giggles."

By MADDY VITALE From seascapes to landscapes, oils to watercolor, to photography capturing the essence of the shore, artists showcased their talents at the 59th annual Boardwalk Art Show, which opened Friday and goes through the weekend. Susan and Mike Matthews, of Ocean City, perused the tents that went from the Boardwalk between Seventh Street and 11th Street. “We come every year,” Susan noted. “We enjoy the variety of art forms. There are watercolors and photography and handmade jewelry. I love seascapes and watercolors.”

Boardwalk strollers have the opportunity to view the artwork throughout the weekend. More than 50 artists from New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York came out for the exhibit. The event is sponsored each year by the Ocean City Arts Center. Boardwalk strollers stopped to check out the various artists and purchase pieces of artwork, jewelry and even handmade furniture. Chase Jackson, executive director of the Arts Center, and Arts Center volunteer, Lynn Sullivan, watched from a table set up near the Music Pier to assist people with their questions. They had a list of the artists in the show. “I am pleased to see people are purchasing art and it is only Friday,” Jackson noted of the show’s success already on the first day. “I saw a person on the Boardwalk holding two pieces of art. We are so excited to see all of the interest in the arts.”

Artist Michele Foster Lucas proudly displays her favorite work, "Giggles." Artist Michele Foster Lucas, who is based in Pennsauken, N.J., had a variety of forms of art, called mixed media. “I create artwork on anything I can from paper to canvas. You name it,” Foster Lucas said with a smile. Then she held up her favorite piece. “This is Giggles,” she said of a girl with braids and a captivating smile. Foster Lucas has been a part of the art show for as long as she can remember, she said. “I always like it. I keep coming back,” she noted.

Artist Kate Eckfeldt hands a newly purchased necklace to Mia Dalessandro, of Broomall, Pa. Rick Lang didn’t have to travel too far from his Marmora home to be in the show. His beach scenes also show that he is often in Ocean City. One of his pieces is of a Christmas tree on the beach. Trees put on the beaches became a popular occurrence during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents displayed them in the sands to bring a little cheer during the uncertain time. The painting of the Christmas tree is one of Lang’s popular sellers and he understands why. “The tree meant a lot to a lot of people,” he said. “It came about at a time when the community and the entire country needed something positive.”

Artist Rick Lang, of Marmora, holds up "Peace." Lang, who has been doing the show for 15 years, also painted images of the Boardwalk and the beloved carousel at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier. For Mia Dalessandro, of Broomall, Pa., a special necklace to remind her of her vacation in Ocean City was just the right thing. “I like it because it reminds me of summer,” she said of the delicate strand with light green beads. The artist, Kate Eckfeldt, who designs jewelry and is an abstract artist, explained that the beads give people a feeling of nature. The show continues Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Awards are given to the top entries in the show. The event was made possible through funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, call the Ocean City Arts Center at 609-399-7628 or visit www.oceancityartscenter.org.