The Most Delicious Art Galleries in Virginia Beach

Williamsburg Art Gallery

★★★☆☆ 3 (2) • $$

"If you visit Colonial Williamsburg make sure you visit the museum, they have a great assortment of historic artifacts , the museum if big enough that you can be entertained, but not too big that will take much time"

Trimble Collection

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"Utterly glorious art. They restore paintings and photos. Well worth the stop. There is a big selection of animal and Renaissance fine art. This is for art collectors, not for casual shoppers but fun to look for anyone."

Seagreen Gallery

★★★★★ 4.7 (71) • $$

"Bottom Line: One of my favorite stores in the Outer Banks and the closest thing to a treasure chest on the barrier islands.This updated review is loooong overdue. I love Seagreen Gallery and I'm the proud owner of many finds from this store that sells salvaged items, antiques, repurposed items and hand crafted items. My all time favorite find is my string of lights made from tumbled wine and beer bottle necks - I have several strings and they make me so happy! I've also collected a Coca-cola crate, flowers made from old maps, picture frames, various art pieces, stickers, coral, old telephone insulators, cork fishing floats,driftwood with decoupaged vintage photos and a whole bunch of other stuff. The decor of my home in Maryland is somewhere between traditional and transitional so I didn't initially think the eclectic Seagreen Gallery would be for me but it absolutely is! On every visit to Nags Head this is one of my must-go places. In addition to neat items the staff is always friendly and I appreciate that they are taking COVID seriously by requiring a mask to be worn and providing hand sanitizer."

d'Art Center

★★★★☆ 3.9 (8) • $

"My daughter took an art camp here this summer. It had a theme and the age ranges are broken up well each week. They offer a drop off and pick up on Plume St since it's surrounded by construction. I carpooled with another family, so only experienced pick up and got right outside 4 days. One day I did go round and round the block until finding a spot. But overall, it was easy to get to, has plenty of parking on street or garages. The camp space seemed small, but they got to walk through the artists areas and get outside daily for lunch. They did a lot of projects and the end of week art show was nice to see everyone's work. She had a great time. We enjoyed stopping by the artists booths that week as well. Will be back to see more and perhaps do a class. Fun place."

Charles Taylor Visual Arts Center

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"The Charles Taylor Arts Center is the proverbial gem in our own backyard!!! They have an exciting and diverse schedule of visual art exhibitions focused primarily on the creations of artists living and working in Hampton Roads and the state of Virginia. It is great that they promote contemporary art makers and provide an opportunity for the untalented people like me an opportunity to interact with the artists. The emphasis is on group exhibitions which offer a broad range of artists, media, styles, content and perspectives on our world. Just go and support our community!!!!"

Sara DeSpain Fine Jewelry

★★★★★ 5 (4) • $$$

"I visited her Studio/Store at Liberty Station in San Diego. It is located in an impressive, renovated building on the former Naval training base.Ms. Despain makes the jewelry which is some of the most well done and artistic I have seen.She uses seashell molds to create some of her gold/silver pieces which result in amazing looking jewelry.She is a graduate of the highly prestigious Gemological Institute in NYC.I was really impressed with the creativity and talent on offer and left with a cool silver ring."

On the Hill Gallery

★★★★★ 4.5 (2) • $

"While walking around Historic Yorktown, we checkout out the On the Hill Gallery. I enjoyed looking at the Christmas and wreath wall quilt, hand painted Yorktown onion ornaments, holiday kindness rocks, framed photograph of crab pot, Celebrate Autumn acrylic painting, holiday themed soap, Ike at Piva Yoke oil painting, photograph at Heart Nebula, digital line art, and most of all the framed encaustic wax painted ornaments!"

Colonial Folk Art Studio and Gallery

★★★★★ 5 (4) • $$

"This store just makes me smile. Whimsical, unique and fun handmade art from local artisans. One side is a studio and one side is a gallery. Beverly the owner has curated additional small items to purchase such as unique soaps and one of a kind birthday cards. There is even a dog on site!"

Utopia Feni

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"I was so impressed to meet Raisa. She is the heart of this local non-profit art gallery. Her parents owned this home and helped her aspiration become a reality.This non-profit gallery was opened to help the people of Bangladesh receive help and funding through the expression of art.The community has helped her keep this gallery a float by doing a total remodel of the place. They've broke down walls and made the place more open and suitable for the gallery.She has begun to hold art classes every Wednesday. The classes are open for many local artist to come bring their creativity and for those wanting to get a better understanding and introductory to art. The place still needs a little more work to be done to get to bring art awareness. Perhaps 3/5 stars as far as presentation. But I'm in full support of raising art for a cause. It will be good to get this organization with full attention. I feel fine arts now a days has been lost with having technology. This is great for our local artist who are struggling and can get some recognition.It's nice to have local artist in the area come together and have their work on display. The gallery is beautiful and can't wait to try one of the classes."

The Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Love the atmosphere and gallery space that is provided. The staff are amazing and I always take interest in the various exhibitions that the showcase. The facilities are clean and easy to maneuver through no matter the exhibition."

One Eleven Art Gallery & Studios

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"This is a wonderful small gallery, for not only are the resident artists superb--including Betsy Kennedy and Ann Moore--but also it has an ongoing schedule of workshops and events that makes it the go-to place for artists and their patrons throughout the community. A delightful, welcoming place, well worth a visit!"

Seaside Art Gallery

★★★★★ 4.5 (2) • $$$

"Beautiful art gallery! A bit pricey, but what art gallery isn't? They have some of the coolest pieces from paintings, to figurines, to antique jewelry."

Art Central

★★★★★ 4.8 (5)

"One of the most interesting art studios I have seen. The owner, Mr. Everna is by far one, if not the, top arties in Hampton or even the state. His work is so unknown and we are all doing ourselves a GREAT injustice by not visiting his studios. A humble man he is, and has a passion for God, Art, and giving back to the community. His current location is still in the works, however the art is availale for view. I can not begin to describe this place. All I can say is you should visit with an open mind and art. The history I learned by viewing his and other artist work is unexplainable and unbelievable.....the work is so passionate, accurate and will have you leaving with a sense of love for are that you have never experienced before. He and his artist love what they do and are passionate in sharing it with the world. Please, if you are ever in Hampton, and you're inspired to see some unknown, art, history and culture of this country. Go and visit his studios. You will not be disappointed. Be sure and tell him that Vance and Inez sent you. I hope he remembers me. Oh, take your kids. They will be highly satisfied."

DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum

★★★★☆ 4.2 (19) • $

"An interesting choice as part of the Colonial Williamsburg museum pass, I enjoyed my time here at the DeWitt Wallace.A lot to see and a tremendous amount of reading involved. Lots of history and background along with the exhibits and artifacts. There's a happy medium between too little and too much, I found this to be leaning over towards too much. But that's just my preference.Music, clothing, lots of furniture, paintings, firearms even a display dedicated to firefighting during Colonial times. Interesting, for sure.Easy to spend half a day here, I was a bit tired of it after 90 minutes.[Review 12168 overall, 1952 of 2019.]"

Richard Stravitz Sculpture & Fine Art Gallery

★★★★★ 4.9 (12) • $$$$

"A fine two story FREE art gallery with plenty of variety to suit all of your abstract and figurative taste. You may buy most (if not all) of the pieces-the prices are listed next to the piece. A lot of the pieces have won awards. When I went the owner/artist was working on a sculpture. The staff are very friendly and let us take our time walking around. Go and enjoy it was a treat!"

17th Street Marketplace

★★★★★ 4.7 (6)

"I've both given and received a few great gifts from here. You can find a huge variety made by local artists. Mostly home decor and the selection rotates every 30-60 days so I love coming here frequently to see what is new. It is one of my first stops when I am starting Christmas shopping every year. Perfect for people who have a nautical theme to their home. However they also have just really unique touches and items for the people who are impossible to shop for. They sometimes even have collections of prints from VB photographers capturing moments of Virginia Beach history and the natural beauty of our city.The owner and staff here are always friendly and happy to assist me finding the perfect something for me or whomever I am shopping for."

Virginia Beach Art Center home of The Artists Gallery

★★★★☆ 4.3 (12) • $$$

"How have I overlooked this little gem for so long! Right beside Prosperity Kitchen and Pantry and across from Esoteric is a small-looking but actually pretty large inside building with tons of local art and artists. I like that the front part has local artists on display and the exhibits change from time to time with regards to theme.In the back, there are more featured artists and workstations where they come from time to time and work. I met a few of them who were friendly and welcoming and happy to answer questions and discuss their art and inspirations. The volunteers working inside were super friendly and the art on display is almost all for sale. I saw several things I wanted to purchase and ended up leaving with a small pottery piece to start my collection. Prices are reasonable as well and I love supporting local art."

Great Bridge Frame And Art

★★★★★ 4.6 (20) • $$

"If you need an honest, trustworthy, competent, and kind frame/art vendor, visit David at Great Bridge. He's been operating there for over 40 years! Wanted to frame a sentimental, one of a kind banner as a gift for my boss. Because of the complexity, whoever did the work needed to be trustworthy and competent. Co-worker and I decided to support local and try GB F&A from reputation (several "Best of" awards) and proximity to our office. David, shop owner, was patient, professional and helpful, showing various types of frame options (black, brown, brown with black, beveled, beaded, inlayed, etc) as well as various mat options/colors. Never tried to up-sell or offer us something we didn't need/want.We opted for a classic brown with black wood frame without a mat; since the banner was bright orange, having the finished mitred frame with cover glass look would fit into any business/home office motif. After taking a few measurements, David quoted us a price of $85. He took my phone number, we imitated shaking hands (COVID life), and he promised it would be ready in about a week. Sure enough, I got a text 1 week later saying it was ready. Finished product turned out better than imagined. Best of all, David said "it came out to be under what I quoted, $75 please." Paid via credit card quickly and easily, thanked David, and we were on our way."

KDH Cooperative Gallery and Studios

★★★★★ 5 (5) • $$$

"Bottom Line: Lots of locally made art in a variety of mediums and friendly employees.I am so glad that I learned about KDH Cooperative this summer. I was able to make two trips to the gallery and I made purchases both times. I really enjoyed looking at the variety of locally made art. In the end, I proudly purchased several pieces of pottery from different potters, two photographs from different photographers and a greeting card with a watercolor print on the front. I am most excited about a framed photograph of the iconic Sea Foam hotel from photographer Cyndi Goetcheus Sarfan. Aside from the aforementioned items, the store has various types of paintings, jewelry, sculptures, glass, candles and mixed media art. The employees, who I believe are local artists themselves, were very friendly."

Play Norfolk

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"My friend and I stumbled across this treasure trove of (literal) trash crafted into art on the second floor of MacArthur Mall. We were killing time in the mall before the haunted place downstairs opened. My curiosity grew strong, as I was mesmerized by the colors and weirdness of it. I had to know what this was. It probed me to ask more questions with the urgency to seek answers. The gentleman informed me that it is an immersive art experience. I am a sucker for some immersive art. The seller for me was him being so straight faced and his dedicated commitment to convincing me that he was possibly a resident or may have had a friend that was from Garbage Town. It was either going to be $10 of très cool or a $10 regret. You will be advised to read the signs, which we did and you should too if you choose this mission to visit Garbage Town. Trust me, it will enhance the experience and make everything more clear.It is a macabre satire of the world's wasteful attitude. The world's inadequate collection of trash and improper disposal is portrayed in the installations. It forces one to open their eyes because the sizable amount of trash you're meandering through is right in front of you, not hidden out of sight. Garbage Town is where the rejected and excluded reside, a place where the "no longer wanted " inhabit. It brings to light the social injustices and issues that arise from this "throw away" mentality.There were installations that were quite humorous, but sad at the same time because there is truth to it. Garbage Town is a thought provoking experience that is impactful, if even for a moment for some. At the conclusion, you're left to decide whether you will choose to side with the sheep or the goat. The sheep and the goat are purposefully and respectively placed with the sheep on the right and the goat on the left. The sheep brightly lit, the goat placed in the dark among a red stained wall. It is a parable biblical reference to separate the sheep from the goats. In a sarcastic and facetious undertone, there is a small sign stating "it's not that serious -it's only your future". The sheep and goat are symbolic. Choose the sheep, you choose compassion and eternal life, hence the sheep is white and a light is illuminating it. Choose the goat, and you choose eternal judgment because of your choice to be stubborn, evil, & destructive. It's a powerful statement. This experience is deeper than it looks! Perhaps the gentleman, who happens to be the lead of this project wasn't acting after all? Maybe we are all part of the Garbage Town community, but we have not realized it? You might want to pause for some self reflection. Final take, it's a $10 experience that is in actuality, invaluable."

The High Cup

★★★★★ 4.8 (81) • $$

"I visited with D.P. to take part in the $7.57 deal (thanks, Yoonie) and took everything to-go. The owner, Joseph, was so friendly and patient while our indecisive selves figured out what to order.We both ordered the Classic Korean Bowl (marinated bulgogi, bean sprouts, carrots, kale slaw, hot sauce, scallions, sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds, and cucumber). It was FANTASTIC. I love bulgogi, and their marinade is one of best I've ever tried. This version of the bowl for the $7.57 deal is smaller than normal, we were told, but I thought it was the perfect size and hope this becomes a regular option in the future.We also ordered the slushies. It was kind of the owner to offer samples of all three flavors: mango, strawberry, and peach. My favorite was the mango but the other two flavors are on par as well. I ended up getting a blend of strawberry and peach while D.P. got the mango. Fair warning, they're very sweet but I thoroughly enjoyed them. Naturally, I added bourbon to the second half when I got home. We also tried the pastries - a coffee muffin and sweet almond cake. Delicious! The best part is this shop features local art for sale which I could've spent all day looking at. It's going to be swapped out at the end of the month."

Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

★★★★☆ 3.9 (61) • $

"I loved my recent visit to the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, in which the featured exhibition was the 'Summer of Women' - this was a collection of 'She Says: Women', 'Words and Power', 'Amplify', and 'Lauren Keim: Everyday Magic', which all provided both the setbacks and the advances of women. LOVE!Artists from VA, MD, NC, and DC were featured, but my absolute favorite was all the work by artist Nastassja Swift - she's a sculptural fiber artist and uses portraiture through wool - I was absolutely enchanted with all her pieces!!!The staff here were so welcoming, friendly, and helpful. There's a little gift shop behind where you check-in, and the space is really set-up quite nicely.The visit was generously funded by the Goode Family Foundation, admission was free, but you'd just have to register online in advance, which was super easy to do. I can't wait to check out other future events and exhibitions they'll hold.Plenty of parking in their private lot.+great exhibits+friendly staff+plenty of parking in private lot"

Absolutely Outer Banks

★★★★★ 4.5 (15) • $$

"Bottom Line: Large store full of locally made arts and crafts with some vintage items and other good finds sprinkled throughout. I stumbled upon Absolutely Outer Banks a handful of years ago and I was impressed with the selection of locally made arts and crafts. Ever since, this is my go to spot for legitimate and tasteful Outer Banks souvenirs. In addition to locally made items they also have some vintage items and even some new items for sale. One item that this store specializes in is really cool resin windows that are unique and exude happiness. Absolutely Outer Banks has artwork in all mediums and in all price points. They have jewelry, wood signs, candles, prints, glass work, textiles, metal work, etc.  On my most recent visit I enjoyed looking at a vintage pin ball machine and eyeing up the beautiful array of Fiestaware. There is plenty of opportunity for ooohhhing and ahhhing.  The owner is super friendly so that adds to the overall great experience.Absolutely Outer Banks is centrally located in Kitty Hawk in the former spot of a bank."

Frame 'N' Art

★★★★★ 4.9 (12) • $$$

"Great location right off Virginia Beach Blvd in the strip mall across from Beach Ford. There are two entrances into the strip and there is a light (thank goodness) if you need to turn left out of the strip and head back towards the beach. I called bc I did a google search for local art framing shops with a rather expensive piece we purchased in England earlier this year. Kim is very friendly over the phone and happily answered all my questions and set up an appointment for me to bring my art in and go over the options with her. It's a large piece, and one that most commercial stores won't frame (around 45"x45" total) so I needed someone who could and would take on this project. The inside of the store is what you'd expect - walls covered with samples of frames and museum-quality reduced glare glass and various pricing samples with two large tables where you can sit and spread your art out to have it measured and have the mat and frame samples that line the back wall laid out on top of it or near it to get an idea of what your art will look like once you frame it. It took just under a half an hour to make my selections with some good advice from the pros - and we were quoted and put half down easily. You can also purchase prints and various other smaller frames for wedding photos and special photos inside the shop as well. Happy experience - I should get my framed art back in about 3 weeks. Can't wait!"

Blueskies Gallery

★★★★☆ 4.3 (3)

"I was in town visiting a friend who insisted we stop in to this art gallery. Neat concept with different artists having individual booths in one location. I was interested in a pearl necklace at the center of the store, in the cash register and check out area, but an older gentleman was sitting there, apparently too busy looking at his phone to even acknowledge me so we departed.I really wanted to purchase the pearls so we returned the next day. Fortunately there were two very friendly women working and they were willing to engage with me so I was able to return home with a strand of pearls as a token from my trip.1.) I am glad I was able to return. Some guests aren't able to do that.2.) I am glad the "old guy" wasn't working. I wonder how many sales they have lost because he is "too busy". Prices were varied depending on the artists valuation and project. I would like to return next time I am in the area and hopefully have a better experience."

Auntie M's American Cottage

★★★★☆ 4 (5) • $$

"After the Harvest Festival, we checked out Auntie M's American Cottage, a gift shop that sells locally crafted gifts. This includes scented soaps, needle felting kits, fused glass ornaments, wind chimes, recycled wool flowers, picture frames, oyster ornaments, cork reindeers, mermaid bookmarks, children's books, prints, trinket dishes, cork leather bags, pottery, jewelry, coffee, soup mixes, and more. I ended up getting a nutcracker print on an oyster ornament and Virginia state shaped necklace!"

Bizzotto's Gallery-Caffe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (43) • $$$

"Spent a nice family dinner here during our visit to Virginia. We got and shared a clam appetizer which was phenomenal. We ended up taking the extra sauce home and using it for dipping bread in (leftovers). The ambiance is nice and romantic, they dimmed the lights while we were there and the whole restaurant seemed warm and inviting. We had several people in our party, so we got to try several dishes including the Veal Piccata (my dish), the ravioli, rack of lamb, and a crab cake special. Everything was superbly cooked and presented. The table service was excellent, and accommodating. The main course meal did take a bit longer than we had anticipated, but the staff informed us and apologized for the delays. We had my daughter with us (3 years old), and I'd say that the restaurant isn't the most kid friendly, but we had brought a game and toy for her to play with and everything was great!"

The Bird Store

★★★★★ 4.9 (12) • $$

"If you like decoys and artwork featuring birds, this is the place for you. We are big fans. The pieces are really beautifully carved and painted."

The Dragonfly Art Studio

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"My friend and I took their beginners pottery class and had so much fun! Definitely recommend! Next is the weekly class! Wish me luck!"