Rhapsody in Red on the Ocean City Marsh

Tom Hilsee and his little brother spend a lot of time at Crook Horn Creek at the southern end of Ocean City off 51st Street.

"That marsh is one of the most beautiful things in the country," the 22-year-old architecture student said.

Hilsee was there a year ago to paint a landscape, when he decided it needed a touch of red. Not his painting ... but the landscape itself.

Thus started an art project unique in Ocean City's history. Bicycling the length of the island with extension ladders and MAB paint, the Hilsees painted the remnants of an old railroad bridge bright red. Their work adds a contrasting color to a scene typically dominated by blue sky and green marsh.

"There isn't a lot of contemporary art and culture in the area," Hilsee said. "We're hoping that it slowly starts people to thinking that the arts can emanate from South Jersey."

Hilsee is a student at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. His younger brother, Billy, also an artist, is a senior at Souderton Area High School in Souderton, Pa. They had some help from Billy's friend Matt McCarter.

Working after getting off from their summer jobs, they completed the work within a few weeks in late June and early July — delayed a bit by the occasional afternoon and evening storm. The Hilsee family lives in author Gay Talese's former home on E. Atlantic Boulevard in the Gardens section of Ocean City.

The railroad bridge carried passengers and freight from the late 19th century until it was dismantled in 1996. A proposal to pave the gravel access road as a nature trail and bike path was unsuccessful.

But the area remains popular for fishing, and it's part of the Intracoastal Waterway. Hilsee said the trio was never questioned by anybody in authority, but they did receive a lot of support from boaters and other visitors.

"Some people would offer us water, while most just offered encouragement," Hilsee said. "A lot of people were curious, but after we explained ourselves, most were very appreciative and thought it was a great addition to the spot."

Hilsee said they had considered contacting the city about their project but decided against it.

"It's not intruding on anybody's private property," he said. "We kind of stand behind it."