Wooden Walls Public Art Project Announces PlusOne Artist Lineup and Major Activations for Three Weekend Art Party

WORLD-RENOWNED ARTIST SHEPARD FAIREY RETURNS TO ASBURY PARK FOR OPENING WEEKEND

ASBURY PARK, NJ, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PlusOne, the inaugural three-weekend art party produced by the Wooden Walls Public Art Project, will bring an extraordinary lineup of contemporary artists to Asbury Park this fall, with internationally acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey returning to the city as a featured muralist for the opening weekend.
Best known as the artist behind the iconic OBEY brand and the internationally recognized Barack Obama “Hope” poster, Fairey first came to Asbury Park in 2011; his return to the city marks a highlight in Wooden Walls’ eleven-year history and signals the scope and ambition of PlusOne.

Fairey will join an expansive roster of artists whose murals, installations, exhibitions and interactive works will transform Asbury Park over three consecutive weekends in September and October. Together, the artists will activate spaces stretching from downtown to the waterfront to Sunset Lake Park, creating an immersive, walkable celebration of contemporary public art.

PlusOne's programming will include large-scale murals, immersive and site-specific installations, exhibitions, artist talks, tours and hands-on experiences - effectively turning Asbury Park into an open-air gallery and creative playground.

The guided art tours throughout the three-weekend celebration, will allow visitors to explore the broader history of public art in Asbury Park and discover the artists whose work has helped shape the city’s creative landscape. The tours will include stops featuring murals and works created prior to PlusOne by new Wooden Walls artists including Buff Monster, Chaz of The London Police, Kevin Cincotti and Add Fuel, offering attendees an opportunity to hear the stories behind the work and gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of Asbury Park’s public art scene.

OPENING WEEKEND: September 18-20th, “March of the Medusa”
PlusOne gets underway September 18–20 with a weekend of art, music and community activity in downtown Asbury Park and the waterfront.
Fairey will be creating a new large-scale mural at the Sunset Avenue Pavilion on the boardwalk in the days leading up to opening weekend, bringing his distinctive graphic language and socially engaged practice back to the city. On Friday the 18th there will be an Arts Block Party on the 700 block of Cookman Avenue accompanied by an exhibition of Fairey’s prints alongside works from other PlusOne artists at Parlor Gallery. Fairey will also pop-up an Art Print Shop at The Art Spot on the Asbury Park Boardwalk.
On Sunday, September 20, on the boardwalk, PlusOne will present the return of the heralded “March of the Medusa,” created by multidisciplinary artist Dennis McNett, known as Wolfbat, together with a host of collaborators including Swoon, Steve Olson, Adam Wallacavage, Jodi Rice, Kathy Kelly, Lecy and the Ocean Avenue Stompers.

WEEKEND 2: September 25-26th “Dr. Flotsam’s Carny Island”
PlusOne’s anchor programming will be on St.John’s Island in Sunset Lake Park and will feature an immersive art installation led by contemporary multidisciplinary artist Mike Shine, whose work is inspired by the visual culture of early 20th-century traveling carnivals, sideshows, and Americana. Shine’s collaborators bringing Dr. Flotsam’s Carny Island to life include Porkchop, Bradley Hoffer, Beau Stanton and Jason Stumpf. Sunset Lake Park will also host installation art from HOTTEA, Hyland Mather, Kris Moran and Martin Duffy.

WEEKEND 3: October 2-3rd “Carousel Fun House”
The boardwalk’s iconic Carousel House will take center stage for the culminating weekend of PlusOne. The space will be transformed into a reimagined fun house where artists will bring custom games, unexpected prizes and site-specific installations to life throughout the space.

Produced by the nonprofit Wooden Walls Public Art Project and supported by funding through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority's (NJEDA) Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) – Phase II Grant Program, PlusOne is a celebration of public art unfolding across three weekends in September and October 2026. Spanning from City Hall to the boardwalk and through Sunset Lake Park, transforming Asbury Park into an immersive, walkable gallery of creativity and collaboration.

At the heart of PlusOne is its signature "+1" curatorial model, inspired by Asbury Park's music scene and the tradition of the guest-list "plus one." Each participating artist invites another artist to join the festival, creating an expanding network of creative collaboration and artistic discovery.

Fairey's return to Asbury Park also brings PlusOne’s collaborative mission full circle. In 2011, he first visited the city at the invitation of his longtime friend and gallerist Jonathan LeVine. During that trip, he completed several murals throughout the waterfront and formed lasting friendships within Asbury Park's creative community, including with Hampton, then curator of the original Asbury Lanes and founder of Wooden Walls. Fifteen years later, those relationships have evolved into a new collaboration, as Hampton and Wooden Walls welcome Fairey back to help launch a creative project inspired by the same spirit that first brought him to the city: artists inviting artists to create together.

"PlusOne was inspired by the idea that every artist has the power to encourage another, open doors, and create something greater through collaboration than they ever could alone,” says Hampton. “There is no more fitting artist to help launch PlusOne than someone whose own journey in Asbury Park began with that very spirit of generosity, partnership, and shared creativity."

Additional artist announcements, detailed schedule of events, map and location of art installations will be announced in the coming weeks. Artist lineup is subject to change and is not final.

ABOUT WOODEN WALLS PUBLIC ART PROJECT
The nonprofit Wooden Walls Public Art Project is responsible for the creation of the widely recognized murals and installation art that define the Asbury Park Boardwalk experience, as well as the artist residency program housed in the historic Carousel House. Over its eleven-year history, Wooden Walls has directed the creation of over 100 murals, installations, and art experiences, and is credited with creating what many consider the most visually compelling boardwalk on the Jersey Shore.

PlusOne is supported by funding through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority's (NJEDA) Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) – Phase II Grant Program.

Krista Drew
Wooden Walls Public Art Project
+1 516-642-4413
krista@drewcommunications.com
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