LOCATION: 17th-32nd Street at the Boardwalk SHOW HOURS: Thurs. 9am-6pm Fri. 10am-6pm Sat. 10am-6pm Sun.10am-5pm Official Hotel Partner:
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FAQ:
>Where to Buy Past Posters & T-shirts
HISTORY:
In 1952, a group of local artists in Virginia Beach, Virginia held an
exhibition and art sale to benefit a peer who had suffered a
debilitating stroke. Inspired by the sales success, they formed the
Virginia Beach Art Association (VBAA). Four years later, the VBAA
instituted the First Annual Boardwalk Art Show & Festival; it was
one of many events initiated by the Golden Jubilee Events program
designed to celebrate the City of Virginia Beach’s 50th anniversary.
With a budget of $10, VBAA staff and volunteers began the arduous task of creating the First Annual Boardwalk Art Show & Festival from scratch. According to VBAA’s Publicity Chairman Granbery Walter, this was the first outdoor show of its kind in the country. Eighty-two regional artists paid a 50-cent application fee and flocked to the boardwalk in bathing suits to display their work to a few thousand visitors. They tied their works to the boardwalk railing with chicken wire or placed them directly on the ground. At the end of the day, judges announced award winners for honorable mentions, most popular and Bestin-Show; award money totaled $25.
Throughout this time, the Boardwalk Art Show & Festival grew to be one of Virginia Beach and the Commonwealth’s most highly anticipated events. With more than 350,000 visitors and $2 million in art sales annually, the Boardwalk Art Show & Festival is rankked in the top 50 best fine art & design shows in the nation by Sunshine artist magazine. In 2008, prize money for artist awards
reached over $30,000. The Virginia Beach Hotel Motel Association Best-in-Show Award of $10,000 remains the second largest bestin-show award in the nation, attracting high-caliber artists and art collectors anxious to find unique, one-of-kind works.
>> CLICK HERE FOR $4 OFF THE 2009 POSTER! <<
