Hello All ! As you can see I am new to this site! I have been in the art business for many years but new to the art shows & fairs. My first show will be Neptune in September. I have been looking into other shows in Virginia but I can't find much/ Does anyone know of good art shows in Virginia? Has anyone heard of the Northern Virginia Christmas Market and the Virginia Beach Christmas Market? I also found out about the NN Fall Festival of Folklife but it is too late to apply. Thank you all!!!

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  • There is also 1 on the campus of UofR that takes place next month - Arts Around The Lake, the date shifts a bit each year to coinside the parents day on the campus..its only a 1 day show but pretty well attended.
    • Hi Tim - That is great. Thanks for the info!

      Annie
  • I am from both Virginia and Ohio and have done shows in both regions. I will be doing Seawall this coming weekend and in October I will do An Occasion for the Arts in Williamsburg and hopefully Stockley Garden in Norfolk (jury results are not out). There is a Stockley Garden spring show I have done in the past to much success (the last two years I have done Midwest shows in place of it). Earlier this year I wrote a review on Art on the Square in Williamsburg, which might be helpful for you to read. I recommend all of these show. In my opinion, the best of all these is An Occasion for the Arts and the most competitive. I have also done the Boardwalk last year and found it to be just OK. There are also many shows up in the Richmond Area (Art in the Park, in May), An Art Affair; Art Around the Lake, on the campus of U. Richmond; 43rd Street Art Festival, etc, etc, etc. Each community has their own list of shows. In the end it is difficult to know what would be good for you because your work is so different from mine. You will need to do some homework.

    Doing a google search on the Virginia.org site on "Juried Art Festivals" will product a starting point. Look at the list of participating artists attending each show and visit the artist's website (when available) to see how your work compares. When possible, walk the show, that will give you the best information. I would encourage you to walk the Seawall show this weekend. I hope this helps. Cheers, Leo
    • Hi Leo- Thank you deeply for taking the time to add a reply. I am grateful to have received so many valuable responses. I will be in the Seawall show this weekend. Where will you booth be located? I would love to stop by and say hi if ok with you! I will begin on my homework and research! Take care and Bye for now : )

      Annie
  • There are a lot of shows in NoVA that I hear about but haven't participated in. It does seem that this site is skewed to Midwest and Florida shows but that's probably because the majority of the members live closer to those areas. While I don't agree with how your original request was handled and responded to, I'm glad this is now in the so-called right location on this site for us Virginians to discuss.

    The Tidewater area has a lot of small artsy/crafty type shows in churches and schools........I did some of them my first year.........will never do those again. Besides the ones I mentioned in my previous post, there was a show over in Phoebus or Hampton on the beach but for the life of me I cannot remember the name.......sorry.

    There are two great shows........East Beach Art Show and Chic's Beach Art show held in the spring but typically these shows are filled with artists that have participated in the past and there's no room for new artists. When I get the information next year for these shows, I'll make sure I post them if there's openings. I did fantastic at both of these shows.

    There's a show being held on September 9 (Thursday) from noon till 7pm called the Pink Heals Show. It will be at the outside entrance of East Beach in Norfolk and proceeds are donated to the Cancer Foundation of Tidewater. Contact Paula at the Sandfiddler Cafe for more information.

    First Fridays at Town Center in VB have been ongoing since April and go through October.

    There's no doubt we definitely need more shows in our area.

    I am a member of a group of local artists and we have a website which costs each member $10 per year. We talk about shows, we list all the local shows with application information etc.

    This area also has a lot of galleries that are looking for local artists' works assuming you are receptive to consignment sales. Most work on a 60/40 split and jewelry is typically 70/30. My jewelry is in Lin-Lin Gallery at Pembroke Mall and Premier Gallery of Ghent in Norfolk. I also hope to have my jewelry in a store going toward Nags Head by the end of the year. I don't depend on these sales but it does help greatly with getting my name out there.

    I do a lot of shows in the Spring, Fall and early Winter here and take the hot summer months off as I just can't tolerate the heat anymore.

    Hope this helps a little :-)
    Lindsay
    • Hi Lindsay!

      Thank you again for all of the info! I will be looking into all of these shows and making a note of them for next year! I am interested in learning more about the site for Local shows. Do you mind e-mailing me the info? lalencaboutique@hotmail.com

      I will also be contacting Paula for more info on the Pink Heals Show! ; )

      Thanks! Helped allot : )

      Annie
  • Hi Annie,
    I live in Virginia Beach - and I'll be in the Neptune also. Please look me up at the show. I was in it last year and did really well - despite the rain and wind (which always seems to happy at the Neptune).

    You ask about the two Christmas Markets.... I've done the VB Christmas Market for two years - and will do it again this year. The first year I did really well - last year not so great. I did do the Spring show (with the same organizers) and did well. Overall - even though these shows are expensive, I think they are worth it. You just have to make sure you have some $25 items. I sell mixed media art - and sold work between $25 and $200.

    I'm signed up for the Northern Virginia Christmas Market for the first time this year. And - I'll be in the Newport News fall Festival of Folklife for the first time. I'm a little nervous about the Newport News show.... don't know how many painted shovels and such will be in the show.... but at least I'm in the juried section. It's inexpensive - and I don't have to pay for a hotel - so what the heck.

    At this point, with kids still in school - I've tried to keep shows close. I'm very close to expanding outside of this area. I constantly have people tell me that my work belongs in DC and New York.

    There are quite a few good shows here - the Stockley Gardens Art show in Norfolk, (which I'm anxiously waiting to find out if I've been accepted in), the Gosport and Seawall in Portsmouth, and of course, the Boardwalk in Virginia Beach. There's also a smaller and newer show at the ocean front over Memorial Day called the Surf Art show. I was in it - just did OK.

    I was in the Gosport this May - and did well.

    Hope to see you at Neptune. I'm in booth 2807 - come by and say hi.

    Kathy Rose
    • Hi Kathy- Many thanks for your reply. Although still very inexperienced I have been fortunate to be meeting new people through here. I had the opportunity of speaking to Larry Berman a few minutes ago and it was a great experience. I will for sure stop by and say hi. We will be in booth # 2010. I also spoke to the organizers of the Northern and VA Beach Christmas market show today and Denise told me that there were still spots available and would mail me an application. Hopefully if accepted I will see you there as well! I am also applying to the Ocean View Art Show that takes place 10/10/10 (will you be there?) and to the Reston fair (May 2011) hopefully to the 2011 Gosport for next year as well.

      Will you be at the Surf Art Show? I see what you mean about the children as I am quite in the predicament... : )

      Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions! I am looking forward to meeting you in Septemeber!

      Annie
      • I'm also in VB and will be in the Ocean View Art Show. I've been doing shows in our area for three years and am hoping to do the Spring VB show at the Convention Center as well as either Gosport or Stockley Gardens next year.

        You might want to check into the Fred Heutte Olde Norfolk Christmas show in early December.......it's a very nice small show with good patrons.

        The Ocean View show is great! I did it last year and although the weather crushed my tent Friday evening and it rained on Saturday, with a loaned tent I did great on Sunday! It's put on by the CBAA (Chesapeake Bay Art Assocation)..........www.oceanviewartshow.com

        Seawall Art Show is this coming weekend in Portsmouth...it's also a great show. I haven't done this show but helped my girlfriend last year and will be doing the same this year......if you visit check out E. I. Designs :-)

        Lindsay
        • Hi Lindsay - Many thanks for your reply and useful information! I will be visiting the Seawall Art Show this weekend and I am eager to meet you! I am undecided as to Sat or Sun but will for sure be there : )

          Thanks for the heads up with the Fred Heutte Olde Norfolk Christmas show!!! I did not know about that one. I will be applying to the Ocean View show this week as the deadline (09/11/2010) is coming up. Hopefully I will see you there also.

          It is great to be able to communicate with local artist and share through sites like these!

          Annie
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