A variation of the "Gone Surfing" sign that helped launch the business.
A small but impossible-not-to-notice sign adorns the threshold at Peace of Wood, the unique gallery and “feel good store” at 1112 Asbury Ave.
“Be peaceful or BE GONE!!” the sign tells all who enter. That’s right, peace…with an attitude. “We call it aggressive happiness,” says business co-owner Kristina Young, with a laugh. It’s not a hard concept to enforce. Upon entering the space on a recent afternoon, a visitor was greeted with reggae music, art objects of almost every description (and even a few that defy description), surfboards, skate equipment, and the most important product: good vibes.
Young started up the business this spring with her husband Marshall. “The vision was to embody our passions: surf, skate, art, teaching and kids,” said Kristina, a former elementary school teacher. She had become disenchanted with the way public education was headed, with an emphasis on achieving higher test scores. “All of the creativity was being sucked out, which was the part about teaching that I enjoyed the most. I began thinking about a business.”
Kristina had always enjoyed working on artistic pieces, and one day Marshall encouraged her to use pieces of reclaimed wood as a “canvass.” “It was a therapeutic outlet,” she said. “I just loved painting and listening to music.” Then a funny thing happened. Her pieces began to sell. Living in Brigantine at the time, she and Marshall would sit outside their house, create their art and sell it to random passers-by.
Eventually, the idea to open a gallery/store came to pass. “We would not even be here if it weren’t for my husband,” Kristina said. “He encouraged me (to go for it.) He said ‘There’s nothing stopping us from doing whatever we want.’”
Peace of Wood emerged from the couple’s vision and transitioned seamlessly into the Ocean City art, surf, vacation and good-times culture. But it wasn’t an overnight success.
