“Great art picks up where nature ends,” or so said painter Marc Chagall.
No truer words have been said, especially considering art’s powerful relationship with nature.
Some of the first recorded instances of human art was based on interactions with nature. Today, artists and lovers of art alike continue to celebrate and embrace the beauty of nature across mediums, from canvas to photography, sculpture to murals, and more.
Want to see some of the powerful art present on the Middle Peninsula, much of which celebrates the beauty of this rural coastal Virginia region and its water trails?
We’ve compiled a list of some art spots to visit when on the Middle Peninsula.
6580 Main Street, Gloucester, Virginia
Located on Gloucester’s Main Street, the Gloucester Arts on Main is part gallery, part community gathering spot, part event hall, part school.
In addition to the rotating exhibitions on display in the 4,000-square-feet of space, Arts on Main offers art classes.
Numerous artists regularly contribute to the gallery.
200 Prince Street, Tappahannock, Virginia
The Tappahannock Art Gallery works with the Tappahannock Art Guild, a community of artists who seek to educate and enrich the local community through promoting local artists and the chance to learn more about the joys of artistic endeavors.
Like Gloucester Arts on Main, the Tappahannock Gallery also offers several different art classes and exhibitions.
Bay School Community Arts Center
279 Main Street, Mathews, Virginia
Founded in 1997, the Bay School serves to provide art education and art appreciation to locals of all ages and backgrounds. The school itself offers workshops, classes, seminars, and lectures, all for the purpose of giving those enrolled new ways to create.
Additionally, the Bay School also contains the Art Speaks Gallery where works created by the Bay School students and local artists are displayed and sold.
6655 Main Street, Gloucester, Virginia
Also located in Gloucester on Main Street, the Stewart Gallery is a fine arts gallery with a focus on Atlantic and southern artists and art. The gallery hosts forty different artists in a variety of styles.
Throughout Gloucester
The Gloucester Arts Festival, held each year in some capacity, brings artists to the region to celebrate the beauty of the region. Plein air events, mural projects, outdoor concerts and more make up the unique events of each year’s events.
Photos by Sara Harris Photography for the Gloucester Village.