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A pair of new creative entrepreneurs have landed on Bangs Avenue in Asbury Park.

Jewelry maker Illene Klein and visual artist Maria Cicchino have launched NOLO, a new gallery aimed at bringing art, music, jewelry and other handcrafted gifts together under one roof.

Located at 714 Bangs Avenue, the venue is located next door to the newly launched Red Rose Bakery and across from the popular Sweet Dani B, Vintage Wave, AP Greenery, and Patriae.

Musician Sam Houseal will headline NOLO’s 4 to 8 pm Saturday opening event, which also features wine and hors d’oeuvres.

NOLO – meaning No One Left Out, is aimed at being a welcoming hang out for the community at large, as well as a workshop for Klein’s jewelry making business and Cicchino’s art.

A former automotive advertising executive, Klein began making jewelry 18 years ago after the sudden death of her father and soon launched her online Sophia Roc line. 

“I took a metal smelting class at the 92nd Street Y,” she said. She was hooked. “Out of something tragic came something that is really beautiful to me and a passion.”

Cicchino, a 15 year long Asbury Park visitor, opted to buy a home four years ago in the city by the sea, which she has since moved into full time. Klein, who began visiting a year ago, is also making the city her home.

“I was looking for a new project and wanted a to find a space with a good vibe,” Klein said of her search for a workshop where she could develop a custom clientele for her reticulated silver jewelry designs.

It is Cicchino’s NOLO art series, a collection of uniquely stylized human head abstracts that embody the No One Left Out canon, for which the venue is named.

The lifelong artist, who works as a graphic designer by trade, said a 1990 fire left her depleted of her art. That’s when the NOLO series took center stage; some done on 100 year old inspired paper.

“I wanted to create something that is old and whimsical,” she said of the black and white portion of the NOLO series, each connected by her unique stylized interpretation of human heads.

“I feel we are all connected, no one is alone – not any race or culture, no one is left out,” she said of the inspiration behind the series.

There is also an abstract series that uses the pylons under Convention Hall as its foundation.  

The two say they wanted to create a space where people can come in and hang out for a while. Their goal is to provide affordable art and gift options.

“We want people to feel they are getting a real piece of art at an affordable price,” said.

The duo plan on hosting bimonthly events through year’s end, focussing the spotlight on other artists like veteran music photographer Ron Akiyama, whose pieces are also on display. Klein, who only works with natural materials, said she will launch jewelry making workshops based on the 2,000 year practice, in the new year.

NOLO Art is located at 714 Bangs Avenue. The opening celebration will run from 4 to 8 pm Saturday. The hours of operation are noon to 6 pm Thursday through Sunday, and by appointment. For more information, email noloartap@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.

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