My Favorite Places "Down the Shore": the Main Avenue Galleria

Now that summer is well underway, I'd like to introduce a new feature here at the Rosie G blog: descriptions of my favorite Jersey Shore locales. The first one is a recent discovery, the Main Avenue Galleria in Ocean Grove, NJ:

 This charming little storefront gallery is an artists' collective that sells wonderful paintings, photographs, mosaics, jewelry, and a host of other beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces. I visited the store in March when I was in town for a book signing and got chatting with one of the artists and employees, Christine Rotolo. After admiring her landscapes and beachscapes, I gave her a copy of my book and she presented me with a postcard of one of her paintings:

 Wouldn't you love to have a seat in one of those chairs? Christine is just one of the many artists in the collective. You can get a peek at some of the other wonderful work in the Galleria here. (And for those who want to channel their inner Van Gogh, the Galleria also offers art classes.)

The Main Avenue Galleria was a cozy little refuge on a cold spring night--the arts are alive and well here at the Jersey shore!

photo courtesy of Norma, Main Avenue Galleria

image courtesy of Christine Gattuso Rotolo