Pappy Khouri Long before coming to Oriental, NC in 2007, Pappy Khouri has been involved with art. He has admired it, collected it and participated in the design and construction of art facilities, but the one thing he did not do before coming to Oriental was create his own works of art.
His first involvement with the Village Gallery was as a member of the construction crew. These volunteers developed the interior design, built the kiosks, painted the interior, installed the lighting, and made repairs. After the completion of the gallery he continued to assist in hanging shows and maintained the lighting and that’s where he came in touch with Gallery artist Gosia Tojia. Gosia encouraged him to paint and continues to mentor him, so his style is somewhat reminiscent of her paintings. Another mentor is Dan Beck, an award winning OPOA member who lives in Wilmington, NC. Dan encourages a loose style with his portraits and paintings. Pappy has also taken workshops with Greg Keurtz and Tricia Adams. Pappy’s studio is at The Village Gallery, 300 Hodges street in Oriental, NC. Oriental is the sailing capital of North Carolina and has a working shrimp and fishing fleet that he draws from for inspiration.
