Virginia Beach Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Virginia Beach museums supplies classes your area

If you are trying to learn about art in Virginia Beach you are definitely in the right place and our first section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.

After that we will get into a variety of other topics like art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, local sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

You can jump straight to any section that interests you most by using the table of contents on the left and we are also including a Virginia art map with all of the spots we mention throughout the post pinned on it since the Norfolk and Newport News art scenes are both covered in the post.

The Northeast is a region that we have written about many times that you can check out if interested.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Virginia Beach

If you want to visit the best art galleries and museums in Virginia Beach then check out:

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art is open from 10am to 4pm Friday through Sunday and until 8pm on Thursday as an ever-changing museum where neighbors, strangers, students, families, communities, and cultures are welcomed to explore their common humanity through extraordinary contemporary art that is both locally relevant and nationally resonant. There are programs for people of different ages, interests, and artistic expertise ranging from interactive chats with creators to guided tours of the museum.

The Artists Gallery opens at 10am Tuesday through Saturday and at noon on Sunday and is run as a co-op providing a platform for local and regional artists to create, display, and sell unique fine art. Ceramics, paintings, signed and numbered prints, pictures, and many mixed media items are available at the gallery and in the studios displaying a wide range of artistic techniques.

Richard Stravitz founded the Sculpture and Fine Art Gallery on Laskin Road in 2008 with the goal of bringing a distinctive feature of fine art: bronze sculpture. His gallery is open from 10am to 6pm every day but Sunday exhibiting a wide range of local and international artists while maintaining its distinctive sculpting feature. The Stravitz Gallery has just started offering stunning jewelry and art glass in addition to other works.

Beach Gallery features a diverse collection of notable fine art that you can check out from 10am to 6pm every day but Sunday. Their expertise is bespoke picture framing and they have the widest assortment of framing samples in the area as well as decades of experience plus you’ll find a diverse range of original works, lithographs, and fine art prints insde.

Located in Town Center the Jones Art Gallery is open from noon to 7pm Wednesday through Saturday and until 5pm on Sunday and has 9,000 square feet while being in operation for almost ten years. Every month they host new art shows with paintings, photography, sculpture, and other media.

Utopia Feni is a non-profit lifestyle brand that was created to support a creative community in Virginia so that an arts program could be established in Feni, Bangladesh. Workshops, seminars, and classes are held in addition to art exhibitions, craft shows, and festivals.

Black Dog Gallery is open from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday and has a diverse selection of one-of-a-kind items both old and new for investment and/or decoration. Mt. Vernon, Monticello, Historic Charleston, and Colonial Williamsburg are just a few of the country’s most well-known historic buildings and museums where the art can be found.

In April of 2016 Gallery 21 hosted its inaugural Sumi-e and thrown ceramics exhibition. Since then the gallery has showcased a diverse spectrum of artists and mediums ranging from contemporary acrylic and mixed media to traditional water color and oil paintings while opening receptions are free and open to the public for all shows at Gallery 21 and they are generally open from 1pm to 5pm Friday through Sunday.

The Chrysler Museum is free to enter and is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and starting at noon on Sunday with fifty galleries, a growing collection of over 30,000 pieces, an interactive place for families, and the Mid-Atlantic region’s only glass workshop.

The Offsite Gallery of Norfolk Arts goal is to create a vibrant, diverse atmosphere that reflects, celebrates, and invites everyone to participate in the arts and you can see if they are achieving that goal from 10am to 8pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday.

Materials & Supplies Near You

When you need some new materials or supplies go to art stores in your area like:

Original Chinese Heritage Art Supplies and other top cultural products are available from Asian Art Supply and they also sell original Sumi-e works.

A Pen Lovers Paradise is a retail store that carries a variety of well-known writing instrument brands including Cross, Sheaffer, Waterman, Lamy, Acme, Retro 51, and Sherpa to mention a few while Rhodia writing pads are also available.

You’ll find everything you need from specialty paper aisles to high-quality paints and bespoke canvases at Jerry’s Artarama.

757 The Creative ReUse Center is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainability and reuse via art, craft, education, and community. They can increase creativity while reducing waste by making secondhand arts and crafts equipment more accessible and inexpensive.

For the novice artist to the experienced interior decorator Hampton Roads Wholesalers specializes in art supplies and framing.

We doubt we need to tell you what the chain stores like Michaels, Joann, and Hobby Lobby have to offer.

Shows & Events

There are some awesome local art shows, events, and festivals like:

Through its annual juried exhibition New Waves the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) has maintained a festival with regional artists for over 25 years.

From vivid mixed media paintings to repurposed apparel and accessories the Old Beach Art and Eco Market has something for everyone and they originally started in 2010 as two separate markets those being The Art Market to promote local artists and The Green Market.

The Virginia Arts Festival has been transforming the cultural scene in your area since 1997 bringing great performers from all over the world to audiences and establishing this historic, recreation-rich region as a cultural destination for visitors from all over the country and the world. The Festival has featured a number of world and regional debuts while also commissioning new music, dance, and theater works from some of today’s most influential composers, choreographers, and playwrights.

Sunshine Artist Magazine named the Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show #5 of the Top 200 Fine Art & Design Shows in the country for 2019 as over 250 artisans present their handcrafted work which ranges from paintings and sculptures to photography and glasswork.

The Boardwalk Art Show is one of the East Coast’s oldest and best outdoor fine art exhibits and they recently celebrated their 60th year. The show is frequently recognized among the Top 40 fine art shows in Sunshine Artist Magazine and this four-day festival draws collectors and artists from all around the country with an average attendance of more than 200,000 each year.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

If you want to add a new piece to your collection or find out how much a piece is worth you can go to art dealers and appraisers near you like:

Raymond’s Antiques specializes in antiques and deals with everything from furniture to watches, paintings to sterling silver, military equipment to costume jewelry.

Since 2003 ArtLink has provided customized site-specific artwork collections and packages to government, healthcare, commercial properties, corporate, hospitality, education, and public places as a full-service fine art consultancy organization.

Both business and residential clients can benefit from ArtGallery’s art consultancy services who assists in the building and improvement of modern art collections by locating and purchasing new and secondary market works of art.

Walking Tours

Some of the best areas to walk around outside and see some unique art can be found at:

The ViBe Creative District is located near the Oceanfront and is Hampton Roads’ most lively art and cultural powerhouse.

Taste Virginia Tours showcases the best of Coastal Virginia’s historic artisan beer, wine, spirits, food, and foodways as breweries, wineries, distilleries, fisheries, and farms in Coastal Virginia are unparalleled in quality and quantity. We know it sounds like it is all food but it takes you through the same ViBe Creative District so you can fill up your belly while checking out all kinds of interesting things.

Visit Norfolk is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Norfolk’s unique experiences and extensive services to residents and visitors as the best city of its kind to start, study, and stay in.

Sculptures & Statues

Framing art supply stores Virginia Beach lessons near you studios

Another good way to enjoy nice weather would be to check out some of these statues and sculptures in your area:

  • Neptune Statue at 3001 Atlantic Ave
  • The Norwegian Lady at 201 Market St
  • Wave at 536 Laskin Rd
  • Anticipation at the Boardwalk & 2nd St
  • All Things Within All Things at The Zoo, Granby St, Norfolk
  • Cementiscope at 100-126 E Olney Rd, Norfolk
  • Ascension to a Higher State of Being at Church St, Norfolk
  • Carambola at Main Street Library, 110 Main St
  • Handshake at Thimble Shoals Blvd & Town Center Dr

Paul DiPasquale sculpted King Neptune which is a massive bronze monument that has been located in front of Neptune Park since 2005.

On September 22, 1962, the Norwegian Lady statues were revealed as one was given to Virginia Beach as a gift and an exact replica was built in Moss, Norway to connect the two cities. The statues appear to be facing each other over the Atlantic Ocean but in reality the directions of their respective gazes are almost perpendicular to each other.

Wave The Wave is a 35-foot stainless steel sculpture by Jeff Laramore that decorates the entrance to the Laskin Gateway.

Created as a tribute to Josh and his fight against ALS Anticipation is dedicated to the JT Walk participants who have helped make JT’s Grommet Island a reality.

All Things Within All Things was produced in 2010 by Matthew Gray Palmer and the sculpture is made of metal measuring roughly 16′ long, 7′ broad, and 10′ tall at the shoulders.

Cementiscope was created by the artist collective Glassitorium and it is a massive interactive sculpture that combines components of a cement mixer with a kaleidoscope to encourage play and discovery on site at The Plot.

The Ascension to a Higher Form of Existence sculpture stands 30 feet tall serving as an entrance, transition, and connector to downtown. Metal plates with text chosen by the community are housed in four different concrete sculptures.

Carambola was commissioned by Bobby Freeman for the Hilton Library in Newport News in 2007 and this twelve-foot bronze sculpture was made in Bangkok.

Virginia Beach Art Classes

Whether you are trying to find lessons for kids, teens, or adults some of the best Virginia Beach art schools and classes can be found at:

The Virginia Beach Art Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage individuals of all ages and ability levels to experience, participate with, and create art via an educational and supportive environment. They presently have 22 resident artists and 30 showing creators in the primary section.

Those interested in the applied arts can get a creative education at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach where students have the chance to live, work, and go to school in a vibrant and expanding location near the beach and boardwalk.

Paint your own pottery, clay handbuilding, glass fusing, and canvas painting are all available at Potts N Paints. They are both inspiring for adults and kid-friendly and have exciting party packages, classes, or you can always drop in and create on a walk-in basis.

D’Art Center is a non-profit organization that promotes the The d’Art Facility as Norfolk’s community art center that is located in the Neon District. Adult/youth art programs, on-site exhibitions, local artist studios, and community outreach projects and event programming are all available.

Ocean View Arts is a well-kept secret in Norfolk’s thriving arts community as it provides world-class training in a charming environment with views of the Chesapeake Bay.

As a center for innovation that fosters excellence, nurtures creativity, inspires artistic vision, and builds arts-loving communities The Governor’s School for the Arts is a great option. Dance, instrumental music, musical theatre, film, visual arts, and vocal music are among the six departments at the GSA which offers superior arts training in Hampton Roads.

Through creative services Artinspired provides the best resource for self-improvement, personal growth, and community.

There are more art classes in your area at Utopia Feni and Art Studio on the Boulevard.

Studios For Rent Near You

You might be able to find a local art studio that is ready to be rented at:

Art Studio on the Boulevard is a full-service studio that offers both children and adults a variety of fine art classes and creative outlets.

AR Workshop is a boutique DIY workshop that teaches students how to make charming and custom decor, wood signs, canvas pillows, and more.

Virginia Beach Art Center and D’Art Center in Norfolk who we have previously linked you to might also have studio space available.

Framing

Some of the most highly recommended places to go for art framing in Virginia Beach are:

Frame ‘N’ Art uses only the highest quality custom picture framing supplies and employs expert design and finishing.

Since 1981 Ocean Art has been offering clients near you skilled custom picture frames and they have a modest variety of original art, prints, and photography from around the area.

Custom art and picture framing are what Olde Master excels at.

With a comprehensive range of custom frames, mats, and select decor items Ray Skinner’s Frames & Art Gallery provides exceptional and customized customer service. They specialize in shadow boxes and 3D artifacts and are well-versed in all elements of framing.

Not only can you get great framing from Great Bridge Frame & Art but they also sell lots of prints and anyone that is on a budget will love their bargain basement section where some framed prints can be had for as little as $10!

From the tiniest project to the largest Art Works Gallery Frame Shoppe provides archival custom photo framing to both residential and business clients.

The Frame Shop & Gallery is known to do high-quality custom framing at a reasonable price in addition to installation, replacement, and restoration of precision glass framing. They also provide high-quality matting services, replacements, and upgrades.

Beach Gallery and Hampton Roads Wholesalers are more good options for framing in your area.

If you were interested we have also written about:

Have Fun Enjoying The Virginia Beach Art Scene

That is about all we know when it comes to the art scene near you. We listed the best galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers in your area.

If you made it all the way to the end then you probably love the local art as much as we do. You can share your own tips and tricks in the comments at the end of the post, or please also let us know if we got anything wrong or if anything we posted has become dated.

Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies, or doing anything that has to do with art in Virginia Beach!

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This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

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