By Jeff Maisey

On July 26, Virginia Beach Art Center will mark 10 years as “a vibrant creative hub in the heart of the ViBe Creative District, offering an educational and supportive environment that inspires people of all ages and skill levels to experience, engage with, and create art.”

“Over the past decade, the Virginia Beach Art Center has grown into a cornerstone of the community, providing exhibition opportunities, classes, workshops, and events that bring artists and art lovers together,” wrote Riley Cunningham, the VBAC’s marketing coordinator. “The VB Art Center is also proud to call the ViBe Creative District home. Being part of this vibrant neighborhood has fostered countless collaborations and strengthened connections with fellow local businesses and artists. As the organization celebrates this milestone, it also recognizes the many artists, supporters, volunteers, and community partners who have helped shape its success.”

The Virginia Beach Art Center absorbed the resident artists of the former Artists Gallery in 2018, a space located on Norfolk Avenue for 20 years. 

That transition brought the in-house artists, the city’s Parks & Recreation Pottery Program, and the educational components of the Art Center together under one roof in the heart of the ViBe Creative District. 

Today, visitors to the gallery can still observe the artists working in their individual studio spaces. Completed works of art hang on the studio walls and are available for purchase. The Virginia Beach Art Center also has an exhibition space for both resident and a larger cast of exhibiting artists. Thematic monthly exhibits range from “Great, Small Things” to the always amusing “Fabulous Forgeries.”  

The current Main Gallery exhibition is titled “XS — Tiny Artworks” and runs through August 2. It will be followed by “Illuminated” (August 7 through 30), an exhibition theme allowing the artists to interpret the possibilities of shining light on facets of a troubled world. 

The exhibitions are highly competitive and awards are presented for each. Resident and other regional artists answer an open call for submissions. These exhibitions build camaraderie and a sense of spirited community. 

“An Art Center is more than one thing,” artist Jean Rawls told me nearly a decade ago. “An Art Center is a gathering place. It’s a place for youth to come; seniors to come; for different cultures. We’re beginning to see ourselves as the hub of local artists coming together.” 

Rawls passed away in 2019, however, the vision and determination of those artists “coming together” remains the heart and soul of the Virginia Beach Art Center.   

The current roster of studio artists include Vinnie Bumatay, Jenny Doll Ambrose, Dick Rawls, Michele Barnes, William Campbell, Susan Check, Claudia Croneberger, Constance Fahey, Fred Freeman, Georgiana Harding, Jean Hearst, Kay Hofler, Judy Jackson, Maggie Kerrigan, Kathy Staicer, Elizabeth Waitekus, Susan Werby, and Valerie White.   

To honor its upcoming anniversary, the Virginia Beach Art Center is launching a special project titled “10 Years, 10 Stories”—a series of interviews featuring 10 artists who have been part of the Art Center since its earliest days. These stories will highlight the creative journeys, memories, and impact of artists who have grown alongside the Center over the last decade.