Wooden Walls announces PlusOne artist lineup and three-weekend art party in Asbury Park

Shepard Fairey will headline the opening weekend of PlusOne, a three-weekend public art event in Asbury Park, New Jersey, produced by Wooden Walls Public Art Project. The fall 2026 program will spread murals, installations and performances across the boardwalk, downtown and Sunset Lake Park.

Why it matters: - PlusOne will turn Asbury Park into a three-weekend public art destination in September and October 2026. - The event is designed to bring artists, visitors and local spaces together through murals, installations, tours and live programming. - The project adds another major public-art activation to a city already known for its boardwalk murals and creative scene.

What happened: - Wooden Walls Public Art Project announced the PlusOne artist lineup and major activations for the inaugural event. - Shepard Fairey will return to Asbury Park as a featured muralist for opening weekend. - PlusOne will run over three consecutive weekends: Sept. 18-20, Sept. 25-26 and Oct. 2-3. - The programming will take place across downtown Asbury Park, the waterfront, Sunset Lake Park, City Hall and the boardwalk.

The details: - Fairey, known for the OBEY brand and the Barack Obama “Hope” poster, first visited Asbury Park in 2011. - Fairey will create a new large-scale mural at the Sunset Avenue Pavilion on the boardwalk before opening weekend. - Opening weekend includes an Arts Block Party on the 700 block of Cookman Avenue on Friday, Sept. 18. - Parlor Gallery will host an exhibition of Fairey prints alongside work from other PlusOne artists. - The Art Spot on the Asbury Park Boardwalk will host a pop-up Art Print Shop with Fairey. - On Sunday, Sept. 20, PlusOne will present the return of “March of the Medusa” on the boardwalk. - Dennis McNett, also known as Wolfbat, created “March of the Medusa” with collaborators including Swoon, Steve Olson, Adam Wallacavage, Jodi Rice, Kathy Kelly, Lecy and the Ocean Avenue Stompers. - Weekend 2, titled “Dr. Flotsam’s Carny Island,” will center on St. John’s Island in Sunset Lake Park. - Mike Shine will lead that immersive installation, with collaborators Porkchop, Bradley Hoffer, Beau Stanton and Jason Stumpf. - Sunset Lake Park will also feature installation art from HOTTEA, Hyland Mather, Kris Moran and Martin Duffy. - Weekend 3, titled “Carousel Fun House,” will transform the Carousel House into a reimagined fun house with custom games, unexpected prizes and site-specific installations. - PlusOne will include large-scale murals, immersive and site-specific installations, exhibitions, artist talks, tours and hands-on experiences. - Guided art tours will trace the history of public art in Asbury Park and include stops at murals and works made before PlusOne by Buff Monster, Chaz of The London Police, Kevin Cincotti and Add Fuel. - The nonprofit Wooden Walls Public Art Project produced PlusOne with support from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation, or A.R.T., Phase II Grant Program.

Between the lines: - The event’s “+1” curatorial model is built around artist-to-artist invitations, which expands the lineup through collaboration. - Fairey’s return gives PlusOne a high-profile opening anchor while tying the new festival to Wooden Walls’ earlier work in the city. - The project aims to blur the line between exhibition space and public space by making the boardwalk and surrounding neighborhoods part of the artwork.

What's next: - Wooden Walls said more artist announcements, a detailed schedule, a map and installation locations will be released in the coming weeks. - The artist lineup is not final and remains subject to change. - PlusOne will unfold in fall 2026 as the next major chapter in Wooden Walls’ 11-year public-art program in Asbury Park.

The bottom line: - PlusOne is positioning Asbury Park as a citywide, walkable art festival led by a mix of marquee names and collaborative public-art projects.