Free December 3 event will celebrate two distinctive chapters of Atlantic City's cultural history, featuring Henrietta Shelton and internationally acclaimed sand sculptor John Gowdy.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Two remarkable chapters of Atlantic City's history will be celebrated Thursday, December 3, when Stockton University hosts a free evening of documentary films highlighting the legacy of Chicken Bone Beach and the artistry of internationally recognized sand sculptor John Gowdy.
The event, scheduled for Stockton University's Campus Center Theater, will feature Sunshine Row – The Story of Chicken Bone Beach and Sandman, a documentary chronicling Gowdy's career and the history of sand sculpting.
A reception begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the two half-hour films from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free, although advance reservations are encouraged because seating is limited to 250 people.
Henrietta Wallace Shelton, founder and president of the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation, and Gowdy discussed the upcoming screenings during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
For Shelton, the documentary represents another opportunity to preserve the history of a beach that became a cultural gathering place for African Americans during segregation.
Chicken Bone Beach, located near Missouri Avenue, was the section of Atlantic City's shoreline where Black residents and visitors were directed during much of the 20th century.
Shelton said the foundation has preserved historical correspondence revealing how hotel owners and other influential figures sought to restrict where African Americans could enjoy the beach.
She recalled spending time there with her family during the 1950s.
"I had an opportunity when I was young to be at the tail end of it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it," Shelton told Lopez.
Although the beach's nickname originated during an era of discrimination, generations of families created lasting memories there. Black entertainers and other prominent visitors also frequented the shoreline.
Photographs taken by John W. Mosley documented the people, fashions and community life that made the beach an important part of Atlantic City's African American heritage.
The documentary explores that history and the foundation's efforts to preserve it through education, music and community programs.
Founded in 1997, the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation has become particularly well known for its free summer jazz concerts at Kennedy Plaza, outside Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.
Shelton said the concerts regularly attract approximately 1,500 spectators and feature accomplished jazz musicians.
"We bring in artists that you have to go to New York to see and pay big bucks for them," she said.
She emphasized the importance of musical improvisation and giving individual performers opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.
"That's what I love about straight-ahead jazz, and that's the type of lesson that we want to teach the kids," Shelton said.
The foundation's historical preservation efforts received another significant recognition June 25, when New Jersey unveiled a Black Heritage Trail marker commemorating Chicken Bone Beach.
Shelton said the marker is the first associated with the trail in Atlantic City.
"We have a beautiful state of New Jersey Black Heritage marker on Chicken Bone Beach," she said. "We're now officially a landmark."
The updated Sunshine Row documentary will include footage of the marker's unveiling. The film originally premiered in 2025.
The evening's second documentary, Sandman, turns the spotlight on another Atlantic City tradition.
Gowdy, a retired Atlantic City fire captain who served 27 years with the department, has spent decades transforming sand into elaborate works of art.
"I'm a retired firefighter here in Atlantic City, 27 years on the Atlantic City Fire Department, retired as captain, and I've been doing sand for more than 40 years now — sand sculpture, I should say," Gowdy told Lopez.
He has competed internationally and organized major sand sculpting events, including Atlantic City's World Championships of Sand Sculpting in 2013 and 2014.
The documentary will showcase approximately four decades of his creations, along with other artists who have contributed to the field.
Gowdy also discussed Atlantic City's historical connection to sand sculpture.
"In 1897, I guess it's right after the boardwalk was built, a fellow by the name of Philip McCord, in a derby and, you know, shoes and a suit, was building sand sculptures for tossed coins," he said.
McCord is widely recognized as an early commercial sand sculptor, and historical accounts document his work along Atlantic City's beaches during the 1890s.
Gowdy said that history makes Atlantic City an especially meaningful location for sand sculpting exhibitions.
"All the sculptors around the world know this because it's in the books of sand sculpting art that it all started here in Atlantic City," he said.
He hopes to bring another major sand sculpting event to Atlantic City, potentially at the newly renovated Kennedy Plaza.
"I'm hoping to bring an event here to Atlantic City in the near future," Gowdy said.
Both documentaries were produced through ArtC, with filmmaker Bill Horan directing the projects.
Gowdy praised the work involved in bringing the films to the screen.
"He worked really hard on all these," Gowdy said of Horan. "He's still editing the Sandman documentary. But he worked very hard for both of these documentaries."
The December 3 screening is being presented with support from organizations including the Noyes Museum of Art, Stockton University and AtlantiCare.
Gowdy encouraged residents to attend, noting that the event will provide an opportunity to meet the featured artists and learn about Atlantic City's history.
"Free event. Free parking, easy parking," he said. "It's a beautiful area to see it."
He also emphasized that Atlantic City's identity extends well beyond its gaming industry.
"Everyone wants to create Atlantic City casinos. We have art here. We have art. We have a bay. We have a beach and boardwalk. I mean, Atlantic City is more than casinos."
Lopez agreed, describing the documentaries as an opportunity to recognize the people and traditions that helped shape the resort.
The event takes place Thursday, December 3, at Stockton University's Campus Center Theater, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway Township.
The reception runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with both documentaries screening from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Admission is free, but reservations are recommended because of the theater's limited capacity. Attendees can find reservation information through ArtC's website, artcnow.com, under the Sandman documentary listing.
Henrietta Wallace Shelton and John Gowdy discussed the documentaries on The AC Mike Lopez Show, airing weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
