TJ Gansenberg, proprietor of Gansenboards, is a Massachusetts-based artist who grew up in Beverly. He is currently a middle school music teacher in Revere, MA, and uses his summers off from teaching to focus on art making.
Gansenberg creates custom skateboard decks, custom skateboard artwork, murals, and other design and fine art. Perhaps his most unique creation to date made its debut on the streets of Beverly at the 2024 Holiday Parade: a giant birthday cake to announce the upcoming 400th anniversary of the founding of the city of Beverly in 2026!
Beverly was gifted the cake from the city of Gloucester after its anniversary celebration. Beverly 400+, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization made up of a diverse team of Beverly people, had just created its brand and logo and thought the cake would be a great way to showcase it. Enter Gansenberg.
“My design for the Beverly 400+ birthday cake is an effort to embody the spirit of birthday cake, with some Beverly-specific significance,” said Gansenberg. “When I saw images of other celebrations using this cake, what stood out most was that this cake-shaped thing did not really feel like a cake. I felt like there was something missing.”
After looking at reference images of cakes and going to the grocery store and staring at the shelves of cakes in the bakery, Gansenberg decided his cake needed the classic frosting borders that are the hallmark of a multi-tiered cake. For the lower border on each cake layer, he made a row of flowers, a reference to Beverly being known as the Garden City.
The upper border is a classic piped shell pattern, which Gansenberg chose to reflect Beverly being a coastal beach town. The shell pattern also forms the silhouette of ocean waves on the blue background.
“Painting the cake was such a fun and unique experience. I imagine not many artists have a larger-than-life birthday cake on their resume. I’m so flattered and grateful that the Beverly 400+ team asked me to be a part of this project,” said Gansenberg.
Gansenberg has painted about a dozen murals, some temporary and some permanent, on exterior walls, interior walls, garage doors, and windows. His public art can be found in Methuen, Lowell, and Salem. He also creates art with used or broken skateboards that has been on display at two Beverly locations; Bridge Nine Records and Coastal Mass Brewery.
Catch the big cake at the Beverly Holiday Parade November 30, 2025 and watch for it around town all year round in 2026. If you see the cake, SMILE. SNAP. TAG BEVERLY 400+ ON SOCIAL MEDIA and be entered into our giveaways for Beverly 400+ swag!