Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP A portrait of one of Nondas Galiotzakis's two daughters is among the first works of art that greet visitors to his popup gallery exhibit at the former TD Bank building on Main Street. (Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP)

NASHUA — A public reception Sunday afternoon in the former TD Bank’s downtown branch officially opened a 30-day exhibit of unique artwork created by Nashua resident Nondas Galiotzakis.

The exhibit, a so-called “popup art gallery,” features Galiotzakis’s penchant for working with large and extra-large canvases, many of which require a framework of 2×4 boards for support as they tower over visitors.

The gallery will be open seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m. through Sept. 15. The bank is at 191 Main St., at the corner of Main and West Pearl streets. There is no admission charge.

Galiotzakis, a native of Lasithi Province, in the eastern part of the Greek island of Crete who came to Nashua about seven years ago, said Sunday he considers himself a “carpenter-artist.”

A carpenter by trade, his woodworking skills come in handy when it comes to building the framework on which to display his larger creations.

Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP Some of the artwork installed in the former TD Bank building on Main Street dwarf the creator, artist Nondas Galiotzakis, who hosted an opening reception Sunday for the exhibit, which will be on display through Sept. 15. (Telegraph photo by DEAN SHALHOUP)

“It’s been exhausting,” Galiotzakis said Sunday in between greeting and chatting with visitors. He referred to the dawn-to-dusk work of the past several days to build frames, transport his works from his workshop on East Hollis Street and install the exhibit.

Jim Theos, a retired banker who did much of the legwork to secure the former TD Bank for Galiotzakis’s exhibit, said he calls the multi-talented artist “a true Renaissance man.”

Theos said he worked out the 30-day use of the building with Rob Parsons, the real estate entrepreneur who bought 191 Main St. two years ago.

A full story on Galiotzakis, his work and the popup gallery, will appear in The Sunday Telegraph.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.