Luna Parc | |
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![]() Front view of the main house of Luna Parc | |
Location | Sandyston Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
Coordinates | 41°15′8.316″N 74°47′16.62″W / 41.25231000°N 74.7879500°W |
Established | 1989 |
Founder | Richard Boscarino |
Designer | Richard Boscarino |
Etymology | Rome park by same name[1][2][3] |
Operated by | Richard Boscarino |
Visitors | 5,226 |
Open | During semi-annual Open House |
Status | Active |
Luna Parc is the semi-private museum, atelier, and private home of 21st century American multimedia artist Richard "Ricky" Boscarino[4][5][6] located in Sandyston Township, New Jersey, United States. Twice a year, the museum and atelier are opened to the public for a three-weekday Open House.[3][4][7][8][9]
Luna Parc comprises multiple buildings[3][10] and outdoor art pieces[11][12][13] set in an 8.5-acre[14][15] densely-wooded landscape.[2] These structures are built from metal, clay, glass,[2][16] wood, rock,[6] ceramic, cement,[17][18] and ferro-cement.[19] They are designed in a whimsical[3][15][16][20][21] architectural style, featuring vivid colors,[2][3][11][22] curving surfaces,[5][11] detailed mosaic tiling,[4][5][11] and incorporating unusual objects such as bowling balls[9][23] and license plates.[23][24]
The fantastical outdoor appearance of Luna Parc resembles Gaudí's Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain, and the Hundertwasser House in Vienna, Austria, because Boscarino drew inspiration from both these European sites.[2][16][19][20]
The main building is a 5,000 square foot residential house.[15] The interior of this house is a cabinet of curiosities exhibiting thousands of artifacts[2][3][4] ranging from the exotic (e.g., Tibetan yak leather pouch) to the absurd (human fallopian tubes floating in a glass vessel).[6][11][12][13][21][23][25] Also on display inside are Boscarino's individual works of art such as his oil paintings[16][26] and articulated metallic insect jewelry.[18][22][27][28]
Boscarino is also an officer in The Luna Parc Atelier Foundation Inc.[29] The Foundation is a not-for-profit entity registered under US IRC as a 501(c)(3) organization[17][29] that serves as an art colony and is chartered to teach and provide hands-on training to aspiring artists and apprentice workers.[30] One mission of the Foundation is to ensure the continued existence of Luna Parc as a creative museum.[31] Much of the Foundation's training, events, and fundraising takes place on the grounds of Luna Parc.[4][9][32]
Mark Sceurman, co-creator and publisher of History Channel's reality television series Weird U.S., described Luna Parc in 2014 as "Of all the places we've seen, I think this is the strangest".[23]