Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy's Concrete Barriers Become Works of Art in Belmar

Turning the barriers to beachfront attractions into art attractions themselves

The drab gray of concrete barriers block off Ocean Avenue in Belmar, as construction progresses behind the waist-high slabs. These barriers signal to "Keep Out," that vehicles can't get through, that this area is off-limits and damaged by Hurricane Sandy. But not long after the concrete barriers arrived, the Belmar Arts Council helped hatch a plan to have local artists paint them, transforming a symbol of flux and prohibition into one of beauty and hope. Now, more than a dozen of the barriers feature hand-drawn mermaids, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz on the beach, and messages of pride for the Jersey Shore. Bleak concrete gray was painted vibrant blue as a base color, one that ended up the color of ocean in local artists' paintings of the …

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