Art & Art Galleries
Portsmouth offers a number of art galleries and studios all within walking distance of each other. Here is a list of the ones, starting from High Street Landing, you should visit:
Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery
Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery offers exceptional marine art and antiques, nautical furnishings and accessories inspired by seafaring traditions.
Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery has a custom framing and design center in its Olde Towne Portsmouth riverfront showroom.
They are also just a few steps away from the Historic Hog Island lighthouse fresnel lens.
One High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704
757.399.5012. www.skipjacknauticalwares.com.
Riverview Gallery
Riverview Gallery offers art for discerning collectors. The Riverview Gallery features a collection of original fine crafts and art representing more than 300 North American artists, exhibited in a waterfront gallery. The collection includes pottery, raku, blown glass, stained glass, metal sculpture, photography, jewelry, paintings, fountains, and Judaica.
Local artist Robbie Garrity has her artwork on display at Riverview Gallery. Her well-known art includes "High Street Landing", a graphite drawing of a river view of the Elizabeth River Ferry and the old Seaboard building in Portsmouth. Print available online.
Olde Towne Art
The Visual Arts Center
The Visual Arts Center (VAC) is a Division of Tidewater Community College (TCC). The VAC is the only facility of its kind in Virginia and is the first regional program for TCC. Professional exhibition opportunities in the college's art galleries are developed for VAC students and faculty, regional undergraduate and graduate students, and regional, state, national and international artists. Typically, six gallery exhibitions are presented annually.
The Visual Arts Center (VAC) offers degree programs in Graphic Design and Studio Arts. 340 High Street in Portsmouth, VA 23704. For more information, call 757.822.1888
Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center
The building that houses the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center itself is a lesson in aesthetics. The 1846 Courthouse, formerly the Courthouse Galleries, is on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. This beautiful setting is just a starting point. The museum offers quality aesthetic, cultural and educational experiences through changing visual art exhibits, lectures, classes and performances. Local, national and international themes are represented, as well as craftsmen and artists of various genres. Classical to contemporary, mainstream to the fringe, this museum promotes the interest and understanding of visual fine art.
206 High Street, Portsmouth. 757.393.8543. Admission. www.portsmouthartcenter.com
Eventually, Everybody Lands at Starboards.
Olde Towne Art is always inviting and it’s not uncommon to see artists gathered together for an impromptu still life or life drawing session going on in the gallery’s classroom.
The gallery boasts 23 professional artist studio, which are galleries unto themselves.
525 High Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704. 757.673.2667. www.oldetowneart.com
Numbers of smaller exhibitions of student work and selections from the Permanent Art Collection are installed around the college in offices and conference rooms, and in the public as appropriate.
The S'Mores Mocha.... I have tried it. It's a little bit of awesome in a cup. Odds are, I'll be down in a bit to get one!
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