Artist Bob Mataranglo painted a piano on one of the barricades in Belmar.

(Photo by Courtesy John Hutchinson)

BELMAR – Cement barricades lining streets in Belmar are getting a new look – volunteers from across the state are painting them to give residents something to look at instead of a drab block of concrete.

The Belmar Arts Council agreed to take on the project, as they have done several murals across town, according to Pat Hutchinson, a member and past arts of the organization that is leading the effort. The barricades were put in place after Hurricane Sandy pummeled the town, causing severe flooding and destroying the boardwalk.

Belmar Paint and Decorating store donated 20 gallons blue paint, which could suggest sky or sea colors.

“The idea would be to make this something that kind of brings a smile to the face of the people who live around these barriers and are going to be looking at them until probably the beginning of summer,” said Pat Hutchinson.

The original 14 barriers ran along A Street at the intersections of 7th Avenue to 20th Avenue. Within about six hours of an email blast asking for volunteers to paint, the original the barriers were reserved and Hutchinson went out to look for more. Now volunteers are lined up to paint several throughout the town.

Volunteers are not just limited to Belmar – groups are coming from across the state to help paint the barriers. They include high school organizations, scout troops, graffiti artists, and individuals who just want to paint.

“It’s just a real crazy conglomeration [of volunteers] and its very sort of organic of how it’s working.

The Belmar Arts Council asked for “upbeat, positive designs” since people will be seeing them each day until the barriers are removed.

Volunteers are bringing their own paint because the arts council building was taken over by rescue efforts and they can’t access their own supplies. So far one of the biggest challenges for the project has been the weather – painters were delayed until the rain cleared long enough to paint.

Lakewood resident Bob Mataranglo, an artist who has been commissioned several times by the town, decided he wanted to give back by volunteering to donate a barricade.

“After the storm it was an opportunity for me to give something back right within what gives me pleasure. It was a no brainer.”

To come up with a design, Mataranglo said he worked backward from the shape of the barricade to figure out what he would paint, and determined a keyboard would fit perfectly.

Some artists are even creating a paint-by-number type of design so people who want to paint, but don’t have an idea of a design can still help with the effort.

If interested in painting a barricade, email belmararts@optonline.net.