Springsteen Mural

As you walk south on Main Street from Pyanoe Plaza, look for the alley before 921 Main Street. Don’t miss the enchanting artwork on the alley wall. But this is only a prelude to the bright large depiction on the other side of the building. High above street level sits an exterior wall mural on the building at 921 Main St., which is stop #19 on the Belmar Treasure Trail. The mural is another of the creative works in the Belmar Arts Council Community Mural Project. You can view it best if you cross the street and stand on the south side corner of 10th Avenue at Main Street. It was done by Bob Mataranglo – an award-winning video artist, animator, sculptor and muralist who also did the Guitar sculpture outside Belmar Public Library, the first stop on our Treasure Trail. As you might guess, this mural highlights Belmar’s connection to Bruce Springsteen. A young Bruce used to practice regularly with his E Street Band at the home of original keyboardist David Sancious’ mother, who lived on Belmar’s E Street. But Bruce is not the only musical icon who frequented Belmar. In the Golden Age of the 1920’s, George and Ira Gershwin spent many a summer night on the porch of an oceanfront hotel owned by the family of Ira’s wife. You can see the former site of that hotel at stop 46 on the Treasure Trail on Ocean Avenue.