Boardwalk art rides new wave

Source: Philadelphia Daily NewsAug.自存倉 23--THE ATLANTIC City Alliance has garnered praise for such big-time initiatives as the free 3-D light show at Boardwalk Hall and Nik Wallenda's global-publicity-generating high-wire strut over the beach in 2012. But another project has helped the seaside resort project an image far more subtle than that of a high-voltage, 24/7 party town.Launched last year, ARTlantic is designed to bolster Atlantic City as a tourist destination with public-art displays at two Boardwalk locations. It was paid for through a $12 million public-art fund sponsored by the privately run Alliance and the publicly operated Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.The larger of the two installations commissioned by ARTlantic curator (and internationally acclaimed artist) Lance Fung is one dubbed "Wonder." Located off the Boardwalk, between Kentucky and Martin Luther King Jr. avenues (the site of the demolished Sands Casino-Hotel), "Wonder" is two mounds of grass dotted with illuminated signs bearing various inspiring words -- "wonder," "glorious" and "possible" among them.It also boasts, among other objects, a large pirate ship, created by Ilya and Emiliya Kabakov, that appears to be ascending from the ground."It really just had to do with my idea of what Atlantic City was, the idea of words lighting up," artist Robert Barry told the Press of Atlantic City about "Wonder.""This is [my first project] using electric lights where the words actually light up. All the others have just been on the sides of walls or on windows, paint, vinyl lettering."So I try to use whatever the situation calls for really, whatever material it is. The big difference here is that it's in the ground that people walk around. It's in a park and the words light up."The other display, "Etude Atlantis," is at the Boardwalk and California Avenue. "Etude Atlantis" is a little more difficult to describe, so we'll leave it to the atlanticcitynj.com website to paint the picture with words.According to the site, the work is "an elaborate, illusionistic space in which bold linear stripes converge into a spiral pattern. A cistern, carefully crafted from sheets of mirror, occupies the center of the spiral. Water gently ca迷你倉新蒲崗cades down the lip of the cistern, falls through the center, and disappears, as though the cistern were alive and weeping."Some residents have questioned the need for such attractions in a town defined by less-sophisticated pursuits. But, insisted one local tourism official, ARTlantic serves purposes that go beyond giving folks something to look at as they stroll the Great Wood Way.Jeff Guaracino, the ACA's chief strategy officer, said the installations occupy what were once considered eyesores, thus beautifying crucial stretches of Atlantic City's signature public thoroughfare.Equally important, he added, is the exhibit's publicity value. "International media have written about the ambitious program in AC to spark a transformation of the city -- in part -- through art and artists," said Guaracino, a former Philly tourism exec. "Art has sparked a dialogue among residents, business community, the media and visitors. Many love it, and some wonder, 'Does AC need art?'"The end result: People are talking about AC."'Sweat' betAtlantic City isn't just a place to abuse your body with eating, drinking and all-night reveling. It is -- at least it will be Sept. 21-23 -- a place to whip yourself into shape. That's when the four gambling dens owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment (Bally's, Caesars, Harrah's and Showboat) are hosting the second annual "Sweat AC" fitness fest.The health-and-wellness expo features a gym-full of experts who will be offering tips and conducting workout sessions for such activities as Zumba, Pilates and cardio training.There will also be a Sweat AC Expo at Caesars each day showcasing equipment as well as DJs, bands, performers from "America's Got Talent" and fitness "flash mobs."Hours are 6-10 p.m. Sept. 21, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 22 and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 23. Admission is $30 for the Sweat AC Expo or $39 for a three-day, unlimited-entry pass. Individual classes run from $25 to $100.More info at sweatac.com.On Twitter: @chuckdarrowBlog: philly.com/CasinotesCHUCK DARROW Daily News Staff Writer darrowc@phillynews.com, 215-313-3134Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Philadelphia Daily News Visit the Philadelphia Daily News at .philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉出租