By Megan Antosy
The Art of Surfing Festival encompasses the South Jersey surfing spirit through music, art and surfboards. This year’s show will be held at the Music Pier on Aug. 1, 2 and 3.
The festival started in the early 2000s at the Sagemore Gallery on Asbury Avenue, near where Ward’s Pastry was by Phil DeAngelo and Steve Miller. The show quickly outgrew the gallery and moved to the Music Pier. After the Sagemore Gallery closed, DeAngelo and Miller kept the show going. About three years ago, Aaron “Bogy” Bogushefsky took over the show along with Caitlin Peck, Jason Carlisi and Elizabeth Kirk. Peck designed this year’s poster.
“Before, it was my one art show that I did a year,” Bogy explained. “I used to be the young guy in town, the new artist, now I’m the veteran who gets to help people. My goal is to showcase what we do to the community and [also] to outsiders looking in. I love what we have here, the surfing community. Between music, film and art, it’s the core of surfing but all of these things are branches off of that one root.”
This year features 25 artists, eight of which are first-timers to the festival. One of those artists is Jules Gaupp, a painter who is known for her hand-painted hats, vans, and totes. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the local surf and art scene and meeting other artists,” said Gaupp.
Also new this year is an interactive surfboard shaper booth where festival participants can watch the shapers shape and glass a surfboard through the three days. Brian Wynn, Tony Palaia, and Trevor Kennedy will team up to show off their shaping skills and create this board that will be available at the end of the show for a festivalgoer to add to their quiver.
There will be a surf film debuting at the festival. Called “We’re Still Here– A New Jersey Surf Story,” it highlights Jersey surf culture and looks at the oldest surf shops in the state. Created by Steven Potter, this will debut Saturday night, Aug. 3, at 8 p.m. During the show, there will also be a book signing by Mark Neustadter, a member of the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame, about New Jersey surfing.
As always, there will be music under the Music Pier loggia. Aaron Jamison of Wildlife Surfboards won’t be a featured surfboard maker this year, but his band Head High will be performing. Other bands featured over the three nights are L+J Band, Polaroid Fade, and The Customers.
New this year, Peace of Wood will offer kid demos. Kristina Young will also be an artist. She is known for her turquoise pops of color in the waves, sea creatures, and mermaids that she paints. Young will be bringing original works as well as prints, stickers, and apparel.
Bogy is a watercolor artist. He’s bringing a mixture of stickers, original works, and prints. New this year, he is bringing his prints in 18×24” puzzle form. “People have asked me for years for my art into a puzzle. I finally did it,” said Bogy.
Other artists this year include Mike Rumer (Wicked Woods), an epoxy artist; Staci Lynn Kaplan (Wind and Waves Soaps), a soapmaker; and Susan Allen (Catch Her Drift), a driftwood carver.
“My goal for the show is to highlight the local surf scene in South Jersey and put it on display for a few nights,” said Bogy.
Megan Antosy is a 2018 graduate of Penn State Berks with a BA in Professional Writing, a BS in Business with a concentration in Public Relations and Marketing, and a minor in Women’s Studies.She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Strategic Communications and Digital Strategy through the University of Oklahoma.
