What is the mission of this project?

The mission of this public art project is to provide an opportunity for Atlantic and Cape May counties to work together on an activity that will raise funds to support scholarships, books and academic programs and promote the arts, tourism and interest in historical sites. It will also serve to enhance a sense of community between the two counties.

When and where can I see the finished lighthouses?

The lighthouses will be moved to their assigned locations throughout Atlantic and Cape May counties through June 30. A map will be provided on this site showing their locations.

The lighthouses will remain at their designated locations in Cape May County through August 3 and in Atlantic County through August 10. They will be on display at two open-to-the-public events and dinner auctions, one at the Wildwood Convention Center on August 14 and the other at the Atlantic City Convention Center on August 22.

The completed lighthouses also will be showcased on this site under the lighthouses tab from July 3-20, when you'll have the opportunity to vote for your favorite lighthouses.

How can I get involved?

There are many ways to get involved:

As a participating organization: Organizations that support the arts and education were invited to join as a participating organization. Participating organizations had to provide the funding to produce, store, secure and transport their lighthouse ($2,895). Organizations either provided the funding themselves or were encouraged to seek sponsors. Organizations were then invited to come out and select from over 200 proposals submitted from local artists. The artists they selected will then design their lighthouse. Once the lighthouse goes to auction, participating educational and arts organizations will receive 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of their lighthouse. Other participating organizations will receive 75 percent of the proceeds from the sale for educational and arts related activities. See the listing of participating organizations under participants.

As a sponsor: Sponsors can provide support at various levels. Sponsors can sponsor a particular lighthouse, the cocktail receptions for the auctions and open to the public events, T-shirts, posters. There are endless ways to promote your company through this event that will last for almost four months, be highly publicized, and will support the local economy through generated tourism revenue. We invite you to look at the sponsor page for a detailed listing of the various elements of sponsorship available.

As a volunteer: We need volunteers to work the parades and open-to-the-public events and dinner auctions. We encourage you to look under the Volunteers page for a complete listing of opportunities and to find out how to sign up.

As a bidder: Art enthusiasts are eligible to bid on the one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Silent bids will be accepted from the time the lighthouses are rolled out until the auctions in August. In order to place a silent bid you will need to complete and return the form under the Auction page. Bids will start at $2,500.

You can also bid on your favorite lighthouse at the two dinner auctions. The first will take place on August 14 at the Wildwood Convention Center. The second dinner auction will take place on August 22, at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

As a public participant: We encourage you to see the lighthouses when they are on display. Please check out the Events page for updates with times and locations.

You will have the opportunity to vote for your top 12 lighthouses to be made into a calendar that will be sold under the Merchandise tab. Check back in the months ahead for details on how to vote for your top choices and for information on how to buy the calendar and other lighthouse festival merchandise.

How is the money being raised and what will it support?

Money will be raised from the sale of the works at auction. The funds raised will go toward supporting arts and education for the numerous participating organizations as well as toward supporting scholarships and educational initiatives for Atlantic Cape Community College.