Peace Of Wood Expands Art, Music Sessions In New Ocean City Store

OCEAN CITY, NJ — For the last five years, Ocean City residents Kristina and Marshall Young crafted a community space in their store on Asbury Avenue that welcomed local artists.

Over 25 artists showcase and sell their handmade work at Peace of Wood, spanning a variety of mediums including wooden sculptures, paintings, jewelry, clothing and surfboards. Kristina also instructs paint classes on wooden canvases for people of all ages while Marshall plays instruments during music sessions in the store.

Earlier this year, the Youngs learned that their landlord had plans to knock down the building and rebuild a new one, but the new structure would not offer commercial spaces for storefronts.

“The past two years we’ve been feeling like the space was getting a little small,” Kristina said. “We were kind of growing out of it, but we were so attached to that space and I loved that space so much I really didn’t want to leave ever. It was a universal push to grow.”

Kristina and Marshall opened their new store at 345 West Ave on May 8, which was Peace of Wood’s 5-year anniversary in business.

The new location came fitted with a courtyard, giving them additional space to host music sessions and painting classes outside with more room for art displays inside.

“It definitely feels like a next step and I feel like all of our customers and family that come in here feels that too, so it’s been cool to share that with them,” Kristina said.

Peace of Wood was also nominated as a business of the year by Patch readers last year. Read more: Ocean City Store Provided Art, Music 'When These Kids Needed It'

When Peace Of Wood closed its doors amid the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Kristina and Marshall wanted to stay involved with the community and help people navigate the new normal.

The Youngs got creative and hosted hour-long virtual "paint jams" on social media, where they shared music and taught kids how to draw every day for two months until their store reopened.

“When we got hit with the quarantine, our first question was how can we stay connected to the community? We all need that and we needed that too,” Kristina said. “That was a special time that we shared with the kids that logged in with us every day. We all shared that moment. That’s the core mission of the shop — how do we continue to create a space that offers something positive for everyone around us.”

When the Youngs concluded the virtual sessions in May, they began selling take-home art kits, complete with ready-to-hang hardware, paints and paintbrushes that were available for curbside pickup.

As a former elementary school teacher, Kristina knew that the pandemic would take a toll on families as their daily routines were upended and parents had more on their plate while working from home and taking care of their kids.

“I know that’s taking on a whole other job on top of parents trying to do their job. What’s something we can offer that might make it a little lighter for a little portion of the day? We can’t take it away but there is something we can do,” she said.

The Youngs were able to reach people beyond Ocean City and across the country through their virtual sessions last year, but now they are looking forward to seeing familiar faces in their new store.

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