📣 CALLING ALL ARTISTS: Join our Artist Database to receive all ACAF opportunities first, along with curated opportunities from other organizations!

ARTeriors

No Bitter Without The Sweet; No Sweet Without The Bitter

No Bitter Without The Sweet; No Sweet Without The Bitter

"Bitter/Sweet" is my art installation created for "ARTeriors at The James" and inspired by the former James Candy Company on the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk. The concept explores the duality of two opposing forces in an immersive experience featuring found and repurposed confectionery materials. The aesthetic is a push and pull between the bold/expressive BITTER and the soft/ethereal SWEET.

As you move through the space, I invite you to notice the found materials that have been given a second life, such as...

“Wall paper” made from store wrapping paper; 
Wicker chairs revamped into my version of “peacock chairs”; 
Baker’s racks used as “moveable frames” for cellophane paintings;
Metal sheet pans now “canvases” for the portrait paintings;
James candy sign turned into a “stencil” for floor painting;
Candy box “mobiles” suspended from the ceiling.

In creating this space, I’ve pushed outside my boundaries to explore new materials, process, application, and unique ways of visual storytelling.

Allowing yourself to consider… where SWEET and BITTER converge.

Chanelle René

@beingchanellerene | chanellerene.com

Chanelle René is an award-winning, New Jersey contemporary figurative painter and mural artist. Her use of vibrant colors and painterly brushstrokes in oils and mixed media often celebrate the feminine figure to create narrative and engaging works from original canvases to large-scale murals. Chanelle has exhibited nationally and internationally with works held in private and public collections. A self-taught artist, she embraced the ‘pandemic pause’ to transition from a 20+ year career in digital marketing to become a full-time artist. A true believer that anyone can ‘shine your vibe’ at any stage of life, Chanelle’s artwork embodies endless possibilities.

Butter Mint

Butter Mint

Since Atlantic City is the birthplace of the saltwater taffy, I decided to incorporate the most familiar color that comes to mind for me when I think about saltwater taffys stemming back to when I was a child which is the teal green colored candies. I used three different hues of this color to create the composition in the center of my installation. The outside sculptural border I chose to use the color white inspired by sea foam which was left over in David Bradley’s store on the boardwalk that was left soaking into taffys on the floor caused by a flood that was sold to a child as a joke and created the very first saltwater taffy.

Anthony ( Seper ) Torcasio

I found a flower at my feet

I found a flower at my feet

Within the confines of a warehouse space shrouded in tarps, an installation emerges, a testament to the resilience of nature and the potential for human action. A short film, captured through a child-like, first-person perspective, unfolds upon a pristine expanse of recycled seamless paper, inviting viewers to embark on a journey of discovery amidst the wonders of nature. The film's raw, handheld aesthetic, reminiscent of a childhood exploration, mirrors the unfiltered essence of human interaction with the natural world.

The projector, perched atop a weathered commercial baking rack, serves as an anchor for the installation, its worn surface reflecting the passage of time and the challenges we face. The rack, covered in dust and plastic, symbolizes the remnants of our past consumption and the need for transformation. A plastic flowering vine adorns the rack, adding a touch of artificial vitality to the scene, hinting at the potential for renewal amidst decay.

The installation's location at the back of the warehouse, tucked away beneath the tarps, underscores the delicate balance between our exploitation of nature and the need for preservation. The tarps, like a veil over the installation, create a sense of secrecy and anticipation, inviting viewers to delve into the hidden depths of our relationship with the natural world. The use of a DVD player and a projector call out the increasing speed at which technology becomes obsolete.

As viewers navigate this immersive experience, they are confronted with the paradox of our existence: our dependence on nature for sustenance and inspiration versus our relentless exploitation and destruction of its resources. The recycled seamless paper, a product of consumption and waste, serves as a stark reminder of our unsustainable practices and the need for radical change.

The weathered baking rack, the plastic flowering vine, and the hidden location within the warehouse all contribute to the installation's overall atmosphere of rawness and authenticity. They reflect the imperfections of nature and the challenges we face in our relationship with it.

Yet, amidst this rawness, there is also a glimmer of hope. The film's exploration of nature's resilience and the ambient soundscape's gentle melodies suggest that we can find a way to coexist harmoniously with the natural world. The installation serves as a call to action, urging us to move beyond mere awareness and towards meaningful action.

Lucy Sanchez

@iamluzkarolina | @lukchez | luzkarolina.com

SHIPWRECKED

SHIPWRECKED

Seas of stormy doubt crash across the shores of our self-confidence,
man vs. nature vs. man vs. self in a tempest of id and ego,
prevailing winds of cognitive dissonance
lay waste the wreckage of these uncertain seas.

Atlantic City’s Beach Rave visionaries Vizawave and Noetrope collaborate on an immersive and interactive scenescape of dynamic audio visual design and theatrical set construction, with reactive LED pixel lighting, projection mapping, and special effects that simulate the experience of a stormy shipwreck.

Dylan Toogood and Tina Notaro

@Vizawave | @noetrope | notarotina@gmail.com | vizawave@gmail.com

Garden of Sugary Delights

Garden of Sugary Delights

Sydney Mount’s “Garden of Sugary Delights” installation encompasses the bright excitement and reminiscent memories of the classic Candy-land board game while also drawing inspiration from medieval iconography. To work with the unique space of The James building, Mount incorporates a “Hell Mouth” design which is a depiction of the Gates of Hell typically shown as the gaping mouth of a monster. This installation was created with spray paint, acrylic paint, and various found objects from the original candy factory.

Sydney Mount

MEDIA ADVISORY: ARTeriors at The James, the 10th iteration of Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s pop-up art exhibit, opens Friday, November 10

ARTeriors at The James, the 10th iteration of Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s pop-up art exhibit, opens Friday, November 10

Media Advisory – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 7, 2023

(Atlantic City, NJ) – ARTeriors at The James opens Friday, November 10th with an Opening Night soirée from 6-9 pm. The James Taffy Building at 1519 Boardwalk, former home to the iconic James Candy Company, is now reborn as an immersive pop-up art installation, thanks to the creativity of 25 extraordinary artists. From the sweet origins of Salt Water Taffy in 1880 to the present, each installation lovingly weaves in the rich tapestry of this historic site.

Since its start, ARTeriors has highlighted the potential of Atlantic City and brought the impact of the arts to the forefront. In 2015, four local artists transformed 121 S. Tennessee Avenue, when the Orange Loop neighborhood was on the cusp of redevelopment and renewal. The inaugural location became MADE Atlantic City Chocolate and is currently Bar 32.

“Returning to the Orange Loop for the 10th iteration of ARTeriors, 8 years after our initial program, is incredibly powerful. The neighborhood has transformed into a hub for arts and culture while Atlantic City has become a place that uplifts and expands the arts. Surrounded by new businesses, a thriving arts scene, and an eager, supportive community I’ve never felt more is possible for ARTeriors, the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, and Atlantic City,” shared Kate O’Malley, ACAF executive director.

Tickets for the opening are $30 and include admission, food by Cardinal, and two drink tickets for beverages from The Seed and Little Water Distillery. The event will feature music by DJ Lousy and free parking is available in Cardinal’s lot, located on New York Avenue next to the restaurant. Visit acartsfoundation.org/arteriorsthejames for tickets; purchases will also be available at the door.­­

WHEN: Friday, November 10, 2023, from 6-9 pm

WHERE:

The James
1519 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

###

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 an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization. www.atlanticcityartsfoundation.org/

ARTeriors Baltic Avenue | January 2023

That’s a wrap on ARTeriors Baltic Avenue!

23 artists transformed the former Tanger Outlets Atlantic City Payless Shoesource site into a temporary installation on view January & February 2023.

Video by Justin McGinnis @justin_mcginnis

Featured Artists

Did you know?

Did you know we’ve been part of the Atlantic City community since 2015?🎉

What started as a way to activate our community through the arts and create opportunities for local artists has grown into a movement to promote the arts throughout Atlantic City!

ARTeriors at 121 S. Tennessee Ave in September 2015

Our first-ever event was ARTeriors at 121 S. Tennessee Avenue, later home to MADE Atlantic City Chocolate and currently Bar 32 Chocolate. At its core, the ARTeriors program is about transition and transformation. ARTeriors has transformed spaces in transition at The Walk, Showboat Atlantic City, & the Orange Loop to name a few!

Close up of “Trail Her Trash” by Billy Joe Michel. ARTeriors Showboat, April 2019.

Chalk About AC, a colorful, interactive celebration of the city has been going strong since our start with support from local businesses and organizations. In 2019, we even partnered with the ACFD for Fire Safety Month and AC Marathon to host a mini color run in O’Donnell Park! Last year volunteers helped us make over 1400 chalk packets that were available at food distribution sites, the Boys and Girls Club, and local businesses so folks could Chalk About AC from home.

Community members participate in the 2019 Chalk About AC Mini Color Run!

Chalk packets at food distribution site in 2020

Of course, we cannot forget about 48 Blocks Atlantic City! Our flagship program was launched in 2017 through a partnership with Stockton University. Since then, hundreds of local artists and community members have participated in the planning and creation of projects for this annual event, supported by local businesses and organizations. In 2020 we went virtual, presenting projects via Zoom. 48 Blocks AC is also home to our Adirondack chair project, annually offering participants the opportunity to design a unique chair to be displayed on the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk and in our beautiful public parks, all thanks to SID of CRDA!

Perhaps most notably, we launched Atlantic City’s largest mural arts program through 48 Blocks AC, supporting the creation of over 50 murals to date! In 2018, we hosted AC’s first-ever Mural Week and got to watch as 6 artists transformed 5 walls in just 7 days. At this point, it’s hard to drive through the city without noticing at least one mural. You may have strolled down the unofficial “Mural Avenue”, better known as Sovereign Ave, home to 6 murals and Skate AC. There is even a mural inside City Hall, made possible through a partnership with the City of Atlantic City!

And yes — there are more murals to come throughout our bustling city by the sea!

BK Foxx works on her mural during Mural Week, 2019.

Not For Sale, BK Foxx, 2019.

We’re excited to launch new projects in 2021, continue our core programming & expand artist opportunities, and host in-person events for the community (when we are safely able). Watch this space!

GET INVOLVED:

Join our artist database

Register as a volunteer

Subscribe to our newsletter

Support with a donation

BECOME A DONOR

Stay Connected

Subscribe