Meet Local Artist This Spring At Berkeley Library

BERKELEY, NJ — Check out the works of a local painter throughout April and May at the Berkeley Branch of the Ocean County Library, and meet him for yourself too.

Meet South Toms River artist Mark B. Retacco at a reception at the library on April 20 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. His work will be on display this spring in the library's meeting room.

“My paint brush takes me on a journey of happiness, despair, and self-discovery,” Retacco said. “At times, I just glide along, losing my fears, without boundaries or inhibitions! It is my sanity and independence from this world. My superpower is my uniqueness. Your superpower is your uniqueness.”

His work will also be displayed during June at OCL's Lacey Branch, in August at the Toms River Branch and in September at the Barnegat Branch.

Retacco's extensive career includes work for 20th Century-Fox, Paramount Studios and Turner Classic Movies. In 1995, he received recognition from President Bill Clinton for his painting Blind Venus Goes to the White House, which now resides in the Clinton Library and Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. His work was also featured on MTV's Real World Boston House in 1997.

In 2011, Retacco presented writer, broadcaster and Asbury Park native Wendy Williams with his painting Wendy Williams Statue of Liberty. He anchored and hosted programs for the Ocean Happening online magazine, and taught art at Creighton School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

In 2013, Retacco received a proclamation from the Office of the Freeholder (now Commission) Director of Ocean County, extolling his “dynamic creativity” and “unmatched passion for advancing the arts community of Ocean County.”

Two years later, he led a walking tour of historic downtown Toms River under the auspices of the Toms River Business Improvement District.

The exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public. No registration is required. You can check out the exhibit during normal Branch operating hours. For more information, visit the Berkeley Branch, 30 Station Road, Bayville, or call (732) 269-2144.