Ocean Gallery opening celebrity exhibit Aug. 1

Joe Kroart is moving his Ocean Gallery operation in Ocean City across the country for a new reality television show, but his Rehoboth Beach gallery isn't going anywhere.

“I’ve always really loved Rehoboth Beach,” said Kroart as he sat on a boardwalk bench in front of his Ocean City, Md. location. “It’s always been a great town that’s relaxed with a family atmosphere. That’s what it’s all about.”

Ocean Gallery in Rehoboth Beach, 26 Wilmington Ave., is celebrating 50 years in business this year, and Kroart is set to open a new celebrity exhibit in one of the business' five buildings Saturday, Aug. 1.

Rehoboth is a very artsy town, he said, and Ocean Gallery is one of the galleries that has been around the longest.

“This is a way of saying thank you for 50 years in Rehoboth,” he said. “It’s also a way of leaving a legacy.”

Artwork covers every square inch of wall space in both locations, but the exteriors of the buildings are significantly different. The Ocean City location – painstakingly covered by Kroart with a collage of objects to draw the attention of passersby – is a piece of art in itself. The Rehoboth location has a bright orange sign announcing its presence and gold letters attached to the roof advertising a permanent art sale, but the building itself is much quieter.

“It’s a big old beach house,” described Kroart. “People like the flow.”

Kroart said the permanent celebrity exhibit will be the first of its kind in Rehoboth Beach. He said the collection of artwork will grow over time and will include people recognizable from television and movie productions. He said one of the featured artists will be Michael “Mikey” Teutul from the Discovery Channel show American Chopper.

Kroart admitted the art itself may not be to the level of a professional artist, but, he said, celebrities enjoy displaying their artistic side and their fans enjoy owning something made by a particular artist.

Kroart, who spells his name Kro-Art and is known for wearing a tuxedo with a red bow tie, announced last summer that the Ocean Gallery in Ocean City would be moving from its boardwalk location to California for a reality show.

He said the Ocean Gallery brand is recognizable around the world, and there has been major interest from networks to create a show around the moving of the building, and the gallery, across the country.

Kroart said the move has almost nothing to do with the art.

“It’s about the entertainment,” he said with a big smile on his face. “It’s about being famous.”

Kroart said there’s no specific date for the move, but when it does happen he wants his Rehoboth Beach location to be ready.

“Fine art is fun, and it’s something that should be enjoyed,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about.”