A Colorful Piece Of Art Weaves Its Way Through Asbury's Casino

ASBURY PARK, NJ – People walking through the Casino while taking a stroll on the Asbury Park boardwalk noticed lately that if they look up, they’ll see yards and yards of rainbow-colored yarn woven throughout the ceiling of the building.

The installation, known as “Aaron,” is part of the Wooden Walls project, which has been around since 2016 is curated by Jenn Hampton, owner of the Parlor Gallery. Created by Eric Rieger, also known as “HoTTea,” the installation represents Rieger’s feelings during the pandemic and the meeting of his partner, for whom the installation is named after.

“This installation represents a year of isolation and self-reflection that brought about healing and a renewed sense of purpose with someone that has changed my life forever,” Rieger said in a statement.

This is Rieger’s second yarn installation at the Casino building, the first being in 2019, which was featured in a piece on CBS Sunday Morning.

“The response to the initial installation in 2019 got so much of a positive response that CBS Sunday Morning came down to do a story about it. And that inspired the installation that happened this year,” Hampton said.

“I am always so overwhelmed by just how much this art installation moves people that visit it. It makes me so happy to be able to present these projects for people that may not ever have access to large site-specific installation art. It is an experience that can inspire anyone that visits, no matter their background.”

According to Hampton, it’s with public art installations like “Aaron” and the Wooden Walls Project as a whole that, along with its live music scene, could make Asbury Park a true beacon for the arts on the Jersey Shore.

“Asbury Park is the perfect place to become a beacon of the arts if we can commit to this idea as a community. We have so many beautiful aesthetics here in Asbury Park between the beach and the historical buildings; it is an unforgettable experience,” Hampton said.

“Public art just enhanced this experience. Artists get inspired when they come here to create, whether it be art or music, and I think we all get the benefits of that inspiration through the creation of art.”