Stone Pony eastern wall facade improvements complete
New exterior wall dressed up with lighting, flags and decorative paint
An exterior wall that runs along the Ocean Avenue side of Asbury Park’s famed concert venue The Stone Pony has a new look.
An 8-foot chain link fence has been replaced by an 11-foot masonry wall on the eastern perimeter. The white wall, which extends slightly down the southern side along the perimeter of the venue’s Summer Stage area, displays the Stone Pony name and iconic pony logo.
Representatives from boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette commissioned Belmar artist Michael Burris Johnson’s to complete the work. To get the lettering just right, Johnson used a projector to shine the letters onto the wall, he said.
Johnson, 25, mostly worked at night and recorded two time-lapse videos to document the process, one while he painted the pony logo, and another of his work to complete the text.
While working on the project, passersby weren’t shy about commenting to Johnson about it, offering up comments that ranged from complementary, “hey, that’s looking great!” to jeering, he said.
“A lot of people would say, ‘hey, you missed a spot,’ or would see me working with the projector and tell me ‘that’s cheating’,” said Johnson, who added he is happy to be a part of the Pony’s long history. This summer marked the 40th year the venue, known worldwide, has been in existence in the city.
“We are proud to help celebrate the Stone Pony’s 40th birthday and enhance the Ocean Avenue view corridor with this improvement,” Carrie Turner, general manager of the boardwalk for Madison Marquette, said in an email to the Sun. Madison Marquette owns the venue.
Turner said the flags and panels atop the wall are removable for the harsh winter months.
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