Restored building to host art show

A former auto parts store in Kinston’s Arts and Culture District is getting a new lease on life as a venue for the arts.

The building at the corner of Mitchell and Blount Streets was host to arts and crafts vendors during the recent BBQ Festival, and this Saturday will be the site of a unique pop-up art show featuring the art of Maximilian Mozingo.

Mozingo’s show will feature artwork from his mixed media “Genius Child” art series. Mozingo said that inspiration for the series came from the poem of the same name by Langston Hughes.

“The series represents the freedom of art, and the freedom that it gives, just losing yourself to creativity and cherishing the art,” Mozingo said.

Tonight’s show will also feature other forms of artistic expression, including poetry, dance, spoken word and open mic performances.

“I didn’t want it to be your typical [art show], so I decided to add the element of expression as far as other art forms. I wanted to give people the chance to come express themselves with the art as a backdrop,” Mozingo said.

Artists paint a mural on the side of a former auto parts store on Mitchell Street in Kinston Photo courtesy of smART Kinston / Facebook

Anyone driving by the building in the past week may have noticed the exterior has been decorated with a vibrant mural of Mozingo’s design that pays tribute to the smART Kinston program and the Arts and Culture District.

Mozingo said the mural came about as a result of a conversation with Stephen Hill–who recently purchased the building–and he hopes it will serve to give the building some “pizzazz.” With the help of several other ‘smARTists,’ he created a mural that celebrates different art disciplines as well as the restored mill houses which now house artists in Mitchelltown.
Beyond Saturday’s show, Mozingo said there are no fixed plans for the building, but he hopes it will be used for similar events and serve as part of the broader Arts and Culture District.

The Pop-Up Art Show is free to the public and runs from 6-9 p.m. at 312 Mitchell St. in Kinston.