The Kotis Street Art project has officially opened to the public in Greensboro months after the project began posting the beginning stages of construction on June 10 via Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBRIZCgjJoZ/
As of July 20, Kotis Street Art posted an update that 26 out of the 46 panels were already painted or still underway.
The Kotis Street Art Outdoor Gallery is a three-acre privately-owned outdoor street art gallery and event space that celebrates street art and street artists by founder Marty Kotis, a Greensboro developer, restauranteur, and entrepreneur who drew inspiration from his love of travel and art festivals.
Kotis has attended Upfest and Shoreditch in England, Wynwood Walls in Miami and Urban Spree in Berlin, which lead to his inspiration for an outdoor street art gallery.
In 2010, he began his initial efforts to infuse Greensboro with the street art scene, which eventually led to discovering local and international artists who were seeking walls to paint and wanted to create new and evolving pieces of art for the community to enjoy for free.
Open to local, national, and international artists, the gallery offers 16 paint areas with a total of 46-panel canvases of varying sizes placed throughout the outdoor space.
A few of the local artists who have contributed to the outdoor street art gallery are Raleigh artist Morgan CKAE, owner of MCK Creative, Greensboro graffiti artist Jeks One, Greensboro artistic entrepreneur and artist Jenna Rice, Greensboro-based artist and teacher Gina Elizabeth Franco and award-winning illustrator, painter, and Greensboro mural artist Raman Bhardwaj.
N.C. A&T student artist Alea Tobias also known as Lea the Goat was also featured in the outdoor street art gallery. She is the creator of Black Museum and has been featured by The Artist Bloc, The Artist Corner NC and Cruel Summer event in Charlotte N.C.
“It’s been interesting being a part of such a big project,” Tobias said. “It definitely opened doors for new opportunities, taught me new techniques and helped me network with other creatives during this pandemic. I’m always grateful to have the opportunity to create.”
The gallery operates on a curated, pass-based system, as artists submit their work to Kotis Street Art and are assigned a panel to paint upon approval. Upon arrival, they are to pick up their passes and sign a waiver at Buddha Belly Paint Shop, which is conveniently located beside the gallery, as they also offer a selection of paint and supplies for artists to purchase.
The Outdoor Street Art Gallery is located at 1316 Lee’s Chapel Road, near the intersection of North Church Street.
The gallery is free and is open from sunrise to 10 p.m. and features outdoor lights for night time viewing and painting. Guests can park in the shopping center parking lot and walk through the gallery while maintaining social distancing.
Due to COVID-19 concerns, they are limiting the gallery to a maximum of 25 people including guests and artists, with artists receive priority for entry. Guests are required to wear masks and observe a six-foot social distancing rule at all times.
To learn more about the Kotis Street Art Outdoor Gallery, please visit www.kotisstreetart.com.
