An Interactive Art Show, for one night only

Asbury Park has had its fair share of art shows the past 20 years, but no art show has ever been experienced quite like the own you might find at Cowerks tonight, from 7-10.  There will be live entertainment, and a Photo Booth that was designed to make you a bit uncomfortable before your picture is taken. This is a "denim" encouraged event; dust off those 90's jackets!

619 Lake Ave. Asbury Park, NJ (on the 3rd floor)

http://stank-rag-magazine.tumblr.com

Small Business of September Goes to....

This month features one of the cutest little vintage shops I know...

This lovely person is Mary-Ann Kuntz, small business owner and arts advocate in the small town of Millville, New Jersey.  Her shop offers new artists a place to put their work and each month a new artist is featured. She also hosts an art show on the 3rd Friday of each month.  Octopus's Garden has a balanced combination of jewelry, artwork, and crafted products all made to fit into her chosen themes of vintage circus, astrology, beach, and (of course) nautical creatures. I'm always attracted to her "Libra" items, but I shouldn't be biased.

A few items in her store were purchased at antique stores or flea markets. She explains, "I am inspired by the memories of my childhood and memories of my parents. My repurposed jewelry lines say a lot about the things I love; the beatles, astrology, carnivals, and movie monsters! I see potential and a new life in some of the old things I admire.

Who wouldn't want Gypsy Earrings?

Maryann's small business is organized, quaint, and not overly saturated.  All her goods are displayed with pride to showcase the talents of the 27 artists and crafters she supports. "We think of our artists as family and are proud of them all.  Most of what you'd find in my store you can't find anywhere else.  My husband and I love Millville and our creative village. We want everyone to experience the magic here."

If I opened a small business, I'd have my cash register on an ironing board too!

Maryann made these necklaces herself with the original images from vintage sideshow posters.

A few years back, I finished this commission for Octopus's Garden.

In addition to local art shows, Maryann sponsors local wine tastings the second Saturday of every month in the creative village Octopus's Garden is nested in.  If you're not into wine, there's a vegan cafe just a few stores away and the popular Wheaton Arts Village a few minutes away.

https://www.facebook.com/AnOctopusGarden

https://www.facebook.com/Village.on.High

Art Show Weekend Recap

I curated two different art shows in the same weekend.. phew! They were equally as time consuming as they were exciting. I prepared new work, printed and posted flyers, and brought my loaded polaroid camera with me!

Some of the polaroids I took this weekend...

Daimon, Gregg Bautista and I made mini dessert "burgers" for Friday's show

These guys jammed with a synth-kini and saxophone at Atomic in Point Pleasant. I jumped in with a kazoo just for laughs 

Some shots from the Tent City benefit show. I love this pic of these 2 love birds swinging

That dog hung out with the tarot card reader begging to know his future! Thought I'd take a photo since this guy, photographer and illustrator Gregg Bautista, wasn't doing his job! hehe

What a fun weekend, I love when all the people I know and love start to introduce themselves to each other. I really consider those moments to be like holidays; my family is coming together!  Richie playing his synth-kini in public, watching Chris Rockwell's set on my blanket with some awesome ladies, and playing back to back with Daimon were some of my favorite moments from the weekend... but I think my favorite one of all had to do with a jersey tomato.  I had a tomato in my bag for a snack at the benefit show, and couldn't help but share it with a nearby friend, James Herdman (musician for Accidental Seabirds and Thomas Wesley Stern).  I thought it was so funny that he found me an hour later and had managed to get a tomato from home just to share it with me!  It was the perfect summer day in Jersey; it'll be hard to forget sitting on a stump snacking on a tomato while everybody around me is smiling and having fun. It was memorable.

Here's my favorite polaroid of all.  It's interesting to me when I have a picture in my mind of how an event is supposed to go, and then it's completely different than what I imagined.  Thankfully both shows were better than I expected, and I got to connect with old friends and dance with some new ones. Hope you had a great weekend too!