VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art is marking the end of an era with its final exhibition at its Parks Avenue location near the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
The museum, which has been housed in the building for 37 years, will move to a new location at Virginia Wesleyan University in 2026.
“I’ve seen and created and organized so many exhibitions here over the past 20 years, and this is a really special one,” said Alison Byrne, executive director of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art.
Byrne said it is emotional to see the final exhibit on display in a space that has been central to the museum’s history for nearly four decades.
“We really wanted to do an exhibition that honored where we’ve come from and looks forward,” she said.
The exhibit, titled “Where We Meet,” features work from 77 local artists. The collection includes photographs of the Suffolk Peanut Festival, paintings of Mount Trashmore and various sculptures, highlighting what makes Hampton Roads significant to the region’s artistic community.
Some of the artists featured have been connected to the museum since its earliest days at the Parks Avenue location.
“This is by the artist Lorraine Fink,” Byrne said. “Lorraine, I believe, is 101. She was in the very first exhibition here in this building back in 1989 and is here again during our final exhibition.”
The exhibit will remain on display through the second weekend of January. After that, the museum will officially begin its transition to its new home at Virginia Wesleyan University, with an expected opening in April.
Before the move, the museum will host a community farewell celebration at the Parks Avenue building, which will include a silent auction.
“We’re going to give the public the opportunity to come back into our vault for the very first time,” Byrne said. “They’ll see what it’s like back there, where the works are typically prepared for hanging in the galleries, and they’ll get to bid and hopefully take some work home.”
The farewell celebration is scheduled for Jan. 10 and 11. More information on how to participate click here.
