ATLANTIC CITY — Ever wonder what life was like in a predominantly Italian American neighborhood in the 1950s and '60s?
That was Ducktown, a small part of the resort that still bears traces of another time.
Philadelphia artist Janice Merendino, who grew up in Ducktown during that era, has brought a new exhibit to the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University.
Titled "Ducktown: An Atlantic City Immigration Story," the exhibit opened Wednesday and will run through March 31. It celebrates the neighborhood through the stories of past and present immigrants. There will be an opening reception at 1 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Arts Garage, 2200 Fairmount Ave.
Merendino, one of the founders of Clay Studio in Philadelphia, got the idea about eight years ago while she was driving through the city. She wondered about a home she grew up in in Ducktown.
People are also reading…
The Atlantic City Free Public Library will hold its annual MLK Read-in program from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University at 2200 Fairmount Ave.
“I got out of the car and was just curious about the house and who lived there now,” said Merendino. “Neighbors came out to greet me. I was so warmly greeted that I just felt like I needed to come back.”
Merendino made several visits to Ducktown to take photos showing how the neighborhood has evolved from being predominantly Italian American to today's residents of Hispanic, Bangladeshi and Vietnamese heritage.
“I wanted to connect the past residents of a neighborhood to the present residents,” said Merendino, who also teaches drawing classes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “We aren’t related by blood, but we are related by place.”
The exhibit will feature about 50 works, mostly composed of mixed media and ink, drawn by Merendino. The drawings were mostly done from historical photos from her family and photos by her husband that were combined to make new art.
“Being able to bring people from the neighborhood who normally wouldn’t come to the Arts Garage and see an exhibit is the culmination of this work,” said Arts Garage Executive Director Michael Cagno, who’s also the president of the Ducktown Community Development Corp. “Hopefully it will provide that gateway opportunity for engagement with the garage at a deeper level.”
The Arts Garage is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. It is closed Mondays, Tuesdays and holidays.
Welcome to the discussion.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.