An Open Letter To 48 Blocks/The Arts Foundation and the 48 Blocks 2025 Photo Gallery

ATLANTIC CITY —The 48 Blocks Atlantic City celebration was held on Saturday, September 20, 2025.
The annual community and city-wide arts festival took place at the new skate park at Uptown Complex, the blocked off street on the Melrose Avenue side and Fisherman's Park.

Atlantic City Focus sponsored a Gospel performance featuring recording artist April Williams, poetry from Elijah Pringle and a panel discussion.

The panel was facilitated by Atlantic City Focus arts and entertainment editor Raymond Tyler. The topics "The Images of Black Men on TV- From JJ (Good Times) to Huey Freeman (The Boondocks.) The panel also featured actor/poet Elijah Pringle and Atlantic City Focus contributor Shawn Wright.

Raymond Tyler has been a curator at 48 Blocks for the past five years. This year was so different that he decided to pen an open letter to Arts Foundations/48 Blocks director Michael Atkins and assistant director Tina Notaro.

Dear Michael (Atkins), Tina (Notaro) and my fellow committee members on this year's 48 Blocks selection committee.

I have to say 48 Blocks 2025 was a great success and the most inclusive version of the festival, I have ever been a part of.

First let me say...Michael and Tina, you did an amazing job of coordinating a full day and line up of arts, performance, fun and activities. For two people you did the work of a 10-person (or more) team.

Everywhere I looked, I saw people not just creating art but immersing themselves in painting, crafting, writing, print making and more. I saw people engaging in discussions with old friends and new friends about community programs and the arts as well. I saw young people playing with paint and chalk and older folks sharing space with younger people.

Most important to me was that I saw an involvement of artists and people of color that (in my opinion) has been unmatched until this year.

I believe the choice to hold 48 Blocks this year in a northside neighborhood and near a school made all the difference in people of color attending and being more involved and invested in 48 Blocks. The event felt multi-cultural, but it felt wonderful to see so many people of color be included throughout the festival.

I want to be clear; I am not disrespecting the great people I worked with in the past. However, in past events I felt I was brought in for inclusion's sake (which is important.) This year I felt like every artist was welcomed to build 48 Blocks based on passion and ability; while excluding NO ONE.

The location that The Arts Foundation secured was perfect because people of color could walk to it. The 48 Blocks celebration felt like a NYC arts festival with all cultures welcome, working and creating in the same space.

Michael, Tina, committee...I applaud you all.
I thank you as an artist/curator.
This was the 48 Blocks Arts Festival I would have wanted when I was a young artist.

I want to close on these notes.

1- I do believe that residents of Ducktown deserve a 48 Blocks they can walk to and sincerely hope that the location can alternate from year to year. Equity is important for all. I am not that selfish to say the festival should only be available on The North Side.

2. I hope that in time The Arts Foundation can actually open an office/space on the Northside. The Ducktown area has The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University. I would love to see a partnership of The Arts Foundation and ACCC to create a space for artists to do poetry, classes, films, ect on The Northside.

Once again. All involved did an amazing job and I salute you.

God Bless Us All,

Raymond Tyler
Arts and Entertainment Editor of Atlantic City Focus

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