Long before visitors step inside the Ocean City Music Pier for the annual Art of Surfing show, Aaron “Bogy” Bogushefsky has already spent months bringing artists together, curating exhibits and finding new ways to showcase the creative spirit of the local surfing community.
On July 30, the show will return, transforming the Music Pier into a gallery filled with paintings, photography, sculptures, handcrafted surfboards, jewelry, clothing and other works inspired by life along the coast.
Bogushefsky views the show as a way to give fellow artists the same opportunities that helped launch his own career, rather than an art exhibition.
“I get to be that encouragement to other artists,” he said. “I get to give them a platform to show their [art], and to maybe take their hobby into a lifestyle or a career.”
That philosophy has shaped the event since Bogushefsky took over the long-running show about six years ago after purchasing it from its previous organizer.
Originally created by the former Sagemore Surf Gallery, the exhibition has evolved into one of Ocean City’s signature summer art events, attracting artists from across the region while remaining rooted in the local surfing community.
This year’s show will feature live surfboard-shaping demonstrations, local clothing makers, painters, watercolor artists, sculptors, jewelry designers and other creators working across a wide range of mediums. Bogushefsky said the goal isn’t simply to fill the venue but to carefully curate a collection that reflects the many artistic expressions found within surf culture.
Over the years, the exhibition has expanded beyond physical artwork. Each day, live music will fill the Music Pier, while a new gathering space with seating and complimentary coffee will encourage visitors to linger and connect with artists.
“We want people to just be part of the whole scene,” he said. “Even people that are unfamiliar, it’s very welcoming to all.”
Beyond the show’s exponential growth, artist interest has also flourished.
“We were begging people our first year,” Bogushefsky said. “Now we had to turn down more artists than I had ever even seen before.”
His passion for creating community through art stems from a lifetime spent making it.
Bogushefsky, who taught art in the Ocean City School District for 16 years after earning a fine arts degree from the University of Delaware, said he has been drawing for as long as he can remember.
“Every little kid draws,” he said. “At some point, I think they feel like they’re doing it wrong, and they stop doing it. … I feel like I never stopped.”
Even as a teenager, people were buying his drawings. After seeing success selling his work during his first Ocean City Boardwalk Art Show in 2004, Bogushefsky realized art could become something more than a hobby. Eventually, as sales continued to grow, he found himself earning as much from painting as he was from teaching.
About a year and a half ago, he made the leap to become a full-time artist.
Today, he spends a majority of the year living in Puerto Rico, where he teaches art classes and coaches youth soccer. In the warmer months, he returns to Ocean City for art camps and the busy shore season that has inspired much of his work — and remains a central subject.
His colorful scenes capture bustling beaches, crowded boardwalks and familiar landmarks, not as literal recreations but as emotional snapshots of the town’s character. Several of his large murals can be found throughout the island, including at JiLLy’s, Stainton’s By the Sea and Island Grill.
Rather than striving for realism, Bogushefsky embraces a style many describe as whimsical, one he once struggled to define.
“I used to hate it,” he said of not fitting neatly into traditional fine art or illustration. “One day, someone came around and said, ‘Yeah, it’s like your style.’ As soon as I started embracing my style, it started selling everywhere.”
Bogushefsky said his inspiration often comes from quietly observing the world around him.
A sunset over the marsh, the colors of beach umbrellas, a crowded stretch of sand or the way light reflects off the water all become pieces of a larger mental picture that slowly develops before ever reaching the canvas.
“I think one of my abilities as an artist… is this observation,” he said. “The seeing, constantly observing things all of the time, never turns off.”
That perspective is what he believes separates handmade artwork from computer-generated images.
“When you buy art, you’re buying life,” he said. “You’re buying perspective from someone else’s eyes.”
More than sales or recognition, Bogushefsky said he measures success by the impact it has on those who view it.
“I think that it can bring joy to someone else,” he said.
That same mindset drives Art of Surfing.
Art of Surfing will be held Thursday, July 30, from 5-10 p.m., Friday, July 31, from noon-10 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 1, from noon-10 p.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Admission is free. Live music, artist demonstrations and giveaways will take place throughout the three-day event.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
