Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Bricker-Pugh.
Jennifer, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a fine artist and entrepreneur, I am always looking for ways to my express and grow my creativity and after having my art studio in my home for several years, I was ready to move into a more public and accessible studio space.
In the Spring of 2018 while shopping at one of my favorite consignment shops, the owner had mentioned it was up for sale and my creative wheels started turning. Could I possibly run a consignment boutique and incorporate my studio in the same space? I had never really worked retail and certainly never owned a brick and mortar, but I have a pretty healthy confidence in myself, delusional or not, and I really thought I could do it.
So after a brief discussion with my husband and kids, I decided to lean fully in to the experience and I purchased the shop.
8 years later, Lulu’s Boutique has become a hub for local artists and makers with my gift shop carrying nearly 30 local or regional creators. I have leaned into the art of curating some of the best second hand designer and vintage fashion where I get to scratch my fashion itch and bring some of the most beautiful and unique wears to the Kansas City community. Speaking of community, I have created a safe space where people can plop down on my beautiful gold sofa and feel as though they can fully be themselves. Lulu’s Boutique is disarming, inviting and a feast for the artsy maximalist.
My studio, although small, is a working studio where I have created hundreds of commissions and bodies of work for gallery shows and always have works for sale on the walls, but my creativity touches so much more than just my art. All of the merchandising, curating, greeting cards, fine art coasters, pillows…you name it, I have made it or designed it. It has allowed me to show my prowess in aesthetics.
I have also leaned into community activism using my space and platform to help local charities and food banks as well as being very vocal in my local Democratic Socialists of America chapter and am a proud Monarch Business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Opening a brick and mortar is an incredibly stress inducing adventure in and of itself. It is betting on yourself and having the confidence and drive to persevere through obstacles that you have prepared for to the best of your ability. Staffing, inventory buying, projections, finances, it is a lot to take on as a sole proprietor and then roughly a year and a half after opening, Covid happened.
It was terrifying. The fear of getting sick, the fear of your loved ones getting sick and of course the fear of losing your livelihood was enough to put cracks in any business, not to mention the fear of having to enforce masking rules in a very tumultuous political climate was incredibly difficult.
However with the support of my amazing customer base and community we survived and thrived and I am forever grateful for the support.
I had to rely on that same support again in the Fall of 2025 when once again the political climate reached a fever pitch. We have always been outspoken bastions for progressive ideals and have never been shy about it. We carry merchandise, signage, silly gifts that bring levity to a very polarized political climate and wave proverbial flag of inclusion that some folks found offensive.
We were then harassed by the right for months. We received calls, messages, death threats, bomb threats we got it all…and it was scary.
Today, I am even more outspoken then before. I took my licks and got back up through the unwavering support of my family, friends and beloved customers.
These are both extreme examples of obstacles and challenges of running a business, but the everyday operations of a small business are not for the faint of heart…but I have created some of the best memories and have made some of the best friends a gal could ask for.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an abstract expressionist painter. I knew I wanted to be an artist from a very young age.
Growing up in the very creative small town of Lucas, Kansas, I was definitely bitten by the creative bug early on in my upbringing and creativity was always welcome in our home.
I graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Studio Arts degree and began my freelance career shortly after.
I am so proud to be an artist, and am incredibly grateful to be able to create work that brings happiness and whimsy to the world. I believe what sets me apart is that I am unapologetically authentic. I have been told that my work looks like me, which may be the best compliment an artist can receive.
Whether it’s visual arts, music, writing and literature, theater, etc., My husband and I believe that making and sharing art is one of the purest expressions of being human and we fostered the exploration. `To share my love for art with my children will always be my greatest achievement as a mother.
My son Auggie is a musician and lead singer of Chernobyl Dogs, a punk band here in KC and my daughter is an interdisciplinary artist in Pittsburgh, PA and creativity runs through her blood. She also has a healthy love of fashion and works in the second hand fashion industry as well.
I am so unbelievably proud that both of my children have immersed themselves in the arts and for that I am forever proud.
My new mixed media series, entitled ‘The Pupil,’ features collaged paintings that pay homage to some of the biggest creative inspirations in my life.
You can view the work at Lulu’s during business hours or by appointment, and ‘The Pupil’ will officially debut as a solo show in the spring of 2027 at Cerbera Gallery in the Crossroads Arts District.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love True Crime documentaries and podcasts, horror movies and all things creepy.
I own several books about my favorite artists including Jean Michele Basquiat, Any Warhol, Mark Rothko and I am a sucker for coffee table books featuring late 60’s and early 70’s fashion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jenniferbricker-pugh.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lulusboutiquekc/ and https://www.instagram.com/studiojbp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbrickerpugh.artwork
