Ocean City's skate park to get new look with mural, and here's what's being planned

A splash of color is coming soon to Ocean City's Ocean Bowl Skate Park.

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

"It's a big mural. It's at a very predominant location on St. Louis Ave.," said Executive Director Zach Bankert. "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."

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"It's a great place to get a more contemporary piece of artwork done in the town of Ocean City," he added.

Applications, which were due Sunday, Aug. 13, were plentiful, said Bankert.

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.

"Being a Maryland-based artist is critical," Bankert said. "That is a requirement of the funding."

Mural will celebrate skate culture and Ocean City

Through the years, skateboarding and surfing have blended into one unique culture that consumes the resort town.

"In Ocean City, you have a big surf culture. You have a big skate culture," Bankert said. "There's a lot of really positive culture and history to celebrate with this mural."

The Ocean Bowl Skate Park is the oldest continuously run municipal skate park in the United States, per Bankert.

According to the OCDC, the resort town's significant skate culture and the overall importance of the Ocean Bowl Skate Park should be considered in the style and theme of the final mural design.

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Of the many who applied, a total of three artists will be chosen by 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 — and given $2,500 each for planning and design purposes.

Once selected, the three artists will be asked to submit their designs. The designs will be shared online and put on display at the Art League of Ocean City to garner feedback from the public.

The OCDC will then use the chosen design to apply 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 $35,000, said Bankert.

"Public spaces, like the one you have at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park, allow for gathering places for public events. It gives the youth an activity to do that's not in front of a screen. It's just good for the community as a whole," Bankert said. "The mural is 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: Mural is in works for Ocean City's Ocean Bowl Skate Park. All to know.