400 North Queen Street * Kinston, NC 28501 *(252) 527-2517
​Hours of Operation:
Tuesday-Friday: 10 am to 6 pm
Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm
Closed Sunday & Monday
Our Galleries
For more information about the exhibits in our galleries at the Arts Center, contact us at (252) 527-2517. Admission is free and open to the public.
John Groesser - "One Happy Painter"
John is a native of Nebraska. He and his wife Dodi, his college sweetheart, and two sons moved to the Greenville area in 1989 when he accepted a position with PCS; Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan at the Aurora location.
John retired over 5 years ago. Both John and Dodi attended many art workshops in Europe, Canada and the United States, where his love for art developed and grew under the tutelage of renowned artists and instructors. He instantly fell in love with painting, especially “en plein aire” – out of doors. He paints with acrylic on canvas using large brushes and pallet knives.
John is an energetic lover of life. This energy is depicted in his loose strokes where he typically completes a painting in less than 2 hours. This energy is not only shown in his paintings, but also in his missionary endeavors. He has made frequent trips to Belize where he assisted in building shelters for schools and medical facilities. He assists in collecting Operation Christmas Child “shoe boxes” to be sent to children all over the world; is active with Habitat for Humanity; distributes Gideon Bibles AND sings and plays in his church choir.
John has participated in art residencies. In 2014, he was in Cozad Ne. where he painted over 40 paintings of people and farm scenes, all sold to benefit the Robert Henri Museum. In 2015, John and Dodi spent time in Minden Ne. Several paintings were sold to benefit the recently renovated 1891 Minden Opera House
Jamil Burton "Stitched in Dignity"
Jamil Burton is a visual artist and illustrator whose work tells powerful stories rooted in family, community, and lived experience. Originally from Newark, New Jersey and now based in Kinston, North Carolina, Burton works across multiple mediums including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pencil, and charcoal.
His art blends traditional and contemporary realism with bold color and emotional depth, exploring themes of life, love, and the Black experience. Whether through fine art, illustration, or commissioned work, Burton’s creative practice is driven by storytelling and connection.
Jamil’s work has been featured in children’s books, public projects, and community collaborations, and he continues to use art as a way to inspire reflection, celebrate humanity, and spark meaningful conversation.
Selected Works from Permanent Collection
Permanent Collection Works of Henry Pearson & Friends — Kinston-born Henry Pearson (October 8, 1914 – December 3, 2006) was an acclaimed abstract and modernist painter who graduated from the University of North Carolina and studied theatrical design at Yale University. During WWII, he became interested in Japanese art and theatre forms and designed maps for the US Army Air Corps. In the early 1950s, Pearson moved to New York and studied Reginald Marsh and Will Barnet, who were students of the Art Students League of New York. Pearson was loosely associated with the Op Art movement. His collections may be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Along with his art, Pearson taught at the New School for General Studies and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He was interested in literature and illustrated several poems by the Irish Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney. Much of his correspondence and other associated memorabilia may be found at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Brandon Gibson​
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