Two murals now coming to Ocean City skate park, the oldest continuously run one in the US

Skateboarders and townsfolk alike will be treated to a new and improved Downtown Recreation Complex and Ocean Bowl Skate Park, both of which are set to be unveiled this upcoming summer.

The Ocean Bowl Skatepark — an extension of the Downtown Recreation Complex, located between 3rd and 4th streets bayside and bound by Philadelphia and Chicago avenues — is the oldest continuously run municipal skate park in the United States.

Both the skate park and recreation complex are currently undergoing construction.

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The brand-new Downtown Recreation Complex amenities are said to include basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, walking trails, wider sidewalks, a children's playground, public bathrooms, trees and greenery, and a large, open greenspace area for parkgoers to gather round.

The playground will be inclusive and feature Quiet Grove Sensory Play Equipment, courtesy of the Ocean City Development Corporation.

The equipment is specifically designed for children with developmental disabilities, such as autism. The playground will also feature a communication board, a form of alternate communication, for those who are non-verbal or minimally verbal.

A new addition is also coming to the skate park, and will provide street skate opportunities to augment the existing pool bowl, vert ramp, mini ramp and concrete street area. The skate park's office building and skater's lounge will also be torn down and rebuilt.

As a result of the ongoing construction, the last day of operation at the skate park was Nov. 12, 2023. The park will remain closed until the new skate park expansion project is completed.

Its anticipated re-opening will be sometime during summer 2024.

"We hope you are as excited as we are for our new park and look forward to seeing all of you when we re-open next summer. Thank you for your continued support of Ocean Bowl Skate Park," the skate park said in a statement online.

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Ocean City skate park to get new look with not one, but two murals

Last summer, the Ocean City Development Corporation sought out talented public artists with mural experience to submit their qualifications for a mural that is soon to be located on the skate park's 67 foot wide, 9 foot tall wall — which currently totes blue "Ocean Bowl Skate Park" lettering — near the corner of St. Louis Avenue and 3rd Street.

The mural will be rather large in size, according to OCDC Executive Director Zach Bankert.

"It's at a very predominant location on St. Louis Ave. This eventual piece of artwork will get a lot of visibility from parkgoers, pedestrians and car traffic. It's going to be seen by a lot of eyes. So, we're really excited about that," he previously told Delmarva Now.

Applications, which were due Aug. 13, 2023, reached a total of approximately 60, said Bankert. Those applicants were then narrowed down to three — Jeff Huntington, Marc Emond and Cita Sadeli — before being whittled down to two.

Annapolis artist Jeff Huntington and local cartoonist Marc Emond have been selected as the two chosen muralists, Bankert shared. Huntington's mural will be painted on the skate park's outer wall, while Emond's — a caricature-style — will be located inside on the 20-foot wall of the skater's lounge.

"The murals are very distinct from each other," Bankert said. "We like both of them."

The skater's lounge is a place where skaters congregate before coasting along the smooth concrete.

"It's a place for skaters to relax and get out of the sun," Bankert said of the lounge area, which also houses picnic tables and vending machines.

Emond, who resides in Ocean Pines, is very familiar with Ocean City. In fact, he has not only worked in the popular resort town, but also skated in the Ocean Bowl Skate Park since day one in 1976.

Now, he'll have an opportunity to leave his mark on the skate park through his art.

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A selection committee — consisting of Bankert himself, Susan Petito from the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department, Rina Thaler from the Art League of Ocean City, Ali Jacobs from TC Studios and independent Salisbury-based artist Brandon Bell — was responsible for picking Huntington and Emond.

"When making the selection committee, the thought process was that if you have a smaller group, you could have detailed conversations, a real discussion about which piece(s) we wanted," Bankert said.

When comparing Huntington and Emond's designs, the committee considered a number of factors.

"We were looking at the art itself, — what does the layout look like, and does it take into account the odd design of the wall? — the content of the images, — we wanted them to pay homage to the skate park — and, finally, the experience of the artists," Bankert shared.

"Jeff, who we selected for the St. Louis Avenue mural, has a ton of experience. His CV is a mile long," he added. "It was Jeff's experience with outdoor murals that pushed him over the edge for us."

Huntington plans to invite children to participate in the painting of his mural, specifically the colorful burnt orange, yellow, blue and white geometric background.

"Imagine riding by that mural five years later, 10 years later and every time you drive by you're going to remember that you helped paint it," Bankert said.

Originally, just one artist was to be chosen for the project, with Huntington as the initial singular pick.

However, feedback from the public cemented the committee's overall decision to select two artists.

"Marc has a lot of history here. There was a lot of local feedback, people saying they wanted him involved in this project. That's how we created the second mural to be done inside," Bankert said.

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Ocean City applies for additional funding for skate park murals

Artists who applied were required to be based in the state of Maryland, as the project is being supported by the Maryland State Arts Council. A $10,000 grant for the project has been awarded by the arts organization.

The OCDC has now applied for a second round of funding with the Maryland State Arts Council. Any additional secured funding is to be used as a budget for the final project, somewhere around $30,000, said Bankert.

The OCDC will know within the next 45 days of so if they have been awarded the $30,000.

As of now, there is no firm start date for the artists.

However, Bankert believes — after speaking with the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department — that the artists will not begin working on their murals until 2025 due to safety issues resulting from the ongoing construction.

"The DRC is overdue for the renovations it's getting now. The OCDC is really excited to see the finished product," Bankert said. "We're even more excited to add the inclusive playground equipment and, of course, the murals are just the cherry on top."

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Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Ocean City launches big changes to rec complex and skate park