My Atlantic City exhibit showcases the city through different perspectives
The Two Exhibition Curators
In Atlantic City Residents, locals, visitors and passersby all see the city differently, which is why Union Hall Arts debuted a “My Atlantic City” group art show to allow people to see the island through the eyes of others.
The art gallery was inspired by positive response to the “My Atlantic City” Instagram page Zack Katzen, the co-owner of Union Hall Arts with Jim Dessicino, created to share historical images he came across while researching mural projects for his Create 48 LLC, a public art curation group that provides support services to artists.
“This show gives our community a chance to celebrate itself and this inspiring city of ours,” Katzen said. “Through each artist’s eyes, we get a chance to see Atlantic City in a new way, with renewed love and passion.”
More than 80 artists, most of them local, submitted more than 100 pieces for the exhibit. Some of those Atlantic City-inspired works included paintings referencing the Monopoly board game or the iconic Mr. Peanut, sculptures made from beach litter, and memorabilia like vintage $1 casino chips from the first 25 years of legal gambling as well as flyers from boxing events hosted in the city.
Other works included in the show were a light sculpture mapping of the city’s 48 blocks, collages, books and old souvenirs.
“Our whole city can come celebrate itself and its amazing history here at Union Hall Arts. There are learning opportunities through historical memorabilia, opportunities for locals to find their new favorite piece of art, and opportunities for artists to show and sell their work,” Katzen said. “Plus it’s free, allowing the community to come enjoy anytime.”
Katzen said the show was special because it gave the local creative community a chance to show and sell their work, a first for some artists like Atlantic City resident Jaxson Jaffe. The show also marked the one-year anniversary of Union Hall Arts.
Jaffe submitted a fish-eyed self-portrait of him doing an ollie off a ramp at the Back Sov. Skate Park on Sovereign Avenue. He also submitted a painting of shoes with blue headphone chords he made in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic started, which he said encompassed his sad mood at a time when the world was shutting down.
Jaffe said the show was a good way to bring together a lot of different artists and people he could learn from, which allows for more motivation and inspiration, while adding to the city’s art scene.
One of those artists Jaffe could learn from was Lennos Warner, an Atlantic City resident who’s been a professional artist for more than 20 years. Warner moved from the West Indies to Atlantic City in the 1980s.
Warner decided to showcase a pink wood panel sculpture titled “Don’t Shoot” that he made in 2020. He used at least a dozen teddy bears from roadside vigils and memorials to circle a clock with real bullet holes that stopped at 12, marking the time when someone was shot, to raise awareness of gun violence in the city.