EXHIBITIONS¬

WE ARE WHAT WE CURATE

If you’re looking for inspiration from the artists of today, or just something fun to do in Virginia Beach, you’ve come to the right place. As a non-collecting contemporary art museum, our gallery spaces have ever-changing exhibitions. That means every few months, we introduce new, exceptional art for you to see, experience, and celebrate. Check out what is on view now, coming next, and what we’ve shown before.

Admission is free! Tickets can be reserved in advance at the link below.

RESERVE TICKETS →

EXHIBITIONS

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS¬

Kara Walker, Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated): Exodus of Confederates from Atlanta, edition 21/35, 2005. Offset lithography and screenprint, 39 x 53 in. Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer. © Kara Walker

Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation

MAIN GALLERY

A leading artist of her generation, Kara Walker (b. 1969) works in a range of mediums, including prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture, film, and the large-scale silhouette cutouts for which she is perhaps most recognized. Her powerful and provocative images employ contradictions to critique the painful legacies of slavery, sexism, violence, imperialism, and other power structures, including those in the history and hierarchies of art and contemporary culture.

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MARCH 9–JUNE 11, 2023

LaToya M. Hobbs, The Founder, 2020. Acrylic, collage, and relief carving on wood panel, 48 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Ariston Jacks.

LaToya M. Hobbs: Flourish

MAIN GALLERY

LaToya M. Hobbs creates large-scale portraits of women from her community. Her portraits challenge entrenched assumptions of beauty and identity about Black women and turns them inside out. The artist deconstructs these ideas and reframes them from a place of love and celebration. Hobbs is an artist, professor, mother, wife, daughter, colleague, and friend. She connects to a wide community of women who serve as a source of inspiration and creation.

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MARCH 9–JUNE 11, 2023

Amber Pierce, Pouring Out to Be Refilled, 2023. Acrylic, fibers. Courtesy of the artist

Atrium Artists in Residence: Amber Pierce, Poetry Jackson, Nadd Harvin

COMMUNITY GALLERY

This exhibition features the work of Amber Pierce, Poetry Jackson, and Nadd Harvin, who have been invited to participate in the 2023 Atrium Artist in Residence Program. The residency aims to support and amplify the work of regional artists while creating another entry point for Museum visitors to engage with contemporary art and ideas in connection with the main gallery exhibitions, Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick and LaToya Hobbs: Flourish. This group exhibition complements the residency program and celebrates the work of these talented artists.

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MARCH 9–JUNE 11, 2023

Photo by Lindsay Collette.

ARTlab Spring 2023

ARTlab is our interactive space for all ages located off of our main galleries. Explore the main themes and ideas found in our current exhibitions Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick and LaToya M. Hobbs: Flourish through making, sharing, and personal connections.

MARCH 9–JUNE 11, 2023

Mia Guile, The Great Escape, 2022. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.

In the Abstract

SATELLITE GALLERY (OFF-SITE)

Color, shape, line, form, and texture are the foundation for the language of visual art. Abstract artists use this language to investigate memory, emotion, and art itself. They move away from the expectations of creating a visual reality in their painting practice. There are few rules for this approach to painting; it exists in many different forms.

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DECEMBER 21, 2022–JULY 29, 2023

Dale Chihuly, Mille Colori, 2003. Blown glass. Photo by Echard Wheeler.

Mille Colori by Dale Chihuly

RODRIGUEZ PAVILION

Translating to “1,000 Colors,” Mille Colori certainly lives up to its name. This breathtaking 14-foot glass sculpture by renowned artist, Dale Chihuly, is made up of 520 separate blown-glass pieces and hangs as a permanent fixture in our sunlit Rodriguez Pavilion, which was built specifically to showcase the modern masterwork. As our only permanent work of art on view, Mille Colori can be experienced year-round and has been seen by thousands of visitors throughout the years.

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Erin Richburg, Aerial Rush, 2021. Mixed media. Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School.

Teaching Artist Exhibition 2023

FLEMING GALLERY

Through the ongoing partnership between Virginia MOCA and Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the annual Teaching Artists Exhibition is on view in Fleming Gallery every spring. Our institutions are committed to the professionalization and visibility of teachers as artists, in addition to their role as educators. A teaching artist fuses the skills, practices, and awareness of an artist into their instructional practice. This exhibition provides an opportunity to celebrate the teacher as the artist.

MAY 11–JUNE 4, 2023

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS¬

Hugo McCloud, Take a Seat, 2020. Single use plastic mounted on panel. © Hugo McCloud. Photo by Jason Wyche, New York. Courtesy of Sean Kelly. Collection of Meredith and Brother Rutter.

Collector's Edition

MAIN GALLERY

Our brains are wired to collect things.

Collections can bring pleasure, satisfy curiosity, represent identity, mark moments in time, and create a legacy. There are as many reasons to create collections as there are people who have them. Museums like Virginia MOCA have a special connection to art collectors. We love people who love art and support creative culture. Purchasing artwork preserves our knowledge and values. It forms an exchange of ideas that stretch across the world into our most intimate spaces.

JULY 7–DECEMBER 31, 2023

Anna Freeman, Evaporated/Saturated II, 2023. Porcelain with glaze. Courtesy of the artist.

Studio Work Studio Programs Teaching Artists 2023

FLEMING GALLERY

Virginia MOCA collaborates with regional teaching artists to develop exceptional hands-on studio experiences for all ages and skill levels inspired by the artwork in the Museum galleries. This exhibition celebrates these teaching artists and features a diverse range of artwork, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, and more. Each work of art represents the artist’s unique perspective and the creative methods they employ in their teaching practice.

JUNE 8–AUGUST 20, 2023

Open (C)all 2023 Curious Collections

COMMUNITY GALLERY

CALL FOR ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS

People collect all kinds of things for many reasons. Some people collect to fulfill practical needs or as a hobby, while others collect to satisfy an emotional desire or to create a sense of identity.

Virginia MOCA invites Hampton Roads artists of all ages to participate in our upcoming exhibition Open (C)all 2023: Curious Collections. The exhibition will be displayed in conjunction with Virginia MOCA’s main gallery exhibition Collector’s Edition.

What do you collect? Accepted submissions will be displayed in our Community Gallery.

JULY 7–DECEMBER 31, 2023

PAST EXHIBITIONS¬

EXHIBITION PLAYLIST

We are grateful to Thanks for Listening, a record store in Virginia Beach, for curating an exhibition-inspired playlist that takes the listener on a chronological journey through essential themes in Black history. Hear the playlist in our lobby or follow the link below and enjoy at home.

Listen on Spotify →

The playlist begins by celebrating the beauty and greatness of Africa and then moves on to reflect on the Middle Passage, slavery, freedom and emancipation, the realities of Black life in America, inter-generational connectivity, the force of water, and the power of the Black Woman, before ending with a note of hope and optimism for the future. The songs on this playlist are thoughtfully chosen and arranged in a specific order, taking into account their tone, content, and purpose.