Exhibitions in the Brock Gallery
There is always new art gracing the walls of the Brock Gallery! Here you will find the best that local and regional artists have to offer. Each month a new exhibition theme will take you into the minds of the artists and how they interpret the world around them.
While you visit, pick up our self-guided Art Talk to help you and your friends as you view and assess the art. Changing monthly themes guarantee that you'll find fresh and new eye candy each time you visit!
Join us on the First Friday of each month for the opening receptions. You'll meet and chat with artists, listen to the juror and get the insider's experience of art in Virginia Beach. Use the exhibition calendar below to plan your First Fridays for the rest of the year!
While you visit, pick up our self-guided Art Talk to help you and your friends as you view and assess the art. Changing monthly themes guarantee that you'll find fresh and new eye candy each time you visit!
Join us on the First Friday of each month for the opening receptions. You'll meet and chat with artists, listen to the juror and get the insider's experience of art in Virginia Beach. Use the exhibition calendar below to plan your First Fridays for the rest of the year!
Current Exhibitions:
XS - Tiny Artworks Exhibition
Main Gallery July 3 - August 2 
The Great Heist
May 22 - Aug 23 Jean Rawls Classroom |
RETROSPECTIVE
Satellite Exhibit at Towne Pavilion Center I 2101 Parks Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 February 20 - August 9 Hours: M-F 7am - 7pm Doors close at 7pm so you want to be gone by 6:45pm. Art is on levels: 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 1 Upcoming Exhibitions:
October 2 - November 1 |
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Virginia Beach Art Center exhibitions are generously supported by the Fine Family.
2026 Exhibitions Calendar
June: The Great Heist, $100 and below Artwork
Just in time for the summer season at the beach the center will be presenting The Great Heist. Artworks priced $100 and below for a quick pick me up and take home. The center is visited by many tourists during the season, and the works are intended to be small and easy to carry. We will keep accepted art on reserve so as the works sell, we are able to replenish. Think no larger than 11" x 14" including a frame. We also not charging a submission fee and will be holding a ticketed fundraising event for this exhibit. Keep reading the art call for all the exciting news about this exhibit.
Submission Closed
July: XS “Our Tiny Artworks Exhibition”
Some of the most incredible things in the world are sometimes the tiniest. Think of the component of the phones we use or the gears that turn a wristwatch. A hummingbird, butterfly and bees, are so important to the environment yet small in scale in comparison to other animals. So it is in art that small masterpieces have been created throughout the centuries. Nicholas Hillard, Issac Oliver and Hans Holbein the Younger perfected small-scale portraiture in the 16th-17th centuries. Samuel Cooper and Richard Cosway achieved fame in the 18th century.
Today we have artist like Jon Almeda who creates functional pottery often no larger than a coin and Slinkachu a street artist who creates tiny, amusing, and poignant figurines placed in urban landscapes. You could turn to Dina Brodsky, Rosa de Jong and Anja Markiewicz, all modern artists of our own time for inspiration. So, for this year's tiny artworks exhibit you can only create no larger than 6" x 4" or smaller on a substrate of your choice. This size includes the frame so be mindful that you are not exceeding the required size.
Submission Closed
Teachers & Students Exhibition in the Jean Rawls Classroom
It’s back, our annual Teachers and students Exhibition and we heard you loud and clear, so we are hosting this exhibit in the Jean Rawls Classroom at the center. We are looking forward to seeing how the instructors have influenced their students and even vice versa. The theme is open but there are some important guidelines to follow. The submission is open to students that have taken classes at the Virginia Beach Art Center during 2026. You do not have to be currently enrolled but may have taken a class earlier in the year, this also includes students that are or have taken private classes.
Submission Deadline: 8/6/26 – Exhibition Dates: 9/11/26 – 11/8/26
August: Illuminated
There are so many troubling things in our world today. We all need to feel a sense of “light at the end of the tunnel”. Where there is shadow, there is light! Illuminated can take on so many interpretations, whether it be shedding light on a social issue to spotlighting your muse for a photo shoot. Let light be your inspiration for this exciting exhibition.
Submission Closed
August: A Thing of Beauty @Towne Pavilion Center 1
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever," are the famous opening lines from the English Romantic poet John Keats' long poem Endymion. It suggests that beauty is an everlasting source of joy and energy that never fades away or loses its value, even in the world we live today. How can these words inspire you to create, using your imagination and skill to connect us to the beauty of your art.
Submission Closed
September: Animalia
Animals of all kinds! From the tiniest microorganism to the largest animal on earth, they are all living things and contribute to our world. The options are too many to name! Impress us with your interpretation of Animalia.
Submission Deadline: 8/13/26 – Exhibition Dates: 9/4 – 9/27/26 – Main Gallery
September: Fine Art Fundraiser
Artists are invited to donate their artwork in support of the Virginia Beach Art Center’s 2026 Fine Art Fundraising, taking place August 28–September 6.
Submission Deadline: 8/6/26 - Fundraiser Event Online and at the center 8/28 - 9/6/26
October: AWARE ’26 “Love our Earth”
This amazing planet we call earth is approximately 4.54 billion years old, with an incredible small margin of error of about 50 million years. This amazing celestial body has endured many changes and is continually in flux with ever changing environments. Modern humans have inhabited the earth for about 300.000 years with other human lineage stretching to about 6 million years. With evolution perfecting our species we are the custodians of this planet. It is upon us to love it and take care of it for future generations to come. We challenge you to create art that will enlighten the community and teach us how to ensure we are taking care of the planet. This year we have partnered with Lynnhaven River Now (LRNow) to aid us in disseminating the AWARE'26 message,
"Love Our Earth".
Submission Deadline: 9/10/26 – Exhibition Dates: 10/2 – 11/1/26 – Main Gallery
"Love Our Earth" Aware '26
Tree of Life Community Art Installation
This year our community project is a Tree of Life which will be constructed in the middle of our main gallery and will contain approximately 500 images created by the community. The appropriately called Tree of Life is about the past, present and future of the globe. The images that will hang depict insects, flora and fauna, mammals, the cosmos, dinosaurs, humanity, aquatic creatures, and birds.
This year we once again invite the community to participate by contributing to the community art installation.
November: Figure It Out
Figure it Out is a celebration of the human form whether it be realistic, abstracted or inspired by different artistic approaches. All types of art are encouraged to submit.
Submission Deadline: 10/15/26 – Exhibition Dates: 11/6 – 11/29/26 – Main Gallery
November: Solo Exhibition: Carol Anne McErlean
Exhibition Dates: 11/13/26 – 1/17/27 – Jean Rawls Classroom
December: Step Out
Annual Virginia Beach Art Center Exhibition
Step beyond your comfort zone and your usual artistic routine by exploring a new muse or experimenting with a medium you have not used before. Take a leap of faith, gain a fresh perspective, and embrace artistic growth.
This exhibit is open only to artists who participated in any 2026 exhibition held at the Virginia Beach Center or satellite location.
Submission Deadline: 11/12/26 – Exhibition Dates: 12/4 – 12/23/26 – Main Gallery
December: Holiday Boutique Market
The Virginia Beach Art Center will be hosting two weekends of Holiday Boutique Markets. The first weekend will be Black Friday November 27, Small Business Weekend Saturday November 28, and Sunday November 29. The second weekend will be Saturday December 12, and Sunday December 13.
Submission Deadline: Thursday September 3 by 11:59pm
If you enjoy our monthly exhibitions, consider making a donation. Your support helps us build community centered around the shared love of the visual arts. If you'd like to make a donation, click the button below. We thank you for your support!
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