OUT & ABOUT ARTS & CULTURE
A Painted History HOW LOCAL TEENS BEAUTIFY THE COMMUNITY WITH K SPACE CONTEMPORARY BY: MARK GREGORY LOPEZ PHOTOS PROVIDED BY: K SPACE CONTEMPORARY
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riving down the streets of Corpus Christi, one might notice the vibrant murals — the brush strokes that tell stories, the colors that transmit their energy, the way the sun beams down on the details. What one may not know upon first glance is that, depending on the mural, a group of teenagers most likely painted it, and it’s more than likely that K Space Contemporary had a hand in that. Founded in 2001, K Space’s street-level galleries opened in 2007, and since then, they’ve housed numerous solo and group art shows every year, giving newer and established artists a chance to show their work to the public. On top of that, K Space leads the Mural Arts Program, a summer camp of sorts where local teenagers apply and, if accepted, get to spend the summer helping to paint a mural in a specified location. 98 The Bend
“This year, it’s different,” said Mayra Zamora, local artist and one of the camp instructors. “We received a generous donation from a patron, so this is the first year that students don't have to pay to come to camp, which is amazing. It’s unheard of. [Because] this year is different, campers had to submit an online application, write a statement of intent, provide previous experience and upload 3-5 works of art. So it’s more of a selection process based off their portfolio, statement of intent and previous experience.” Though K Space provides a vehicle for teenagers to explore the various avenues of artistic expression, one of the things it prides itself on is bringing people of different backgrounds together to learn the ins and outs of respect and collaboration.
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