EXHIBITIONS
d’Art Center
MAIN GALLERY EXHIBITIONS
Open Call for Artists
Our open calls to artists for our exhibitions go onto CALLFORENTRY.ORG about a month and a half before each exhibition’s scheduled opening day. Current open calls are listed below. Our annual exhibition schedule can be found below.
If you are an artist and would like to be on our eblast list for open calls, please contact the Gallery Director at [email protected].
Calls for artists open on CALLFORENTRY.ORG during the times listed under each show & on our website.
Current & Upcoming Exhibitions
Portrayed 4: A Juried National Exhibition of Portraiture
Saturday, January 11th – Saturday, February 8th, 2025
Portrayed is an all medium juried national exhibition of original and unique 2D and 3D portraiture artworks. All works either depict a human figure, or human face in this exhibit.
This exhibition was co-curated by Gallery Director Amanda Bradley, and Exhibition Juror and artist, Mark E Miltz.
The open call for Portrayed received 713 submissions from 196 artists from 37 states. 59 works from 49 artists from 21 were selected for the show.
The Vault – Brittany Johnson: Intricately Detailed
Saturday, January 11th – Saturday, February 8th, 2025
Brittany Johnson was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia and still resides there today with her family. She homeschools her three children and spends her free time growing her art business. Brittany has always loved animals, nature, and anything creative or artistic. Her art journey began when she quit band class to take art foundation in 11th grade. That high school art class is where she was first introduced to scratchboard. From that moment on she immersed herself in art and experimented with every medium she could.
Brittany graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in art education. After graduating, she worked full time for a contracting company while pursuing art as an acrylic painter on the side. Over the next 10 years her paintings made the shift away from abstract expressionism into landscapes, sea life, and blending realistic animals with abstract backgrounds. Her paintings were shown across Hampton Roads at outdoor art shows, gallery shows, restaurants, and businesses.
In 2013 Brittany decided to make a pet portrait as a friend’s wedding gift. This single portrait was a catalyst that led to growing scratchboard commissions and falling in love with this unique medium. In 2018 she had built up a body of work and participated in her first art show as a professional scratchboard artist. She was both shocked and delighted to win Best in Show.
Brittany is one of 70 Signature Scratchboard Artists in the world with the International Society of Scratchboard Artists. She is working on becoming a Master, a prestigious title held by only 21 others. She strives to promote this medium and is open to share her knowledge of the medium with others. Brittany’s scratchboard tutorials can be found on her Youtube channel and the Ampersand Art website. Brittany states “I am continually trying to challenge myself in my work. I love experimenting with new tools, creating more complex compositions, and rendering a variety of textures including fur, grass, plants, scales, carpet, metal, and liquid the best that I can.”
Brittany’s work focuses on animals, nature and the beauty found in this world God has made for us. Brittany’s award-winning scratchboard is beautiful from afar and is more entrancing the closer you get. Each highly detailed piece seems as if you could feel it and her art has a three-dimensional lifelike quality despite being a two dimensional medium.
Surface: A National Juried Exhibition of Artworks Unique in Texture or Pattern
Saturday February 15th – Saturday March 8th, 2025
Surface is an exhibition of artworks that highlights the unique uses of textures and patterns in artworks from across the country. The d’Art Center is looking to exhibit artwork that puts a big emphasis on texture and patterns. Works in those show must exhibit exceptional textures and patterns – we want our patrons to be able to “feel” those textures with their EYES, and/or to get lost in those mesmerizing patterns!
This is a juried exhibition, and it will be co-curated by Gallery Director Amanda Bradley, and Exhibition Juror and artist, Nicola Cornford.
Nicola Cornford, ‘paints’ with porcelain, producing unique, decorative ceramic art. Drawing inspiration from the natural world around her, as well as well known artists, she loves to reimagine what she sees creating innovative and distinctive artworks.
Apart from a ceramic class in high school, a series of classes taken at MOCA after she moved from England to Virginia Beach over 15 years ago, Nicola is self taught. During COVID she bought a kiln, and started her journey of experimentation and exploration that turned into a life changing passion.
Nicola makes her own porcelain paper clay, enabling her to manipulate and shape her work in ways not possible with conventional porcelain. It is the tactile nature of clay that she loves most about this medium and the physical connection it gives her with the art she creates.
Nicola has won awards for her work in juried exhibitions at both State and National level.
The Vault – Anne May Solo Exhibit
More info coming soon…
2025 Exhibition Schedule
- Main Gallery – Portrayed: A National Juried Exhibition of Portraiture. Call Open: Mon. 10/7/24 – Sun. 11/10/24
- Vault – Brittany Johnson
Exhibits Open: Sat. 1/11/25 – Sat. 2/8/25
- Main Gallery – Surface 2: A National Juried Exhibition of Artworks Unique in Texture or Pattern. Call Open: Mon. 11/25/24 – Sun. 1/12/25
- Vault – Anne May
Exhibits Open: Sat. 2/15/25 – Sat. 3/8/25
- Main Gallery & Vault Exhibits TBA with NEON District Community Partner
Exhibits Open: Sat. 3/15/25 – Sat. 4/12/25
- Main Gallery – Flourish: Annual National Juried Exhibition of Floral and Botanical Artworks during VA Garden Week. Call Open: Mon. 1/27/25 – Sun. 3/2/25
- Vault – Andy Harris
Exhibits Open: Sat. 4/19/25 – Sat. 5/24/25
- Main Gallery – Gilded: A National Juried Exhibition of Artworks that Incorporate Gilded Elements. Call Open: Mon. 2/24/25 – Sun. 4/6/25
- Vault – A Juried National Exhibit of Artworks from the LGBTQIA+ Community. Call Open: Mon. 2/24/24 – Sun. 4/6/25
Exhibits Open: Sat. 5/31/25 – Sat. 6/28/25
- Main Gallery – Figment: A National Juried Exhibition of Fanciful, Whimsical, and Surreal Artworks. Call Open: Mon. 4/7/25 – Sun. 5/11/25
- Vault – Catherine Hillis
Exhibits Open: Sat. 7/5/25 – Sat. 8/2/25
- Main Gallery – Flowing & Flying: A Juried National Exhibition of Waterscapes and Waterbirds. Call Open: Mon. 5/12/25 – Sun. 6/15/25
- Vault – TBA
Exhibits Open: Sat. 8/9/25 – Sat. 9/6/25
- Main Gallery – Reminiscent: A National Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Impressionism. Call Open: Mon. 6/16/25 – Sun. 7/20/25
- Vault – Tiny But Mighty: Annual National Juried Exhibition of Small Artworks. Call Open: Mon. 6/16/25 – Sun. 7/20/25
Exhibits Open: Sat. 9/13/25 – Sat. 10/18/25
- Main Gallery – VIVID: A National Juried Exhibition of VIBRANT, BOLD, and LOUD Artworks. Call Open: Mon. 7/28/25 – Sun. 9/7/25
- Vault – TBA
Exhibits Open: Sat. 10/25/25 – Sat. 11/29/25
- Main Gallery – TBA
- Vault – Adorn: A Collection of Artisanal Jewelry from Across the Country. Call Open: Mon. 9/22/25 – Sun. 10/19/25
Exhibits Open: Sat. 12/6/25 – Sat. 12/20/25
THE VAULT
This one hundred and thirty-two square foot exhibition space is a historical bank vault within the d’Art Center and gives artists an opportunity to exhibit their work in a unique space in the heart of the Norfolk Arts District. All styles and aesthetics are considered.
The Vault can be booked for Invitational Shows, Small Group Shows, or Juried Open Call Shows.
Artists interested in submitting a proposal for The Vault can download a proposal form here.
The d’Art Center markets the show through its social media and patron base and provides invitational postcards/fliers. There is a 60/40 commission on sales (60% Artist, 40% d’Art Center).