Jill_In Studio

Mixed media art displayed in an eclectic and inviting space has proven a compelling formula for this Asbury Park gallery

by Laura D.C. Kolnoski

Artist Jill Ricci thought it was “crazy” to open the Parlor Gallery without funding or a business plan, but eight years later, she and co-owner Jenn Hampton just keep building on their successes—the gallery’s name reflecting the vision and aesthetic they strove to achieve from the start.

“We wanted it to be non-intimidating, like someone’s art filled living room where you can chill and enjoy, as opposed to a cold, white space,” Ricci said, adding, “Who doesn’t like a couch?” The concept is as innovative as Ricci’s art, which has evolved since the Providence, Rhode Island native majored in Art and Art History at Smith College in Massachusetts, later obtaining an MFA in Art Therapy from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Rather than undertaking art therapy, however, she began painting murals around Chicago, and exhibited her work in galleries, juried shows, bars, and restaurants… even curating art shows in her live/work space.

Creating custom residential finishes led to her first company, Surface Art Design, offering interior design, decorative painting, and art placement. She “stumbled” upon Asbury Park 13 years ago while driving to the Windy City from Manhattan.

“I was looking to relocate to a smaller town,” Ricci said. “The boardwalk hadn’t been redeveloped yet and the beach was empty. I drove down Cookman Avenue and saw artist studios and galleries and decided to move to Asbury as soon as I could. I didn’t care that it looked abandoned, because that appealed to me.”

In 2004, she joined Exhibit A Gallery on the boardwalk. When that closed, she relocated to a studio above what is now Parlor Gallery, then another gallery owned by Hampton. As that closed, the friends decided to open Parlor Gallery in 2009. Their space occupies the first floor and basement—approximately 2,200 square feet, with 12-foot ceilings and hardwood floors.

Cellini Spread

Bored with the limitations of paint, Ricci began experimenting with mixed media and collages, using collected materials. Patterns, texture, color, and structure emerged organically. She would layer, for example, gold and variegated leaf, glitter, and sequins amongst Venetian plaster and spray paint.

“By combining advertising ephemera, fabric, wall coverings, and abstraction, Ricci’s work manages to feel at once ancient and modern,” wrote art critic Lesley Frenz in 2012. The artist said she strives to establish an immediate identification between the viewer and the work, exploring “the place between high art and popular culture, and two- and three-dimensional space.”

Her works are in collections at Pinnacle Entertainment in Las Vegas, L’Auberge Hotel & Casino in Baton Rouge, and the Melting Pot in Red Bank, and have been in shows nationwide.

“I hope those viewing it will linger, trying to discover hidden imagery and text, finding their own meaning or interpretation,” she said. “Some are attracted to the color, pattern, and design/graphic elements. For others it’s the beauty and bling factor. Some say they like my pieces because they remind them of ancient walls in exotic places.”

The gallery has spaces for both solo and larger shows. The Back Room Gallery features rotating artists, sculpture, prints, and original photographs—with live music, benefits, parties, artist talks, weddings, chef’s tastings, and book readings held in the versatile location. Themed shows and pop-up exhibits on the boardwalk are planned this year. Parlor Gallery has hosted “Chairs of Inclusion,” an exhibition featuring artists from the WAE (Wellness, Arts, Enrichment) Center and New Jersey Center for the Blind, and is a venue for Asbury Park’s Light of Day Festival and Asbury Underground.

“The arts are an essential part of Asbury’s continued resurgence,” Ricci said. “It can’t just be a city of bars and restaurants. Those relocating here from larger urban areas sense the cultural and artistic movements, and want to be a part of them.”

Parlor Gallery
717 Cook man Avenue, Asbury Park / 732.869.0606
parlor-gallery.com