By Guest Blogger Lauren Warren 

Would you like to introduce your family to more art? Why not do a scavenger hunt for street art?! Greensboro has an amazing variety of outdoor murals, paintings, and selfie walls. Did you know that Greensboro is considered one of the top 10 destinations in the country for street art? Yes, for real. So please read on to see where you can find these works of art (and some pretty cool places for your teenage kid to get their Snapchat on).

Kotis Street Art

kotisstreetart.com
Greensboro hosts over 160 outdoor murals from some incredibly talented local (and not so local) artists. A huge player in creating spaces for these artists has been Marty Kotis through Kotis Street Art. The majority of the murals done for Kotis Street Art are from spray paint. It is truly stunning what someone can do with this medium. I cannot spray paint a flowerpot without it running down the side. And these artists can create 3D art from cans. Mind blown. Check out this website and map for places to find these incredible pieces. 

Revolution Mill

revolutionmillgreensboro.com
If you have not had the opportunity to visit Revolution Mill in a while, you should make the trip down there. It hosts two excellent restaurants, Kau and Cugino Forno Pizzeria, and one awesome bar called The Bearded Goat. Not only that, they have tons of murals! There is a great place to walk, hang out in the hammocks, stroll across a river, and even play cornhole. All while you are looking at the bright and beautiful street art. The food at Kau and Cugino Forno is impressive, and The Bearded Goat is an excellent wide-open space to hang out. The Bearded Goat even has some arcade games that children of any age would love. Definitely worth the visit to this area of town!

The Wizard of Oz

Have a huge Wizard of Oz fan? Or just someone with a sense of humor and adventure? The Wizard of Oz-inspired murals around Greensboro are pretty cool and well worth the hunt. Stand on the Yellow Brick Road or beside Dorothy while she stares hopefully at a rainbow. Or even dance on the Wicked Witch of the West (after the house fell on her, of course). Use this link to find their locations.

The Selfie Wall

Ahhh, the selfie wall. And what scavenger hunt would be complete without the perfect selfie (only perfected after 150 attempts, of course)? Greensboro is host to a myriad of unique places to take photos. My personal favorite is “Rainbow Alley,” located in downtown Greensboro. “Rainbow Alley” runs in the side street behind Scuppernong Books and is an AWESOME place for photos. While you are downtown, check out the Greensboro mural created by local artist Gina Franco. Gina Franco has done some fantastic work all over the state that is fun and fresh. She has another fun wall located on the side of Boho Blu and Ozzie’s Ice Cream (side note: their ice cream is excellent). And if you are downtown and need a cold (adult) beverage, check out The Bearded Goat’s downtown location! They have a great patio to hang out on and take selfies with all of their incredible artwork. Kids are welcome also!

My interest in the mural art in Greensboro all started when my son became interested in spray paint. I was spray painting a picture frame one day that I had thrifted to use in our bathroom. My son was fascinated by the process, and especially the paint. I always try to encourage my kids to try new things, so I gave him a can of paint and a canvas (needless to say, my husband did not think this was one of my better ideas). I started researching graffiti art to show my son what could be done with spray paint. And man, did I find it in Greensboro! This was at the start of Covid and the lockdown. We did not have much to do, so we drove around Greensboro and took photos of all the murals we came across. A fan favorite was the Pac-Man mural.  

There are so many artists, supporters of these artists, and resources out there. I encourage you to look for yourself. In writing this article, I stumbled across this informative website and found some new murals I want to visit. Like, tomorrow. I cannot wait to show my son the Mario and Luigi one.  

Please let me know what your favorite mural or selfie wall is in Greensboro. I would love to check it out!

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