Exhibit Heralds 14th Street Fishing Pier on 100th Anniversary

In recognition of the Ocean City Fishing Club’s 100th anniversary in 2013, the Ocean City Arts Center will host an exhibition of new paintings depicting the iconic fishing pier and clubhouse at 14th Street and the beach.  

The paintings were created by the South Jersey Plein Air Group, which consists of local artists who paint outdoors at a designated location within the region, and the Ocean City Fine Arts League. The artistic term comes from a French expression, “En plein air, in the open air.”

The exhibit will run through the month of January, with a "Meet the Artists" reception on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, from 7 to 8:30 pm. The reception is free and open to the public.

The artists will attend the reception to discuss their paintings, which will be for sale, ranging in price from $65 to $1,200. Most paintings are between $100 and $400.                         

Roz Lifshin, the Arts Center’s executive director, said that Board President Dr. Jack Devine initiated the exhibit after discussing the centennial with Fishing Club trustee Don Smedley, of Ocean City. Smedley's wife, Connie, is an Ocean City Arts Center Board member.   

"The Ocean City Arts Center is a community center, and we welcome this opportunity to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Ocean City Fishing Club and to recognize a structure that resonates with anglers, residents, and visitors who view it as a symbol of a great seashore activity," Dr. Devine said. 

Ocean City artist Rae Jaffe said that although both plein air and studio artists in the Ocean City Fine Arts League will participate in the exhibition, “it is especially exciting for the plein air artists who take their easels and canvases outdoors to paint. It will be both inspiring and challenging for the artists to capture the pier as the waves swirl around the pilings and wash up on the sand. We anticipate a diverse show that highlights the many talents of the Ocean City Fine Arts League’s wonderful painters.”

Founded in the summer of 1913 — when Woodrow Wilson was president and the Panama Canal was nearing completion — the Ocean City Fishing Club is the oldest, continuously operating fishing club in the nation. As part of their year-long centennial celebration, the club’s 215 members will participate in a series of activities, including a three-day fishing tournament, a special exhibit at the Ocean City Historical Museum, an Open House on the pier, and a banquet at The Flanders Hotel. 

The club’s current president is Paul Keuerleber, of Ocean City and Hatboro, PA. 

The Ocean City Arts Center is located in the Community Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue. The website is www.oceancityartscenter.org. The phone number is (609) 399-7628. 

For more information about the Ocean City Fishing Club’s Centennial celebration, call (609) 398-0534.

The Ocean City Arts Center is located on the second floor of the Ocean City Community Center at 1735 Simpson Avenue. For further information, call the Arts Center at (609) 399-7628 or visit the website at www.oceancityartscenter.org.  The Center is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Winter classes began Jan. 7 and space is still available to register.